Advanced BiofuelsYour guide to SuStainable energY SourceS

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march 2010

advanced biofuels

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CONTENTS 2 TheNewTechnologyRevolution

WillFuelTheFuture

3 Grow,Baby,Grow

4 MakingAdvancedBiofuels

5 FulfillingThePromiseOf

AdvancedBiofuels

6 AlgaeAndFriends

7 TheAdvancementOfBio-Jetfuels

8 PanelOfExperts

AdvANCEdBiOFuElS

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by: Michael McadaMs, President, advanced biofuels association

The simple answer is yes. What

can now be found in a test tube,

will soon be in your cars and

fueling our trains and planes through

advanced biofuels.

advanced biofuels is not a singu-

lar product, but many derived from a

number of technologies that will fuel

the world’s Green economy while

helping to preserve our planet for

future generations. the various types

of technology options which are cur-

rently being explored range from

gasification, algae processes, cataly-

sis, hydroprocessing, thermal depoly-

ermazation, fermentation, enzymatic

hydrolysis, and thermochemical reac-

tions. all of these work together to per-

fect the low cost, low carbon emissions

fuels of the future.

today, many companies are in a very

competitive race to see who can de-

liver significant gallons of fuels which

can be used in our transportation sys-

tem. american ingenuity and entre-

preneurship are proving to be the real

winners in a Green economy.

one of the most important chal-

lenges for lawmakers on the state and

federal level is to allow enough flexibil-

ity in our public policies to encourage

competition in a technology neutral

manner. there is no silver bullet to

creating cleaner, more sustainable

fuels; there are silver shots affording

a technology and feedstock neutral

policy, as well as a level playing field in

the area of subsidies and tax credits is

vital to enabling all to freely compete

and affords the maximum benefits

to consumers.

it is important to evaluate the ben-

efits of the various biofuels which will

be available to americans in the very

near future. first, examine the type of

technology which is being deployed

and then, understand the feedstock

which is being utilized by the technol-

ogy. and lastly, understand the type of

finished product or molecule which

results from the process and the feed-

stock.

these new technologies must clear

many hurdles before they become vi-

able commercial fuel products. one

of those challenges is ensuring the

technology can sustainably produce

enough volume. another is providing

appropriate infrastructure to transport,

deliver and use biofuels, be it “drop-in”

fuels that can use existing facilities or

others that benefit from innovations

or require adaptations. environmental

impacts of the fuel are important con-

siderations. is it friendly to air quality,

does it emit greenhouse gases, etc.; is

agricultural land or forests destroyed

or used productively? other chal-

lenges include giving consumers value

for their money…can you drive as far

as you did on the old stuff? and is the

fuel affordable?

We can meet these challenges if

we create a consistent and fair public

policy framework to allow companies

holding the promise of advanced

biofuels to compete without choos-

ing one alternative over another. our

tax policy, grant policy and regula-

tory policy must all be harmonized to

provide a framework for companies

to compete fairly without barriers to

entry into the market. We are already

seeing many advanced biofuels com-

panies moving toward commercializa-

tion with their fuels. We need to con-

tinue to stay the course and extend

our efforts to create an entire new in-

dustry and opportunity for significant

job creation in our nation. the recent

findings by an interagency working

group tasked by President obama are

encouraging and well focused on the

number of opportunities that are right

around the corner.

Millions of dollars have already

been spent to achieve the prog-

ress we have made to date. this is a

journey that holds great promise to

restore american ingenuity, create

new jobs for our citizens, and diversity

in our energy security. this is a journey

worth traveling, and one that is not

that distant in our nation’s future.

The Next Technology Revolution Will Fuel The Futureas news moves instantly around the world at the click of a mouse, it is hard to imagine that not long ago the internet was a wonderful piece of science fiction. the advanced technologies of today have many of us wondering if there is anything left that will even come close to matching that cultural and economic transformation that followed the internet.

Michael Mcadams

advanced biofuels

We can—and must—do even

better with advanced biofu-

els, that is, with liquid trans-

portation fuels derived from low nu-

trient input/high per acre yield crops;

agricultural, forestry, food processing or

municipal waste; or other sustainable

biomass feedstocks including algae.

