Wallace's Farmer, IA
04-10-07
ISU Announces Biofuel Partnership With Major Oil Firm
Rod Swoboda rswoboda@farmprogress.com
Iowa State University and ConocoPhillips, a major petroleum company, on April
10 announced an 8-year, $22.5 million partnership to establish a research
program for renewable fuels. Hosting a press conference at Ames, ISU
President Gregory Geoffroy said the partnership will use the strengths of the
university and the corporation.
"Our efforts are aimed at innovative research and developing new products and
processes to fuel the bioeconomy," says Geoffroy. "But it is up to the private
sector--entrepreneurs, small businesses and major corporations - to
commercialize these products and bring them to the marketplace."
The company will make an additional $1.5 million grant this year to support ISU
researchers, with additional grants of $3 million a year over the next seven years.
Create joint research programs
Purpose of the research is to develop biorenewable fuels technologies. The grant
is part of ConocoPhillips plan to create joint research programs with major
universities to produce viable solutions to diversify America's energy sources.
Biorenewable fuels are produced from organic materials and help reduce
pollution and greenhouse gas emissions while diversifying the energy supply.
Conventional biorenewable fuels include ethanol from cornstarch and biodiesel
from soybean oil.
Advanced biofuels are expected to be made from fibrous biomass such as the
stalks and leaves from corn plants and switchgrass.
Partnerships are important
"I'm pleased ISU and ConocoPhillips will partner to research and develop new
technologies for producing biofuels," says Iowa Governor Chet Culver.
"These kind of public-private partnerships are an important part of our plan to fuel
Iowa's future. Private sector investment will be the driving force behind
development of new industries and technologies. I'm encouraged that ISU and
ConocoPhillips are working together to create the right research programs for our
state's energy future."
"We believe the key to a secure energy future is the efficient and effective use of
a diverse mix of energy sources," says Jim Mulva, chairman and CEO of
ConocoPhillips. "ConocoPhillips is developing long-term relationships with
respected academic institutions such as Iowa State to research extensions of
traditional energy sources that will benefit consumers."
Why the company chose ISU
"We are excited to work with ConocoPhillips to develop a research program that
applies Iowa State University's strengths in renewable energy," added ISU
President Geoffroy. "The emerging consensus is that a very big part of increasing
the nation's energy security will be producing fuels from plants. Iowa State
scientists and engineers are well positioned to put science to work advancing
biofuels technologies."
Robert Brown, director of ISU's Office of Biorenewables Programs, says
ConocoPhillips is especially interested in converting biomass to fuel through fast
pyrolysis, a process that uses heat in the absence of oxygen to decompose
biomass into a liquid product. This so-called bio-oil can be used as a heating oil
or can be converted into transportation fuel at petroleum refineries.
Brown says ConocoPhillips will also sponsor studies of other thermochemical
technologies that produce biofuels.
Will study biomass crops too
ConocoPhillips will fund research to understand and support environmental
sustainability and rural economies. Studies will emphasize crop improvement and
production, the harvesting and transportation of biomass and the impacts of
biofuels on economic policy and rural sociology.
Details of specific projects have yet to be determined. Brown estimates the
company's research program will involve 10 faculty members plus grad students
in the first year with additional researchers added in subsequent years. He says
ConocoPhillips officials turned to ISU as a research partner, in part, because of
ISU's expertise in a wide range of biorenewable technologies.
ISU's Office of Biorenewables Programs includes 145 faculty members with ties
to 18 academic departments and 19 research centers and institutes across
campus. Those researchers attracted over $57 million in sponsored research
funding since 2002. The ConocoPhillips research program will add to that total.
To help develop Iowa's bioeconomy
"ISU, with its central location in the Corn Belt and rich traditions of research and
service, is uniquely positioned to set the standard for biorenewables research,
education and technology transfer," says Geoffroy. "Contributing to development
of the bioeconomy is directly in line with our mission: 'Create, share and apply
knowledge to make Iowa and the world a better place.'"
For more information on Iowa State's Bioeconomy Initiative, go to
www.biorenew.iastate.edu. ConocoPhillips is an integrated energy company with
interests around the world. For more information, see www.conocophillips.com.