Three universites in Connecticut will share more than $900,000 in state grants to test biofuel quality as well as to study different production methods and feedstocks, and another $2.2 million in grants will go to four biodiesel production facilities to help leverage at least $6 million in private investment.
This press release from Gov. M. Jodi Rell has details:
“My Administration has long invested in a range of programs to help Connecticut become less dependent on traditional energy sources,” Governor Rell said. “My Energy Vision for a Cleaner, Greener State calls for investment in alternative energy sources to reduce our reliance on expensive imported sources such as oil and gasoline. Building a biofuels industry in Connecticut will not only meet that goal but help create jobs.
The University of New Haven will receive $135,276 to identify species of algae from Long Island Sound that could be cultivated to produce biodiesel. Yale University will receive $69,752 to research algae feedstock growth optimization.
The University of Connecticut will receive two separate grants: One grant of $598,244 will be used to develop the capability for remote monitoring and build a biodiesel testing laboratory. A $97,000 grant will be used to conduct research on catalysts for conversion of biomass into biofuel.
The Production Facility Grant Program recipients are:
* Greenleaf Biofuels, LLC ($1,281,322): Greenleaf Biofuels will be a biodiesel production plant in New Haven Harbor area with an estimated capacity of 6.7 million gallons per year. Its primary markets will be heating oil and transportation fuel. Greenleaf Biofuels will use a diverse range of raw materials including waste and virgin vegetable oils. The grant will be used to help fund construction and equipment costs.
* DBS Energy Inc. ($503,844): DBS Energy will be a biodiesel-to-electricity production facility in East Hartford. The facility will process waste and virgin vegetable oils into biodiesel for use in diesel generators for peak electricity demand. The facility will utilize processing technology developed at the University of Connecticut to process 250,000 gallons of biodiesel per year. Electricity generated at the facility falls in the category of Class I renewable energy. DBS intends to use the grant to fund construction and equipment costs.
* BioDiesel One, Ltd ($83,566): BioDiesel One is a biodiesel production facility in Southington with an estimated production capacity of 3 million gallons per year. The biodiesel produced can be used as a fuel for the heating oil and transportation markets. BioDiesel One will have the capacity to process an array of feedstock ranging from soybean oil to waste vegetable oil. The company intends to utilize the grant to invest in further process automation and quality control equipment.
* CT Biodiesel LLC ($350,000): CT Biodiesel LLC will be a 50-million- to 52-million-gallons-per-year biodiesel production facility in the New Haven Harbor area. The biodiesel produced would be used as: 1) heating oil; 2) transportation fuel; and 3) electric generation fuel. CT Biodiesel will have the capacity to process an array of feedstock ranging from soybean oil to waste vegetable oil. The company intends to utilize the grant to fund the construction and equipment costs.