Why? because, according to the us

department of energy’s energy infor-

mation administration, pure electric

vehicles will have miniscule market

penetration until long after 2035;

meaning that all vehicles in the us will

require liquid transportation fuel for a

long time into the future. in addition,

jets and other planes will continue to

require liquid fuels. advanced biofuels

can provide a homegrown, low carbon

lifecycle emissions, sustainably pro-

duced fuel substitute for ground trans-

portation and aviation.

the renewable fuels standard of the

energy independence and security act

of 2007 definition requires advanced

biofuels to have at least 50 percent

less lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions

when compared to gasoline.

but why hasn’t it been done before?

there are two great technical chal-

lenges. one is biomass recalcitrance

(that is, “digesting” or converting cel-

lulosic biomass into sugars that can be

converted to fuels). the bacteria in the

guts of termites do this every day, much

to our consternation. fortunately for us,

they do this slowly. if we want to make

biofuels economically, we need to fig-

ure out how to speed up that process.

the second challenge: how can

enough biomass be sustainably pro-

duced and transported to a biorefinery

that can make reasonably priced fuel

and assure a fair price to the grower

and others in the value chain? Mark

Gaalswyk, ceo of easy energy systems,

looks forward to hundreds of small-

scale systems here and all over the

world so that bulky biomass need not

be transported far; and so that agricul-

tural, forestry or food processing waste

can be productively processed near

where it is produced.

as brent erickson of the biotechnol-

ogy industry organization (bio) said,

“the key to the future of biofuels is

biotechnology.” advanced biofuels,

he explained, is at the cutting edge of

technology. in the work being done in

labs today we’ll find the keys to enable

us to take the processes of nature and

apply them to creating green gasolines

out of renewable resources.

as is often repeated at advanced

biofuels conferences and by the us de-

partments of energy and agriculture,

there is no “silver bullet,” no single solution

to achieving energy security; instead we

must explore myriad “silver shot” op-

portunities to make homegrown fuels.

Generations 1, 2, 3 and 4:

Talking about biofuels

biofuels are classified by the type of

feedstocks and technologies used to

produce them. first generation biofu-

els are derived from food crops such as

corn and soybeans. the fermentation

technologies used to create ethanol are

thousands of years old; transesterifica-

tion processes for biodiesel production

are also well established. these provide

initial steps in our efforts to achieve

energy security and to wean ourselves

from fossil fuels

advanced biofuels comprise the

next three generations of biofuels and

encompass diverse feedstocks and in-

novative technologies.

second generation fuels, commonly

referred to as cellulosic fuels, are made

from non-food plants, trees or agricul-

tural residues. cellulosic ethanol is the

primary second generation fuel. novo-

zymes’s cindy bryant estimates we will

be seeing it in our tanks as soon as 2011

and 2012.

the major advantage of second

generation biofuels is that they can

be more environmentally friendly and

more economically sustainable than

food-based biofuels. the primary tech-

nical challenge, however, is economi-

cally converting the cellulose, hemicel-

luose, pectin, and lignin contained in

plant and tree cell walls into biofuels.

this is harder than it first appeared.

algae produces oils for third gen-

eration biofuels such as jet fuel and so-

phisticated biodiesels. these molecules

often pack more energy per gallon

than first or second generation biofuels.

algae can also produce ethanol and

other alcohols for fuel.

fourth generation biofuels, in the

earliest stages of conception and de-

velopment, are created “out of thin air.”

they will not rely on photosynthesis.

instead, new chemical pathways will

transform co2 directly into high-energy

hydrocarbon fuels without creating in-

termediate sugars or oils.

Grow, Baby, Grow! Home-Grown fossil fuel Replacementsdid you know there is a homegrown source of renewable fuel that has reduced our oil imports by 1.6 million barrels/day? it’s the 10 percent ethanol blend sold at gas stations near you across the us. this ethanol has reduced carbon dioxide emissions from three to six percent compared to 100 percent gasoline, and has replaced the cancer-causing additive Mtbe (methyl tertiary butyl ether).

We Haven’t CHanged gasoline. Just WHere it Comes From.

