iBETO Requests Information On Operational Challenges Of Biorefineries
On March 10, 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced a Request for Information (RFI) on integrated biorefinery optimization. The RFI covers information on the technical and financial challenges that biorefineries run into in order to run continuously and reliably. BETO is primarily interested in stakeholder input on systems that use between one and 1,000 dry tonnes per day of feedstock in order to:
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Understand scale-up and mitigate operational risks and challenges;
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Develop robust handling of variable solid materials;
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Improve pre-processing methodologies;
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Advance process intensification focused on simplification; reduce cost through innovative fabrication and construction methods; and/or develop efficient water management techniques;
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Address unique process issues and pathways; and
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Develop strategies to lower capital expense costs by reducing technical risks and ensuring minimum modifications.
BETO Allocates $1.9 Million Small Business Vouchers Pilot, Opens Round Two
On March 10, 2016, DOE's BETO announced that $1.9 million has been allocated for biofuel, bioproduct, and biopower projects under its Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot initiative. The grant money is the first of up to $20 million that DOE has agreed to commit to help small businesses receive specialized assistance with their technologies. Under the SBV Pilot, eligible U.S.-owned small businesses with less than 500 employees can request a voucher for use at one of DOE's national laboratories, valued between $50,000 and $300,000. This allows small businesses to take advantage of the technological capability and know-how of DOE labs to help bring clean technologies to market.
The first round of vouchers included two companies working with microbes to convert sugars to valuable biochemicals. Visolis, Inc will work with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to demonstrate the scale-up potential of their integrated bio-thermochemical conversion technology to produce bio-isoprene from lignocellulosic materials. Lygos will work with NREL and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to test their fermentation pathway using engineered microbes to produce biobased malonic acid, an important chemical intermediary, at a larger scale. There are three rounds of the SBV Pilot program, with vouchers available for Algal Feedstocks R&D, Analysis and Sustainability, Conversion R&D, and Terrestrial Feedstock Logistics R&D.
EPA
Biotechnology: Case Studies Of Hypothetical, Genetically Engineered Organisms Are Discussed At Second Meeting On Modernizing The Regulatory System For Biotechnology Products To Illustrate Agencies' Roles And Responsibilities
On March 9, 2016, the second public meeting on the July 2, 2015, memorandum entitled "Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products," was convened in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Region 6 Office in Dallas, Texas. Representatives from EPA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) discussed their current roles and responsibilities regarding biotechnology products under the Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology (CF) by reviewing case studies of hypothetical products.
EPA Announces Update Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Guidance Documents For Biofuels
On March 7, 2016, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the update of three greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory guidance documents. The documents have new emission factors and guidance on data estimation methods, with specific sections on waste and biomass derived fuels. The updated guidance documents are needed by organizations that must report GHG emissions to EPA and cover direct emissions from stationary combustion sources, direct emissions from mobile combustion sources, and indirect emissions from purchased electricity.
