Feature Article May, 2006   Advisory Committee Holds Central Region Roadmap Workshop for Bioenergy and Biobased Products in the United States On April 11-12, 2006, the Biomass Initiative's Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee held a Central Region (see Exhibit 1) workshop, at Argonne National Laboratory, to update the Roadmap for Biomass Technologies in the U.S. The Roadmap details the research and development (R&D) pathways necessary to advance the role of biopower, biofuels, and biobased products in the U.S. economy, as set forth in the goals established in the Vision for Bioenergy and Bioproducts in the U.S. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required that both documents, which were developed in 2002, be updated. The Committee recently updated its Vision update, and with this first regional workshop, began the process of updating the Roadmap. The workshop was comprised of 27 invited experts from universities, industry, national laboratories, and government with expertise in biomass feedstocks, processing and conversion, distribution networks and markets, and policy. The workshop focused on national issues and those unique to the central United States. The workshop was chaired by Committee member, Dr. Thomas Binder of Archer Daniels Midland. Using the structure of the original 2002 Roadmap, participants mapped current R&D and non-R&D needs into four categories: Feedstock Production, Processing and Conversion, Product Uses and Distribution, and Public Policy Measures to Promote Biomass Development. The following provides highlights of the workshop discussion. Feedstocks Production Decentralization Identify methods to widely distribute small-scale harvesting, pre-treatment, and handling operations. Identify biocatalysts for small-scale processing and conversion. Ecosystem Services Identify sustainable crop and soil practices, including full residue use. Identify diverse energy crops' effects on soil quality. Encourage crop diversity. Crop Yield Identify a goal for percentage of increased crop yield (e.g. up to 25 percent photosynthesis efficiency increase) Increase positive crop traits: Cellulosic and lignin density Btu value Integrate plant breeding research for bioenergy. Implement multi-season (at least 10-year), multi-location field trials to obtain accurate crop yield data. Farm Profitability Reduce harvesting costs with increased crop densification and one-pass systems. Identify high-value products with Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) studies. Feedstock Diversity Identify adaptable, commercially-viable crop varieties. Identify end-use market, financing for wide range of crops. Processing and Conversion Analysis of Processes Found in Nature Analyze effective biological processes, such as in ruminants, which process cellulosic biomass. Improve processes to replicate effective biological processes synthetically. Combine Federal research efforts to maximize knowledge exchange and effective, targeted funding. Increased Yield Identify thermochemical processes to minimize tar and char in clean-up. Identify cost-effective conversion of black liquor to syngas. Identify more cost-effective and robust biocatalysts. Oils, Sugars, and Protein Platforms Demonstrate conversion of biomass carbon and oil byproducts to platform chemicals for replacement of petrochemicals. Identify commercially viable replacement of petrochemicals. New Approaches to Separations Identify syngas fermentation process improvement pathways. Identify catalyst separation process improvement pathways. Identify enzymatic mobilization process improvement pathways. Product Uses and Distribution On-Farm Processes Identify methods for growers' pre-processing, biomass heating or electric generation, or early-stage biochemical conversion. Identify barriers to, and solutions for, chemical process safety and economies of scale. Increase Product Uses and Demand Improve methods to use fatty acids and gaseous fuels from biomass processes. Identify industry, supply, and policy partnerships to maximize new product markets. Identify opportunities in procurement requirements. Transportation and Distribution Systems Develop a multi-modal transport study involving rail, pipelines, waterways, and highways. Initiate studies of quick, cheap densification methods, and biomass pipeline feasibility. Certification and Specifications Initiate work with organizations such as ASTM or AOCS to establish performance specifications for biofuels and biobased products based on biomass industry input. Identify performance specifications for entire supply and production chain. Identify performance specifications to ensure biobased fuels and products meet standards necessary for public acceptance and future international trade. Public Policy Measures to Promote Biomass Development Education and Training Develop training programs for workers at all levels in biomass industry; specifically transportation, processing, and distribution. Public Outreach Develop activities to promote biomass benefits to the general public, consumers, industry, academics, and policy makers. Develop an association for the biomass industry that represents all interests, activities, and organizations. Reducing Investor Uncertainty Identify Federal agency areas for strategic biomass funding in a white paper or study funded by those Federal agencies. Collaborate among agencies on the level of the Manhattan Project to support all R&D efforts. Incentives and Long Term Policies Identify barriers and targeted incentives through supply chain analysis. Develop petroleum displacement credits. Environment Identify public benefit metrics of biomass crops, processing, and end-products through Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA). Develop coalitions with environmental groups to create larger biomass support base and influence. West and East Regional Roadmap Workshops Two additional Roadmaps workshops are planned. A workshop for the Western Region is planned for August 2006 and the Eastern Region in the fall of 2006. An updated Roadmap will be available in early 2007.     