U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced just over $23 million in federal funding, subject to negotiation of final project plans and funding, for five projects focused on developing highly efficient fermentative organisms to convert biomass material to ethanol.
“These projects will play a critical role in furthering our knowledge of how we can produce cellulosic ethanol cost-effectively,” Assistant Secretary Karsner said.
The projects support the goals of President Bush’s Twenty in Ten Initiative, which aims to increase the use of renewable and alternative fuels in the transportation sector to the equivalent of 35 billion gallons of ethanol a year by 2017.
Commercialization of fermentative organisms is crucial to the success of integrated biorefineries. Fermentative organisms speed refining by converting lignocellulosic biomass material to ethanol.
Projects were selected for the organism’s capacity to convert lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol in process-relevant conditions that would be economical in the commercial market. Additionally, the organism must be able to survive a wide range of environmental conditions and remain stable from adverse mutation. Selectees must have the ability to produce at commercial scale in the future and have a sound business strategy to market the organism.
Combined with the industry cost share, more than $37 million could be invested in these five projects. Negotiations between the selected companies and DOE will begin immediately to determine final project plans and funding levels. Funding will begin this fiscal year and run through FY 2010, subject to congressional appropriations.
Projects submitted by these five applicants were selected:
Cargill Incorporated to receive up to $4.4 million;
Celunol Corporation to receive up to $5.3 million;
E.I. Dupont de Nemours & Company to receive up to $3.7 million;
Mascoma Corporation to receive up to $4.9 million;
Purdue University to receive up to $5.0 million.
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