The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has awarded a $250,525 grant to Enginuity Worldwide to develop its BioCoal Fuel. The Missouri-based company uses its patented rotary compression technology to produce the renewable fuel. The multi-phase grant will begin on July 1, 2016 and will end June 30, 2017.

“Through its innovative biotechnology, Enginuity Worldwide has provided Nebraska with an opportunity to introduce biomass as an alternative fuel source using the state’s current waste stream and vast agriculture industry,” said Jim Macy, Director of the DEQ. “As the DEQ develops its plan to meet waste management targets, we look forward to working with Enginuity to help us reach this goal.”

Enginuity’s rotary compression technology transforms waste streams such as eastern red cedar, corn stover, sorghum stover, animal manure and woody waste, into energy-dense, easily transportable biomass – better known as BioCoal Fuel. The company says the product can be used as a cost-effective solution for existing coal-fired power plants to meet carbon emission targets by simply co-firing the product alongside current coal supplies without making expensive facility alterations.

Nancy Heimann, Founder and CEO of Enginuity Worldwide, said of winning the DEQ grant, “BioCoal Fuel can help make a cleaner, more sustainable energy for consumers without raising electricity rates. This grant can ultimately help build on Nebraska’s $22.6 billion agriculture industry, and further provide a solution for the state’s 15 coal-fired power plants to meet emission targets. We are proud to work with the DEQ, who understands the economic and environmental potential of our technology, and is willing to lead in the country as an early adopter.”