Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack visited a state-of-the-art bioindustrial facility in Pennsylvania on Friday, where he announced $25 million to fund research and development of next-generation renewable energy and high-value biobased products from a variety of biomass sources.
“USDA’s continuing investments in research and development are proving a critical piece of President Obama’s strategy to spur innovation of clean bioenergy right here at home and reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” said Vilsack. “The advances made through this research will help to boost local economies throughout rural America, creating and sustaining good-paying jobs, while moving our nation toward a clean energy economy.”
Vilsack made the announcement while visiting Pennsylvania-based Renmatix, a leading manufacturer of cellulosic sugars for biobased chemical and fuel markets, for the commissioning of the company’s BioFlex Conversion Unit, a multiple-feedstock processing facility at the company’s King of Prussia headquarters.
The four projects approved for investment are:
Kansas State University – $5,078,932 The goal of this project is to make the oilseed crop camelina a cost-effective biofuel and bioproduct feedstock.
Ohio State University – $6,510,183 This project will result in an anaerobic digestion system for the production of liquid transportation fuels and electricity from animal manure, agricultural residues, woody biomass and energy crops.
Ceramatec, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah – $6,599,304 This project will convert lignocellulosic biomass to infrastructure-compatible renewable diesel, biolubricants, animal feed and biopower. New hybrids of energy sorghum will be developed, and other biomass resources include switchgrass and forestry residues.
USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA – $6,865,942 ARS scientists will develop an on-the-farm distributed technology for converting forest residues, horse manure, switchgrass and other perennial grasses into biofuels and high-value specialty chemicals.