The three small-scale projects in Illinois, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, will receive the fund to commercialize novel conversion technologies to accelerate the development of advanced, drop-in biofuels and other valuable bio-based chemicals.
US Energy secretary Steven Chu said these investments aim to accelerate the discovery of innovative solutions that will drive down the cost of biofuels production and boost their availability in the marketplace.
Using thermochemical processes, the projects will help to improve the efficiency of turning biomass into replacements for petroleum-based gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other products.
Thermochemical processes use heat and catalysts to convert biomass into liquid and gaseous intermediates, which can then be chemically converted into fuels and other products.
Drop-in biofuels can serve as direct replacements or supplements to existing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