Virent is pioneering the commercial production of a newgeneration of renewable fuels—gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel—that are sustainable, economical, and compatible with today’s engines and infrastructure.

Virent. Re-defining the future of renewable transportation fuels.

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advanced biofuels

As novozymes, a company that

makes enzymes for numer-

ous uses around the world,

puts it, “biofuel is an important step

on a journey that will take us along a

new way of thinking about plants—

and about our resources in general.”

one new way to think about plants

and other resources is to appreciate

their role in storing the sun’s energy

in carbon-based molecules.

Energy Feedstocks

the sun’s energy is stored in cell

walls of plants and trees which are

constructed from simple sugars and

alcohols that are strung together into

complex compounds called cellulose,

hemicelluloses, pectin and lignin. sci-

entists are studying grasses, oil-seed

crops, fast-growing trees and other

plants for energy use because they

can produce large amounts of bio-

mass in limited space sustainably.

for example, some energy crops are

perennial grasses such as switchgrass,

miscanthus, energy canes; halophytes

such as seashore mallow or spartina

that can grow in brackish water; sor-

ghum, jatropha, camelina, poplar, sali-

cornia, and many others. these crops

can be grown on marginal lands that

are not so good for growing food,

take little or no fertilizers and should

not require irrigation.

in addition to crops, advanced bio-

fuels can be made from agriculture or

food processing waste and residues

such as corn cobs, sugar beet pulp,

citrus peels, nut shells, rice hulls, fruit

pits, cotton gin trash, meat process-

ing residues, and cheese whey, and

restaurant wastes such as used fats,

oils and grease, etc.

residues from silviculture (wood

harvesting) which might be left in

dense forest creating forest fire fuel if

not burned in controlled settings can

be used as feedstock. these include

thinnings, underbrush, limbs and

tops, branches and leaves, dead or

dying trees. Wood processing waste

such as sawdust, bark, chips, sander

dust, edgings, slabs and pulp/paper

mill residues can also serve as feed-

stocks for advanced biofuels.

some technologies can even turn

sorted municipal solid waste into

biofuel, including hard-to-get-rid-of

items like vehicle tires, construction

waste and otherwise unrecyclable

plastics.

Overcoming Biomass Recalcitrance

if you’ve ever watched a tree bend

but not break in a wind storm or seen

tall grasses spring back up after a hard

rain, you know how strong and resil-

ient plant and tree biomass can be.

this strength is produced by string-

ing sugars and alcohols into complex

compounds called cellulose, hemi-

celluloses, pectin. in trees, lignin is

added. all these compounds are in-

tertwined into a complex matrix. un-

fortunately this well structured matrix

does not easily deconstruct into the

biofuel sugar building blocks. if we

want to get to these sugars, one way

is to learn the bacteria lifestyle, and

let evolution help us find the solution.

Generally, technologies in today’s

labs start with a pre-treatment step

to loosen the chemical bonds in the

matrix and separate out the lignin, if

any. as George huber and bruce dale

explained in their scientific american

article, “Grassoline at the Pump,” “to

be commercially viable, the pretreat-

ments must generate easily ferment-

able sugars at high yields and con-

centrations and be implemented with

modest capital costs. they should not

use toxic materials or require too

much energy input.”

Enzymatic Hydrolysis

atlantic biomass conversions, inc.,

in frederick, Md is trying to “think like

bacteria” by directing the evolution

of bacteria that know how to break

down sugar beet pulp so that the

cellulose, hemicelluloses and pectin

can be released from the matrix. the

sugars contained in the pulp residue

could be fermented into ethanol—or

transported to a refinery as “green

crude” for bio-plastics, biogasoline,

bio jet fuel or other products.

Ammonia Fiber Expansion

Michigan state university has taken

a different approach to converting

the biomass in the matrix into sugars.

they have developed the ammonia

fiber expansion (afeX) process which

cooks cellulosic biomass at 100 de-

grees celsius with concentrated am-

monia under pressure. subsequently,

enzymes convert the treated biomass

to the building block sugars for bio-

fuel production.

Gasification

deconstruction of the solid bio-

mass into smaller molecules can be

accomplished with high temperature

and pressure processes originally de-

veloped to turn coal and other fossil-

based feedstocks into synthesis gas

(syngas) in a process called gasifica-

tion. feedstocks are heated above 700

degrees celsius inside a pressurized

chamber with limited oxygen, turn-

ing them into a gas.

renewable energy technologies

(rentech) expects to start produc-

ing biofuels from urban woody green

waste such as yard clippings in late

2012 at its rialto Project in califor-

nia. the project will use the rentech-

silvaGas biomass gasification tech-

nology to produce syngas. that gas

will then be converted by a rentech

adaptation of the fischer-tropsch

process in a commercial scale reactor

to produce building blocks for ultra-

clean synthetic diesel and naphtha.

the rentech process can also use

biomass feedstocks such as forestry

waste, agricultural waste, municipal

solid waste, algae and energy crops.

chemrec, a swedish company, de-

veloped a specialized gasification

process for converting black liquor

residues from pulp/paper manufac-

ture into syngas for biofuels, particu-

larly dMe, and green liquor to return

to the mill process.

Pyrolysis

a high temperature/high pressure/

no oxygen process is pyrolysis. here,

however, the temperatures are lower

than gasification (300-600 degrees

celsius) and the adjustable tempera-

ture and reaction rates contribute to

product composition. bio-oil, gas and

biochar result. although bio-oil can

be used for heating buildings, water

and in industrial processes, its use is

limited by low energy content.

a solid foundation of home-grown

fuels rests on sustainable efficient,

effective building blocks. today’s sci-

entists need your support to make

sure our future moves on environ-

mentally, socially and economically

sustainable fuels.

Aqueous Phase Reforming (APR)

(aPr) uses catalysts to generate

chemical intermediates from a va-

riety of sugars, including complex

sugars and mixed sugar streams that

cannot be converted in a fermenta-

tion process. lee edwards, ceo of

virent, emphasizes the ability of this

process to easily integrate into exist-

ing infrastructure—from being able

to directly use existing pipelines, dis-

tribution and dispensing equipment

to the possible integration into exist-

ing oil refining facilities which could

significantly lessen the investment

needed to bring commercial volumes

of renewable fuels to market. he also

points out that biofuels made with

this process can be used in existing

engines from chainsaws and power

boats to cars and trucks just like pe-

troleum-based fuels.

Making Advanced Biofuels: biomass To building blocks; building blocks To fuelsProducing advanced biofuels requires two essential things—feedstock and technology; and a third important element—responsible scientific innovation.

advanced biofuels

Alan novak of emerson Pro-

cess, biorefinery management

systems specialists, works on

implementing careful bench-to-pilot-

to-demonstration plant-to-commercial

scale strategies. emerson Process un-

derstands that these innovations are

not developed by giant oil companies

familiar with manufacturing logistics.

rather, they are often developed in

small research labs, universities and

colleges. experienced engineers help

scientists bridge the gap between sci-

entific discovery and product imple-

mentation.

Government also has a role. Govern-

ment must carry the day for sustainable

energy security as it has for other im-

portant public projects like landing on

the moon, developing nuclear power,

maintaining standing armed forces and

a safe, reliable interstate transportation

system. specifically, until oil is again

$150/barrel, government support is

needed to bridge the gap from small

proof-of-concept research to commer-

cialization. With commodities markets

affecting prices for both feedstock

and end product; with plant construc-

tion costing hundreds of millions; with

much of the value (environmental and

social benefits) not monetizable; with

credit generally unavailable; and with

the oil companies’ refineries fully de-

preciated, private investment is wait-

ing for someone else to act first, to learn

from the mistakes, to refine the opera-

tions and processes.

that someone must be government

or we will not be ready when the next

energy crisis strikes. Wouldn’t we rather

spend our financial resources develop-

ing a secure energy future here rather

than contributing, through payments

for oil, to the coffers of others who

often work against american interests?

We need to encourage innova-

tions in infrastructure that accommo-

date all the types of fuels that we will

make: from equipment for delivery

and dispensing feedstocks and fuels;

to engines and fuels designed to take

advantage of the full potential of both.

