Avello Bioenergy submits full application to the FY 2012 Biomass Research & Development Initiative

 August 2, 2012

Avello Bioenergy submits full application to the FY 2012 Biomass Research & Development Initiative

Avello was notified in June that its pre-application to the FY 2012 Biomass Research & Development Initiative (BRDI) program was selected for invitation to submit a full application. With assistance from the project team of Borregard LignoTech (BLT), Iowa State University (ISU), and Michigan Technological University (MTU), Avello recently submitted a full application to this funding opportunity.

Our proposed 3-year project includes lab and pilot scale testing of pine and poplar woody biomass in the Avello®FRAC process for production of cost competitive biobased adhesives. This project includes detailed analysis of life-cycle greenhouse gas impacts, sustainability and technoeconomic impacts.

Our assembled team includes experts from MTU's School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Department of Chemical Engineering and the Sustainable Futures Institute; ISU's Center for Sustainable Environmental Technologies, Bioeconomy Institute, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering; and BLT's world class lignin chemistry laboratories. BLT also has a rich history of commercialization of specialty chemicals related to lignin, along with a significant market presence.

Projects funded through BRDI (a joint program through the U.S. DOE and USDA) will help develop economically and environmentally sustainable sources of renewable biomass and increase the availability of renewable fuels and biobased products. These investments will help cut America's oil imports, develop clean alternative energy technologies, and protect American families and businesses from the ups and downs of the global oil market. BRDI projects must propose projects that integrate science and engineering research in the following three technical areas: feedstock development, biofuels and biobased products development, and biofuels development analysis. 

Adapted from: Biomass Research & Development Initiative