$6M Awarded for advanced biofuels projects

DOE and EPA announce funding for biofuels projects

Recently on January 8, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $6 million in funding to develop advanced biofuels. 

This funding, through the Inflation Reduction Act, supports three projects that will enhance biofuel production, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and advance renewable energy innovation.

The projects align with the DOE’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge and focus on developing sustainable biofuel technologies using biomass and waste feedstocks. Selected projects include -

• Air Company Holdings (Brooklyn, NY) - Converting biogenic carbon dioxide into sustainable aviation fuel.

• Erg Bio Inc. (Dublin, CA) - Demonstrating flexible biomass deconstruction and conversion technology.

• Terragia Biofuels (Hanover, NH) - Transforming corn stover into ethanol using engineered thermophilic bacteria.

Biofuels, derived from renewable sources like plants and algae, are vital to strengthening the U.S. bioeconomy. These projects aim to meet EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program, which mandates reducing greenhouse gas emissions and expanding renewable fuels. The RFS Program requires renewable fuels to replace petroleum-based fuels for transportation, heating, and aviation.

“These projects provide industry with new technologies to reduce emissions and expand renewable fuels,” stated the EPA. 

Additionally, the projects align with the DOE’s 2023 Billion-Ton Report, which highlights the U.S.’s ability to sustainably use agricultural residues and wet waste to produce biofuels.

To learn more, visit BETO’s funding opportunities webpage