We need to support development of

exportable small scale production that

meets the needs of villages and towns,

as well as large facilities that benefit

from economies of scale.

as d. hunt ramsbottom, ceo of

rentech said, the us can be the leader

in developing exportable advanced

biofuels technologies. rentech already

has staff exploring international licens-

ing opportunities for their innovations.

virent also anticipates world-wide use

of bioforming® biomass into fuels. easy

energy systems sees creating manufac-

turing jobs in the us producing modu-

lar refineries for the world. every com-

munity, from small villages to towns,

cities, states and nations, will benefit

from being able to sustainably provide

for their own energy needs.

as dr. Karl sanford of Genencor em-

phasized, energy production is the larg-

est industry in the world. the us can be

the leader as this industry evolves into

producing biobased products, provid-

ing sustainable fuels and jobs for gen-

erations to come.

this is the realm of american sci-

entific ingenuity of the 21st century.

and it is essential to our sustainability

and security.

Fulfilling The Promise Of Advanced Biofuels: What Will it Take?scientists and engineers continue to work on transformative scientific discoveries, and on the practical aspects of putting it all together in an industrial/com-mercial environment to produce sufficient volumes of advanced biofuels most efficiently and sustainably.

Wouldn’t we rather spend our financial resources developing a

secure energy future here rather than contributing, through payments for

oil, to the coffers of others who often work against american interests?

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advanced biofuels

On top of that, algae ponds

can be located on land that

is not being used for food

crops. Potential locations include

brownfield sites adjacent to coal-fired

power plants.

as with many things that have

great promise, there are challenges

in achieving them. algae, and their

close relatives the cyanobacteria (for-

mally known as blue-green algae), do

not easily give up the packets of oil,

paraffins, and other compounds they

produce. they reserve the energy

stored in those packets for when the

sun doesn’t shine and to reproduce.

through millions of years of natural

selection they have evolved complex

cell walls that keep this good stuff in

and most of the bad stuff out.

in addition, although algae blooms

are reported certain times of the year

in waterways like the chesapeake

bay, getting a population of algae or

cyanobacteria to consistently produce

desired products in commercial quan-

tities requires a detailed management

system for their micro-ecosystem. too

much decayed matter in the water

can restrict sunlight or release chemi-

cals that disturb the algae. too little

nitrogen can restrict growth. in cold

water their photosynthesis systems

become sluggish.

these are the challenges that algae

biofuel companies and university re-

searchers are addressing.

increasing production and main-

taining ecosystems go hand in hand.

the recent sequencing of the ge-

nomes of several algae species will

allow researchers to identify genes

responsible for the production of

the oils and other hydrocarbons that

algae use to store energy. also, the

genetics of how the organisms re-

spond to environmental changes

can be better understood. using this

information, not only can the rate of

production be enhanced, but the or-

ganisms’ ability to grow in different

conditions, such as with less nitrogen

or more salt, can be enhanced as well.

companies including algenol, aurora

biofuels, bioalgene, solazyme, and

sapphire energy are currently testing

new strains of algae.

besides the organism approach,

companies including solix and

Petroalgae have developed propri-

etary micro-ecosystems designed to

maximize microorganism growth with

a minimum of inputs. one of the most

intriguing aspects of some of these

systems is the idea of using co2 pro-

duced by coal-fired electrical plants

to increase algae production. algenol

has recently signed an agreement

with linde Gas to commercialize this

approach. implementing these sys-

tems would reduce co2 greenhouse

emissions in two ways. first, the co2

would be captured and recycled by

the microorganisms. second, the bio-

fuel produced by the algae would

replace oil-based fuels that also

produce co2.

Getting the oils past the carefully

constructed cell wall of the microor-

ganisms is probably even a greater

challenge. the simplest way is to har-

vest the algae, dry it out and collect

the oils and other hydrocarbons. the

only problem is all the organisms are

killed, meaning you have to start over.

