The funding for the Bioenergy Alliance Network of the Rockies (BANR) project was awarded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).
The BANR project was created by CSU, Cool Planet Energy Systems, Colorado State Forest Service, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, University of Wyoming, University of Montana, Montana State University, University of Idaho, and the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Bioenergy production from beetle-killed wood has many benefits as it requires no cultivation as well as avoids impact on food production, delivering a highly favorable carbon balance.
However, there are some technical hurdles like wood is typically available in forests/less accessible areas, and is located far from urban industrial centers, which increases wood harvesting and transportation costs.
CSU and consortium partners will work together to address these challenges including environmental impacts, social issues and local policy hurdles to using beetle-killed wood and other forest residues remain largely unexplored.
Under the project, the team will study recent developments in various thermochemical conversion technologies, which help make biofuel on-site.
