EERC Center for Biomass Utilization 2005
Biomass utilization is one solution to our nation’s addiction to oil and fossil fuels. What is needed now is applied fundamental research that will cause economic technology development for the utilization of the diverse biomass resources in the United States. This Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) applied fundamental research project contributes to the development of economical biomass utilization for energy, transportation fuels, and marketable chemicals using biorefinery methods that include thermochemical and fermentation processes. The fundamental and basic applied research supports the broad scientific objectives of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Biomass Program, especially in the area of developing alternative renewable biofuels, sustainable bioenergy, technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental remediation. Its deliverables include 1) identifying and understanding environmental consequences of energy production from biomass, including the impacts on greenhouse gas production, carbon emission abatement, and utilization of waste biomass residues and 2) developing biology-based solutions that address DOE and national needs related to waste cleanup, hydrogen production from renewable biomass, biological and chemical processes for energy and fuel production, and environmental stewardship. This project serves the public purpose of encouraging good environmental stewardship by developing biomass-refining technologies that can dramatically increase domestic energy production to counter current trends of rising dependence upon petroleum imports. Decreasing the nation’s reliance on foreign oil and energy will enhance national security, the economy of rural communities, and future competitiveness. Although renewable energy has many forms, such as wind and solar, biomass is the only renewable energy source that can be governed through agricultural methods and that has an energy density that can realistically compete with, or even replace, petroleum and other fossil fuels in the near future. It is a primary domestic, sustainable, renewable energy resource that can supply liquid transportation fuels, chemicals, and energy that are currently produced from fossil sources, and it is a sustainable resource for a hydrogen-based economy in the future.
- Research Organization:
- University of North Dakota, Energy & Environmental Research Center
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC36-03GO13055
- OSTI ID:
- 935698
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/GO/13055-1; TRN: US200818%%529
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BIOFUELS
BIOMASS
CARBON
COMMUNITIES
COUNTER CURRENT
ECONOMICS
ENERGY DENSITY
FERMENTATION
FOSSIL FUELS
GREENHOUSE GASES
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
HYDROGEN-BASED ECONOMY
IMPORTS
NATIONAL SECURITY
PETROLEUM
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESIDUES
WASTES
Biomass Utilization
Biojet Fuels
Lignocellolosic Pyrolysis