Phycal, a cleveland, ohio company,

is getting the oil out with a proprietary

system based on the electro-shock

principle used in microbiology labs.

a slight electric shock opens pores

in the cell walls long enough for the

oil packets to flow out. solix has re-

cently agreed to test a similar system

that was developed at los alamos

national laboratory. this is called an

ultrasonic wave focusing system.

algenol biofuels is taking a very dif-

ferent approach. having discovered

that some cyanobacteria are able to

not only produce ethanol and butanol

alcohols, but that they are also able

to diffuse the alcohols out of the cell

walls without any assistance, algenol

is now in the process of using geneti-

cally enhanced strains to produce al-

cohols for use as building blocks or

as fuels.

Making many different systems

work together most efficiently and

effectively will take a good deal of

smart science and engineering. efforts

led by General atomics as part of the

department of defense advanced re-

search Projects agency (darPa) bio-

jetfuel project will go a long way in

making that happen.

energy security, military strategic

flexibility, rural economic develop-

ment and climate change mitiga-

tion hang on our ability to replace

our imported fossil-based fuels with

truly sustainable, renewable trans-

portation fuels. algae will be part of

the solution.

Algae And Company: The underwater Habitatthe promise of algae-to-biofuels is in what these little “green machines” can make. they use sunlight to drive synthetic mechanisms (photosynthesis) to pro-duce the various oils, long carbon chains, carbon-rings, and alcohols that are the building blocks of advanced biofuel versions of gasoline, diesel, and jetfuel.

Algenol Biofuels has the most advanced next generation biofuels technology to turn algae, carbon dioxide and sea water into ethanol through a process powered by the sun.

Our patented Direct-to-Ethanol® technology produces affordable ethanol for fuel or organic chemicals for plastics manufacturing without using food, farmland or freshwater, all while reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

With a $25 million stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, we are partnering with The

The cleanest, greenest energy source under the sun...

www.algenolbiofuels.com

Dow Chemical Company to build a pilot biorefinery. We are also collaborating with The Linde Group to develop CO2 capture and management technologies to increase biofuel production from algae. And with incentive funding from Lee County, Fla., we are expanding our local presence and bringing economic diversity and jobs to the region.

Algenol is part of the energy solution, but currently not all biofuels are treated the same. Equal treatment under the federal tax code and the Renewable Fuel Standard will allow us to create green jobs, keep America competitive in clean energy innovation and help break our addiction to oil.

And that will transform America’s energy future.

advanced biofuels

The navy is testing camelina

based biofuels in these “Green

hornets” at Patuxent river

naval air station for their forthcom-

ing Great Green carrier Group that

is planned to be operational in 2016.

also by 2016 the us air force is gear-

ing up to have 50 percent of its high

performance JP-8 jetfuel come from

green sources.

commercial airlines are also work-

ing on getting bio-jetfuels into their

inventories. airlines, including con-

tinental, virgin atlantic, air new

Zealand, and Japan airlines have

already tested different biofuel mix-

tures, and british airways has recently

signed an agreement with a uK bio-

fuels firm to produce bio-jetfuel from

municipal wastes.

yes, airlines and the us military are

both getting into the biofuel business

in a big way. and they could be big

customers. in the us, 20 billion gal-

lons per year of jetfuel are used an-

nually. Worldwide the total is about

60 billion gallons per year. the us

military is the single largest customer

of petroleum on the planet. every day

they use about 395,000 barrels of oil

worth of fuel.

airlines want bio-jetfuels for two

reasons. first, it will enable airlines

based around the globe to meet new

emission standards going into effect

in europe in 2012 and elsewhere later

in the decade. second, reliable and

sustainable sources of biofuels pro-

duced from a variety of biomass in

a large number of countries would

protect airlines from the rapid price

changes in petroleum pricing. bio-

jetfuels could provide long-range

price stability and maybe even lower

ticket prices.

in 2009, the international air trans-

port association (iata) showed the

commitment of the airline industry by

establishing a goal of carbon-neutral

growth by 2020, and a 50 percent re-

duction in carbon emissions by 2050

compared with 2005 levels.

for the us military, it is not only

a matter of cost, but of national de-

fense. us and nato forces currently

rely on nations that are not allies and

often adversaries for large quantities

of fuel. in addition, portions of the us

defense budget are needed to pro-

tect producers of oil and the shipping

lanes to transport it. stopping the

dependence on these sources would

greatly increase the national security

of us and nato countries.

