The U. S. Department of Energy biofuels research program

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Energy Sources; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00908319108909000· OSTI ID:5599327

Bull, S R ^[1]

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1. Solar Fuels Research Div., Solar Energy Research Inst., Golden, CO (US)

This paper reports that biomass encompasses agricultural and forestry residues, woody and herbaceous energy crops, municipal solid waste, and underutilized traditional forests. The contribution of biomass to the nation's energy supply stands at 3.1 quads per year and is continuing to grow. Increasing our use of fuels derived from biomass can improve air quality, mitigate global warming, reduce dependency on foreign oil imports, and strengthen a weak farm economy. The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Biofuels and Municipal Waster Technology Program has focuses mainly on liquid fuels such as ethanol, methanol, biocrude-derived gasoline, and plant-oil-derived diesel fuel, with some emphasis on gaseous fuels such as biogas. Researchers have improved the economics of the wood to ethanol process to approximately $1.35/gas by developing a method to ferment ethanol from the xylose fraction of wood with greater than 70% efficiency. The program goal of $0.60/gal would provide ethanol at a competitive cost without tax credits. Doe has increased the emphasis on cooperative ventures with industry and it developing plans for a cost-shared project to scale up gasification technologies for both syngas and methanol fuel production testing.

• OSTI ID: 5599327
• Journal Information: Energy Sources; (United States), Vol. 13:4; ISSN 0090-8312
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
AIR QUALITY
PLANNING
BIOMASS
ENERGY CONVERSION
RESOURCES
ENERGY SOURCES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
ENVIRONMENT
US DOE
AGRICULTURAL WASTES
COST
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
ETHANOL
FORESTRY
METHANOL
MUNICIPAL WASTES
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
SYNTHESIS GAS
ALCOHOLS
CONVERSION
EFFICIENCY
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
FLUIDS
GASES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC WASTES
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
093000* - Biomass Fuels- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects- (1990-)
090700 - Biomass Fuels- Resources- (1990-)
095000 - Biomass Fuels- Environmental Aspects- (1990-)
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety