BIOENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE
Emerging Technologies
Jim Spaeth
Program Manager
Demonstration & Market Transformation
November 12th, 2014
1 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Key Challenge for Innovation Involves Lowering Risks
Strategic
Goal
De-risking of:
Technology
Construction
Operations
Finance
Feedstock Supply
Product Off take
Markets
2 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Develop commercially viable biomass utilization technologies to enable
the sustainable, nationwide production of biofuels that are compatible
with today’s transportation infrastructure and can displace a share of
petroleum-derived fuels to reduce U.S. dependence on oil and
encourage the creation of a new domestic bioenergy industry.
Assistant Secretary David Danielson’s Five Questions





HIGH IMPACT: Is this a high impact problem?
ADDITIONALITY: Will the EERE funding make a large
difference relative to what the private sector (or other
funding entities) is already doing?
OPENNESS: Have we made sure to focus on the broad
problem we are trying to solve and be open to new
ideas, new approaches, and new performers?
ENDURING U.S. ECONOMIC BENEFIT: How will this EERE
funding result in enduring economic benefit to the
United States?
PROPER ROLE FOR GOVERNMENT: Why is what we are
doing a proper high impact role of government versus
something best left to the private sector to address
on its own?
3 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
INNOVATION
─ Innovation is central
to each question.
Conventional Feedstock Supply System
Establishment
Baling
Mow / Windrow
Recover Storage
Load Into
Process Line
Bale Yard Storage
Unload to Storage
4 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Roadsiding
Transport
Load for Transport
Advanced Feedstock Supply System
Establishment
Establishment
Single Pass Harvesting
Freeman 1592D Self-Propelled
Removes 1 pass through the field
Bale Yard Storage
Load Directly Onto
Process Line
Transport
Self Loading Trailer (SLT)
Removes loading & unloading operations;
load/unload times down to ~5 minutes
5 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Roadsiding
Bale Picking Truck BPT)
Reduces # trips in the field by 67%
Direct transfer from
BPT to SLT can
eliminate field-side
storage & retrieval
operations.
Reduction in Biofuels Cost
Conversion Cost, $/gge
Historical and Projected Feedstock
Costs
6 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
$3.50
$3.00
$2.50
$2.00
$1.50
$1.00
$0.50
$0.00
($0.50)
($1.00)
2013 State of Technology: Fast
Pyrolysis and Upgrading (2011$)
CHG Treatment of AHTL Aqueous Phase
AHTL Oil Upgrading to Fuels
Algae Conversion to AHTL Oil
Balance of Plant (with Naphtha credit)
$2.36/gge
$1.18/gge
2014 SOT
2022 Projection
2014 Hydrothermal
Liquefaction of Algae
Conversion Cost
Biological and Chemical Upgrading (BCU) Selection Announcement
On October 9th, DOE announced up to $13.4 million for five
projects to develop advanced biofuels and bioproducts that will
help drive down the cost of producing gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel
from biomass.
 The University of Wisconsin of Madison, Wisconsin (Up to $3.3M)
 American Process, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia (Up to $3.1M)
 The National Renewable Energy Laboratory of Golden, Colorado
 (Up to $2.5M)
 Natureworks, LLC of Minnetonka, Minnesota (Up to $2.5M)
 Vertimass LLC of Irvine, California (Up to $2M)
7 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels
DOE’s Focus for Bioproducts for R&D
Final Applications
 Innovative approaches:
 Bioproducts that are molecular replacements for petroleum derived chemicals are being developed
 Lignin and waste streams to value added products (2x the cost of biofuels on a mass basis)
8 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Biopolymers – Enabling Behind the Scenes Change
Bombgardner Chemical & Engineering News. 92 (43) 10-14. Oct 27, 2014
9 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
CEMI – Renewable Carbon Fiber FOA
FOA Topic Area:

Converting raw biomass sugars, algal oils, or lignin, to high quality acrylonitrile
(bio-ACN)
FOA Awards: Announced July 2014
Southern Research Institute (SRI)
 Up to $5.9 million to innovate on a multistep catalytic process for conversion of
sugars from non-food biomass to
acrylonitrile.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
 Up to $5.3 million to investigate and
optimize multiple pathways to bioacrylonitrile.
10 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
(Photo courtesy of Oak Ridge National Lab)
Abengoa and POET Grand Openings
POET Project Overview:
 Feedstock: Corn Stover
 Scale: 770 dry tons/day
 Capacity: 25 Million gal/year
 Product: Ethanol
 Coproduct: power
Abengoa Project Overview:
 Feedstock: Corn stover
 Scale: 930 dtpd
 Capacity: 25 million gallons
 Product: Ethanol
 Coproduct - Energy Cogen (21 MW)
11 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Bioenergy Technologies Incubator FOA
Main Objective:

Identify and develop very novel and potentially disruptive ideas that do not necessarily
satisfy the requirements of specific FOAs, yet still meet the goals and mission of the
Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO).

All Topics Along Bioenergy Supply Chain Considered (Open – no “topic areas”; no
restrictions)
Key aspects of FOA: Released February 2014

$10 million in FY14 funding (expected to make 5-7 awards)

Expected award size: $ 0.5 – $2.0 million with flat cost share (20%)

Expected starting TRL level: 2-4

Expected duration: 12- 24 months of awards
12 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Targeted Algal Biofuels and Bioproducts (TABB) FOA
FOA Goal: Released September 2014

Seeks to reduce the cost of algal biofuels from $7 per
gallon – the current projected state of technology for 2019
without this FOA – to less than $5 per gallon algal biofuel
by 2019
FOA Topic Areas:
1. Multi-disciplinary consortia to develop algae cultures that
produce valuable bioproduct precursors, alongside fuel
components, to increase the overall value of the biomass
2. Single investigator projects focused on developing crop
protection and CO2 utilization technologies to increase
yields
Photo credits NREL and Arizona State University
13 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Landscape Design for Sustainable Bioenergy Systems FOA
Landscape Design Funding Opportunity
Announcement—Announced on October 20,
2014
 Up to $14 million to support landscape design
approaches that maintain or enhance the
environmental and socio-economic
sustainability of cellulosic bioenergy
 Previous DOE projects have shown the
potential for improved sustainability by
strategically placing bioenergy feedstock
production within a landscape.
Concept Papers Due: 11/21/2014
Full Applications Due: 1/12/2015
14 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Biomass Research & Development Initiative (BRDi)
BRDi Notice of Intent—Released on October 21, 2014
 Topic Areas for FY15:
1. Feedstocks Development
2. Biofuels and Biobased Products Development
3. Biofuels Development Analysis
Dates:
 Open Date: 10/21/2014
 FOA Announcement: Anticipated November 2014
 Close Date: 12/01/2014
15 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
FY15 Potential FOA Opportunities
Conversion
 Topic: Improved catalyst performance for the upgrading of hydrolysis
intermediates to final fuels.
 Initiate one or more consortia that will include researchers and
experienced refiners to ensure seamless deployment of technology into
the existing fuel production and distribution infrastructure.
Demonstration and Market Transformation
 Topic: Integrated pilot- and/or demonstration-scale biorefinery projects
for production of emerging, advanced biofuel, high-volume, potential
pathways.
Note: FOA information is based on the publicly-available FY15 Budget request,
and is pending budget allocations and subject to change.
16 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Upcoming Events
Waste to Energy Strategy Workshop
• Held November 5, 2014 in Washington, DC.
• Identify and address technical barriers in the Waste to Energy
space presently limiting commercial operations
2015 Peer Review
• Tentatively scheduled for March 23-27,
2015 at the Hilton Mark Center in
Alexandria, VA.
Bioenergy 2015
• Tentatively scheduled for June 23-24,
2015 returning to the Washington
Convention Center
17 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Thank You
18 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
BETO’s Core Focus Areas
Program Portfolio Management
• Planning • Systems-Level Analysis • Performance Validation and Assessment
• MYPP • Peer Review • Merit Review • Quarterly Portfolio Review
• Competitive • Non-competitive • Lab Capabilities Matrix
Research, Development, Demonstration, & Market Transformation
Feedstock
Supply &
Logistics R&D
•
•
•
Terrestrial
Algae
Product
Logistics Preprocessing
Conversion R&D
•
•
•
•
•
Biochemical
Thermochemical
Deconstruction
Biointermediate
Upgrading
Demonstration
& Market Transformation
• Integrated
Biorefineries
• Biofuels
Distribution
Infrastructure
Cross Cutting
Sustainability
• Sustainability
Analysis
• Sustainable
System
Design
19 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Strategic Analysis
• Technology and
Resource
Assessment
• Market and
Impact Analysis
• Model Development & Data
compilation
Strategic Communications
• New Communications
Vehicles & Outlets
• Awareness and Support of
Office
• Benefits of
Bioenergy/Bioproducts
Critical Barriers and Key Challenges
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

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Scalability (sustainable)
Logistics
Processing Cost
Infrastructure
Risk Reduction
Replicability
20 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
BETO Budget Outlook
Status of the Continuing Resolution
• DOE is currently operating under a Continuing Resolution (CR), which
expires on December 11, 2014.
FY14 Budget
• BETO’s FY14 Budget was for $232M.
• With $45M transferred for DPA, the FY14 budget was for $187M.
FY15 Budget
• BETO’s FY15 budget request is $253M.
• The Senate mark is the same as the request.
• The House mark is at $180M.
21 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
Bioenergy Technologies – FY 2015 Budget Request
Subprograms ($000’s)
Feedstocks
Feedstock Production
Feedstock Logistics
FY 13
Enacted
FY 2014
Enacted
FY 2015
Request
$47,359
$4,847
$13,294
46,972
4,997
11,993
30,500
4,000
12,500
$29,128
29,982
14,000
Conversion
$75,140
101,384
100,500
Demonstration and Market Transformation (formerly
Demonstration and Deployment)
Integrated Biorefineries
Biofuels Compatibility/Infrastructure
$43,630
$25,733
$6,500
64,790
19,790
-
105,000
35,000
10,000
45,000
60,000
$11,397
-
-
$14,939
$9,000
12,146
6,080
11,000
5,500
Cross-cutting Sustainability
$3,939
6,066
5,500
Systems Integration
$2,000
Algae and Advanced Feedstocks
Defense Production Act (DPA)
Other Projects (FY13)
Strategic Analysis and Cross-cutting Sustainability
Strategic Analysis
Cookstoves
NREL Site-wide Facility Support
Total
22 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
-
-
-
$4,122
1,998
$0
5,000
6,200
$185,190
232,290
253,200
-