as reported in aviation Week in

november 2009, much is happening

in the air force and navy to make

bio-jetfuels a reality. the us air force

(usaf) has begun a certification test

program for a 50:50 blend of “hy-

drotreated” bio-jetfuel and petro-

leum based fuel. sustainable oils, so-

lazyme and honeywell company uoP

will supply 400,000 gallons of fuel

to the air force and 190,000 to the

navy. sustainable oils will use cam-

elina as the feedstock, solazyme will

use algae and uoP will use animal fat,

or tallow, supplied by food producer

cargill. all three will use uoP’s pro-

cessing technology.

the us secretary of the navy, ray

Mabus, is a strong supporter of both

energy efficiency and biofuels. he

is spearheading a joint biofuel de-

velopment program with the dept.

of agriculture and is pushing to get

the Great Green fleet operational.

all planes and destroyers will run on

biofuels.

“i’m asking all of us to meet an am-

bitious goal,” said Mabus. by 2020, he

wants half of the total energy con-

sumption for all ships, aircraft, tanks,

vehicles, installations, etc., to come

from alternative sources. “right now

i’m told 40 percent is a more realis-

tic goal,” Mabus said. “but our navy

and Marine corps have never backed

away from a challenge.”

besides these operational efforts,

the defense advanced research Proj-

ects agency (darPa), the same folks

who brought out the internet and GPs,

is currently running an r&d project

to drive down the cost of bio-JP-8 to

something comparable to current pe-

troleum based costs. Key to the suc-

cess of this project is increasing the

biomass conversion efficiency to over

60 percent and expanding feedstock

sources to include cellulosic biomass,

oil seeds, and algae. General atomics

is leading an algae based consortia,

while saic and boeing are leading

cellulosic and algae based consortia.

the members of these three consor-

tia look like a “who’s who” of the ad-

vanced biofuel industry.

The Advancement Of Bio-Jetfuels: a collaboration between commercial airlines and the u.s. Militaryif you’re having lunch at solomon’s island or on a boat in the chesapeake bay and see a navy f/a-18 hornet streaking past, you could be seeing the future of jetfuels.

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advanced biofuels

Q: Why are advanced biofuels so important to the future

of aviation?

Jet engines will not be electrified in the immediate

future. therefore we need synthetic fischer-tropsch

derived jet fuels to eliminate jet fuel carbon emissions.

these fuels, which rentech makes, are the only alterna-

tive, scalable jet fuel certified for commercial aviation

use. renJet can be produced from 100 percent biomass

or can be made from the clean use of fossil with carbon

capture sequestration and biomass co-feed. each of

these feedstocks produces low carbon renJet with lower

tailpipe emissions than traditional jet fuel. the benefits

of renJet extend beyond its cleaner environmental pro-

file. renJet also provides protection to the airlines and its

customers from extreme price volatility in crude pricing

and provides higher payload than the use of traditional

jet fuel. it’s for these reasons that 13 domestic and inter-

national carriers have signed an agreement with us to

work towards a long-term renJet fuel supply agreement

from the synthetic fuels facility we are developing.

Panel Of Expertsd. hunt raMsbottoMceo, President and directorrentech

Q: What is needed for the u.s. alternative fuels industry

to reach commercially viable production levels?

A: Deliver premium, cleaner fuels. Whether a com-

pany is converting chicken fat to ultra-clean diesel fuel or

using plasma gasification, a bioreactor system or a chem-

ical process to make other molecules, what matters most

is that the fuel at the end of the pipe can be produced

economically. compatibility with existing distribution

and transportation systems is also a plus.

Leverage experienced partners. Plant design, infra-

structure and automation of advanced biorefineries are

highly complex, often utilizing highly sophisticated pro-

cesses from the refining, chemical and pharmaceutical

industries. teaming with traditional oil and gas compa-

nies and process control experts who understand these

complex processes can help optimize the engineering

and automation of facilities, giving advanced biofuels

companies a head start on commercial viability.