State Spotlight: Mississippi   In 2001 the state of Mississippi consumed roughly 1,173 trillion Btu of energy. The majority of consumption came from petroleum and natural gas accounting for 41 percent and 29 percent of the total energy consumption respectively, with coal accounting for the next highest amount with 17 percent. Nuclear and biomass accounted for 8 and 5 percent of the total consumption respectively. Hydroelectric and other energy sources each accounted for less than one half of one percent.1 Approximately 17,930,978 annual dry tons of biomass is available in Mississippi for energy production. Of this, urban wood wastes have the potential to supply 784,719 dry tons per year. Urban wood wastes include yard trimmings, wood packaging, and other miscellaneous household and commercial wood wastes. Forest residues consisting of logging residues, salvable dead wood, and small pole trees and saplings, have the potential to provide up to 1,774,600 annual dry tons. Up to 37,877 dry tons per year of agricultural residues are potentially available in the state, including materials such as corn stover and wheat straw. Finally, mill residues, consisting of bark and other residues from pulping mills, could provide up to 6,029,000 dry tons of biomass each year. There is an estimated 9,304,782 dry tons available of dedicated energy crops in Mississippi. Currently, dedicated energy crops are not produced in Mississippi, but could if they could be sold at a price ensuring producers a profit at least as high as could be earned using the land for alternative uses such as producing traditional agricultural crops.2 The Mississippi Biomass Council (MBC) offers a forum to share information for the purpose of assessing the biomass energy and fuel resources within the state, facilitating the utilization of biomass technology, and encouraging biomass related economic development. Council membership includes representatives from agriculture, forestry, recycling, power generation, state and local government agencies, higher education, research, and manufacturing and individuals interested in reducing the biomass waste stream or increasing economic opportunities for biomass. MBC was created in 1998 and incorporated in 2000 as a nonprofit corporation.3 At this time the state of Mississippi is offering only one financial incentive to encourage the use of biomass energy sources and it is a state loan program for the commercial and industry sectors.4 1Energy Information Administration. Table 7: Energy Consumption Estimates by Source, 1960-2001, Mississippi. http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/states/sep_use/total/use_tot_ms.html (6/14/06). 2Biomass Feedstock Availability in the United States: 1999 State Level Analysis. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Updated January 2000. http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/resourcedata/index.html (6/14/06). *Note: $50/dry ton cost data was used in this article. 3Mississippi Biomass Council. http://ms-biomass.org/ (6/14/06). 4DSIRE: Incentives by state: Mississippi. http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/map2.cfm?State=MS&CurrentPageId=1 (5/9/06).     On the Hill   Bill # S. 1862 Sponsor: Sen Smith, Gordon H. [OR] (Republican - OR) : 202.224.3753 Summary: United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act: A bill to establish a joint energy cooperation program within the Department of Energy to fund eligible ventures between United States and Israeli businesses and academic persons in the national interest, to pursue alternative fuels. Last Action: 10/7/2005: Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations Bill # H.R. 88888941 Sponsor: Rep Price, Tom [GA-6] (Republican - GA) : Summary: FUEL Act of 2005: To provide for the establishment of a working group to identify and advance the development and use of alternative sources for motor vehicle fuels. Last Action: 10/17/2005: Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality Bill # S. 1859 Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (Republican - NC) : (202) 224-3154 Summary: Clean Air Act Revision: A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to provide for a Federal Fuels List, and for other purposes Last Action: 10/7/2005: Referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. (text as introduced in Senate: CR S11314-11315) Bill # S. 1920 Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (Democrat - IL) : (202) 224-2854 Summary: Clean Air Act Revision: A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to establish a renewable diesel standard, and for other purposes. Last Action: 10/25/2005: Referred to Senate Committee on Environment and Public Work Bill # S. 2025 Sponsor: Sen Bayh, Evan [IN] (Democrat - IL) : (202) 224-5623 Summary: Vehicle and Fuel Choices for American Security Act: A bill to promote the national security and stability of the United States economy by reducing the dependence of the United States on oil through the use of alternative fuels and new technology, and for other purposes. Last Action: 11/16/2005: Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance Bill # H.R. 4409 Sponsor: Rep Kingston, Jack [GA-1] (Republican - GA) : 202/225-5831 Summary: Fuel Choices for American Security Act of 2005: To promote the national security and stability of the United States economy by reducing the dependence of the United States on foreign oil through the use of alternative fuels and new vehicle technologies, and for other purposes. Last Action: 11/18/2005: Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Ways and Means, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. Bill # H.R. 4573 Sponsor: Rep Weller, Jerry [IL-11] (Republican - IL) : Summary: The BioFuels Act of 2005: Legislation that will push forward an aggressive renewable fuels schedule by mandating the renewable content of gasoline to be 25 billion gallons by 2025. In addition, this legislation will ensure that government agencies will expand their use of renewable fuels, helping to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Last Action: 12/16/2005: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Status: 1/3/2006: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality.     Grassroots May, 2006   Indiana: BioTown Sourcebook Now Available to Public The Midwest state's Department of Agriculture has released its Bioenergy Sourcebook, analyzing energy use and consumption in BioTown, USA, otherwise known as Reynolds, Indiana. Begun in September 2005, the BioTown project is a pioneering study and experiment in providing entirely biorenewable energy for a small community. http://www.thehj.com/main.asp?SectionID=9&SubSectionID=32&ArticleID=13980&TM=64927.65   Passage by Iowa House Sends Most Aggressive Renewable Fuels Bill in Country to Governor for Signature Iowa House Bill HF 2754, calling for energy tax credits, a renewable fuels standard, and various economic measures to increase consumer use of renewable energy, has been passed by the state legislature. Access to biodiesel and E85 is a major target of the bill. Next, it will go to Governor Tom Vilsack for consideration. http://www.iowarfa.org/news.php   DuPont Bets Big On Biotechnology DuPont Chief Executive Charles Holliday Jr. is pushing for public recognition of the possibilities for biobased products. These include carpet fiber, nail polish, hair dye, and bioglues, all built completely from organic materials. DuPont hopes its future business will evolve with clean energy production and petroleum-substitute products that are better than the original. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/02/28/business/dupont.php   Enterprise Rent-a-Car Adds Biodiesel Cars to PDX Fleet Portland, Oregon travelers have an additional option for local transportation. The local Enterprise franchise has purchased five Jeep Liberty model vehicles, which run on biodiesel, for its rental business. Four fuel stations in the Portland area offer B20 blend biodiesel. As the biggest car rental company in the U.S., Enterprise purchases over 600,000 vehicles annually. http://www.katu.com/entertainment/story.asp?ID=84942   Ohio State Center to Help Curb "Addiction to Oil", Develop Bioproducts The Ohio State University's Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center (OBIC), begun as part of the state's Third Frontier Project, is working to develop new technologies for petroleum replacement in plastics, paints, lubricants, and solvents. OBIC combines programs at the University to maximize opportunities, and is established to work with industry on crop breeding, chemical conversion, and other biomass technology areas. http://www.ntxe-news.com/artman/publish/article_32934.shtml       Marketplace The Grain Prices graph shows the cost of soybeans, the main biodiesel feedstock, and corn, the main ethanol feedstock. The tables show actual grain prices, indicators which may affect gasoline prices, and the production of ethanol. Fuel prices come from OPIS Ethanol and Biodiesel Report. Ethanol and RBOB Unl New York spot prices and SME Biodiesel Rack, Chicago, March 2006. Grain Prices April 2005 April 2006 % Change Corn 2.00 2.11 5% Soybean 6.03 5.39 -11% Fuel Supply April 2005 April 2006 % Change Percent Refinery Utilization 91.7 87.2 -4.87% Production by Product - Finished Motor Gasoline (Million Barrels) 8,787.3 8,256.5 -6.04% Stocks - Finished Motor Gasoline (Million Barrels) 139.1 116.9 -15.96% Imports - Total Motor Gasoline (Million Barrels) 1,076.8 1,093.3 1.35% Oxygenate Production February 2005 February 2006 % Change Ethanol Production (Million Barrels) 245 302 18.87% MTBE Production (Million Barrels) 118 90 -31.11% Data Sources: U.S. DOE-Energy Information Administration, "Weekly Petroleum Status Report", "Monthly Oxygenate Report" USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service, "Agricultural Prices," "Grain Stocks"     R&D Awards 2.5 Million for Native American Tribes to Develop Renewable Energy Resources Description: The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it is making nearly $2.5 million available to 18 Native American tribes to advance the use of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies on tribal lands. "DOE is committed to helping Native American tribes develop their energy resources," said Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman. "Renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies can play a significant role in encouraging tribal self-sufficiency, creating jobs and improving environmental quality." Recipients: There were 18 projects competitively selected to receive DOE funding for developing renewable energy technologies on their reservations Award Total: $2,500,000.00 Sponsoring Office: U. S. Department of