Des Moines Business Record
12-04-07
Energy Department grants $2 million to ISU for biofuels research
The U.S. Department of Energy announced today that Iowa State University
has been selected to receive up to $2 million to conduct a biofuels research and
development project.
Iowa State, in partnership with ConocoPhillips, will test an integrated biomass-toliquids system that uses gas cooling through oil scrubbing rather than water
scrubbing in order to minimize wastewater treatment. The system will use
switchgrass as the biomass feedstock to fuel the gasifier.
In April, ConocoPhillips announced plans to establish an eight-year, $22.5 million
research program at ISU dedicated to developing technologies that produce
biorenewable fuels. The grant is part of ConocoPhillips' plan to create joint
research programs with major universities to produce viable methods to diversify
America's energy sources.
The biomass project was one of four announced by Energy Secretary Samuel
Bodman. The DOE will invest up to $7.7 million in the four projects, which will
demonstrate the thermochemical conversion process of turning grasses, grain
stalks, the non-edible portion of crops and other materials into biofuel. Today's
announcement brings the total DOE commitment this year to more than $1
billion, the agency said.
"We are committed to expanding the sustainable production and use of biofuels,
and these projects will help develop cleaner methods for turning a variety of
feedstocks into fuel," Bodman said in a release.
Negotiations between the selected companies and the DOE will begin
immediately to determine final project plans and precise funding levels. Funding
will begin in fiscal year 2008 and run through fiscal 2010, subject to
congressional appropriations.