Deliver on the promise. Given that the cost to build

a commercial-scale advanced biofuel plant may range

from $200 million and $400 million, it is critical to apply

process control technologies that provide repeatable, re-

liable and cost-effective outcomes as advanced biofuel

facilities increase production from pilot to commercial-

scale volumes.

alan novaK director, alternative fuelsemerson Process Management

Q: What trends are you seeing for renewable transporta-

tion alternatives?

A: our nation seeks new energy sources that are clean,

sustainable, and enhance energy and economic security.

fortunately, several innovative technologies meet these

critical needs with attractive opportunities for commer-

cialization.

in the transportation sector, likely winners will be new

technologies that utilize existing investment in pipelines,

storage, and manufacturing capacity, thus lowering invest-

ment costs.

in addition, customers want new green products that

will power their cars, boats, trucks, and even lawnmowers

with high performance, reliability, and lower emissions at

competitive costs. alternatives that do not require com-

promise will be readily adopted by consumers.

the most exciting advanced biofuel conversion technol-

ogies will also transform a variety of biomass feedstocks

into liquid fuels. feedstock flexibility will expand deploy-

ment locations across the country and around the globe.

finally, the new products must be manufactured at suf-

ficient scale to materially impact the marketplace. hydro-

carbon fuels of choice will not have blend wall limitations

or efficiency concerns and can be blended at high levels

utilizing existing infrastructure.

advanced, fungible biofuels offer a realistic transporta-

tion solution that can be cost-competitive, easily imple-

mented in today’s marketplace, and provide superior

environmental performance. they offer the potential to re-

energize american industry and rural communities. Many

technologies have the potential to win.

lee edWards President and ceovirent

Q: Why is algae a viable solution to the nation’s energy

challenge?

A: america’s energy challenge is more urgent than ever.

We need affordability, reduced reliance on foreign oil and

cleaner air. the solution to all three is right here at home.

commercial production of algae biofuels will generate

thousands of jobs, enhance our country’s energy security

and reduce pollution.

algae-based fuel technology has advanced at a breath-

taking pace. We are turning algae, sunlight, salt water,

and carbon dioxide into ethanol for transportation fuel

or organic chemicals for plastics manufacturing. none of

these inputs is tied to the world price of oil. the process

does not depend on vital resources such as fertile farm-

land or freshwater, and it reduces co2 concentrations in

the atmosphere, giving algal biofuels the cleanest carbon

footprint of any fuel.

the algae industry is optimistic that it will soon pro-

duce biofuel that is cost competitive with fossil-based

fuel. as the market price of petroleum transportation

fuels begins to reflect their total costs — including envi-

ronmental costs — algal biofuels will only become more

cost competitive with them.

algae-to-ethanol technology is the technology of

the future. commercializing algae-based fuel will help

us break our reliance on fossil fuel and the pollution it

generates, create jobs and keep america competitive

through clean technology innovation.

Paul Woods ceoalgenol

advanced biofuels usa is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to promoting

public understanding, acceptance, development and use of advanced

biofuels. help us by sending your tax deductible contributions to advanced

biofuels usa, 507 north bentz street, frederick, Md 21701; or visit our

website (www.advancedbiofuelsusa.org) and click on the donate button.

advanced biofuelsGlenn tilton, the chairman of united airlines,

summed up the opportunity for advanced biofuels

when he recently declared “we’re ready to be the first

customers.” like only a few product launches in recent

times, advanced biofuels has a-list companies lining up

to buy. Major oil companies aren’t opposing, they’re in-

vesting. environmental groups aren’t criticizing, they’re

applauding.

Why all the excitement?

customers want alternative fuels that are sustain-

able—safe, reliable, and causing no disruption in the

markets for other bio-based products. advanced bio-

fuels fit that description. second, advanced biofuels

offer the best opportunity for low-cost biofuels. third,

advanced biofuels, according to the ePa, are invariably

carbon-reducing compared to conventional gasoline or

diesel. fourth, bioenergy jobs are high-paying and the

income that is generated stays in the us.

How can you bring advanced biofuels to the market?

encourage us lawmakers to create long-term policies

for energy security. you’ll see how they can make a posi-

tive difference in your community.

Jim lane is editor and publisher of Biofuels Digest, the world’s most widely-read biofuels daily.