Energy URL: http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?PUBLIC_ID=18063&BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES     SBIR Phase II: New Approaches to Using Renewable Biomass Derived Materials in Epoxy and Vinyl Ester Resin Products to Reduce Styrene and Other Petroleum Based Raw Materials Description: This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project seeks to reduce the levels of styrene in commercial vinyl ester-styrene resin formulations and other polymers by replacing all or a portion of the high VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) toxic monomer with a biomass-derived material. Prior results have shown that the styrene content can be reduced from 45% to 35% or lower without increase in cost or the loss of polymer physical properties. Phase II work will entail commercial development with three customers, scale-up process engineering to commercial levels and expansion of the technology into the broader thermoset market. The commercial application for this technology is in polymer and resin markets where styrene and other petroleum based, high VOC monomers are used. Recipients: Tetramer Award Total: $499,993.00 Sponsoring Office: National Science Foundation URL: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/servlet/showaward?award=0521976       Solicitations Biorefinery Construction Solicitation Description: This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is being issued under authorization of the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005, Section 932. Amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 within Title XIII, Energy Policy Tax Incentives cited in EPAct and sections 1345 and 1346 (renewable fuel and biodiesel credits) of EPAct provide additional impetus and credit enhancements for potential applicants to respond to this announcement. Approximately $53,000,000 is expected to be available in FY07 for new awards under this FOA. Additional funding is expected to be available in FY08 and FY09. In total, approximately $160,000,000 over three years is expected to be available for new awards under this FOA. Government Agency: DOE Schedule: Applications due by August 10, 2006 URL: http://e-center.doe.gov/iips/faopor.nsf   National Research Initiative Description: The U.S. Department of Agriculture requests applications for the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRI). NRI supports research, extension, and education projects that address key problems of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of agriculture. 29 program areas identified including Biobased Products and Bioenergy Production; Water and Watersheds; and Rural Development. Government Agency: USDA Schedule: Due dates range from November 30, 2005 go October 31, 2006 URL: http://www.fedgrants.gov/Applicants/USDA/CSREES/OEP/USDA-GRANTS-101705-001/Grant.html     Energy Performance Contracting in State-Owned Facilities Description: Funded by a System Benefits Charge (SBC) on electric transmission, this program offers energy efficiency, research and development, low-income and environmental disclosure funding and education to assist electric consumers as the regulated electricity market moves to more open competition. Government Agency: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Schedule: Grant programs, funding amounts, and funding cycles vary URL: http://www.nyserda.org/Funding/funding.asp?i=2     Energy Innovations Small Grant (EISG) Program Description: The EISG provides funding to small businesses, small non-profits, individuals and academic institutions for establishing the feasibility of new energy concepts. Qualifying entities outside of California are eligible. Projects must develop innovative and original energy concepts that address a clear market need, provide benefit for California electricity ratepayers and target one or more areas of interest: industrial/agriculture/water end-use efficiency; building end-use efficiency; advanced generation; renewable generation; energy-related environmental research; strategic energy research. Government Agency: California Energy Commission Schedule: EISG has up to four cycles of grants per year. URL: http://www.energy.ca.gov/research/innovations/index.html     Continuing Solicitation for the Office of Science Description: Seeking grant applications for supporting basic energy science research in the natural sciences and engineering areas, leading to new and improved energy technologies and to understanding and mitigating the environmental impacts of energy technologies. Government Agency: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science Schedule: Applications may be submitted at any time. URL: http://www.science.doe.gov/grants/Fr04-01.html           BACK TO TOP The Biomass Initiative, formed as part of the Biomass R&D Act of 2000, is a multi-agency effort to coordinate and accelerate all Federal biobased products, biofuels, and bioenergy research and development. The Biomass Initiative distributes an online monthly newsletter to inform government institutions and the public, including private companies, about the Biomass Initiative and biomass-related activities. The newsletter’s contents include a feature article highlighting important biomass-related stories of the month, as well as grassroots information and a state spotlight recognizing important local activities. In addition, the newsletter includes biomass-related information on recent legislation, R&D awards, solicitations, and market trends. If you have any questions or comments about the Biomass Initiative Newsletter, please contact mmanella@bcs-hq.com.