DOE to Award $80 Million for Biofuels Research, Infrastructure
DOE announced on January 13 its investment of nearly $80 million in advanced biofuels research and fueling infrastructure under the Recovery Act (ARRA).
Two biofuels consortia will seek to break down barriers to commercialization of algae-based and other biofuels that can be transported and sold using existing fueling infrastructure, including refineries and pipelines. They will receive up to $78 million to be matched by private and non-federal funds of over $19 million for total project investments of about $97 million. In addition, $1.6 million will go toward infrastructure projects to expand the availability of ethanol-rich fuel. The infrastructure funds will be matched with $3.9 million in non-federal funds for a total investment of $5.5 million.
The two biofuels consortia are the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts (NAABB) and the National Advanced Biofuels Consortium (NABC). The NAABB, a $44 million effort led by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, will develop a systems approach for sustainable commercialization of algal biofuel and bioproducts.
NAABB will integrate resources from companies, universities, and national labs to overcome the barriers of cost, resource use and efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and commercial viability of algal biofuels. They will develop and demonstrate the science and technology necessary to significantly increase production of algal biomass and lipids, efficiently harvest and extract algae and algal products, and establish methods of producing both fuels and valuable co-products.
The NABC, a $33.8 million outreach project led by the National Renewable Energy Lab and Pacific Northwest National Lab, will conduct cutting-edge research to develop biomass-based hydrocarbon fuels, drawing on such techniques as fermentation, catalysis, and high-temperature processes such as pyrolysis (an oxygen-free process that generally produces an oily liquid), hydrothermal liquefaction (adding water to produce an oily liquid), and gasification (adding oxygen or steam to generate a gas called syngas, which can then be converted into liquid fuels).
In addition, the new infrastructure projects will enable installation of new pumps and retrofitting of existing pumps to dispense E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. The funds will also support the addition of "blender pumps" that offer ethanol blends of up to 85% ethanol.
The infrastructure projects will be located in nine states: Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. They will add at least 45 E85 dispensers and 16 blender pumps along key driving corridors and areas with higher concentrations of flexible-fuel vehicles. See the DOE press release and the complete awards list and project descriptions (PDF 70 KB).
DOE to Award $37 Million to 17 Solid-State Lighting Projects
DOE announced its selection of 17 high-efficiency solid-state lighting (SSL) projects to receive $37 million in funding from the ARRA.
The awards will support research, product development, and manufacturing of SSL technologies and will be leveraged with nearly $28.5 million in private industry funds, for a total project value of about $66 million.
Solid-state lighting, which uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) instead of incandescent bulbs, has the potential to be ten times more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent lighting. Today, lighting accounts for approximately 24% of total electricity generated in the US, but by 2030, the development and widespread deployment of cost-effective LED and OLED lighting could reduce electricity use for lighting by one-third nationally.
The funding includes $4 million for three core technology research projects (one for LEDs and two for OLEDs), $10.3 million for six product development projects (five for LEDs and one for OLEDs), and $23.5 million for eight SSL manufacturing projects (six for LEDs and two for OLEDs). These projects will address the technical challenges that must be overcome before prices fall to a level where SSL will be competitive with existing lighting on a first-cost basis. This is the sixth round of DOE funding for solid-state lighting core technology research and product development. See the DOE press release, DOE’s SSL Program Web site, and the complete list of awardees (PDF 16 KB).
GM Builds First Lithium-Ion Battery Pack for the Chevrolet Volt
General Motors manufactured the first battery pack for its upcoming extended-range electric vehicle (EV), the Chevy Volt, on January 7. The advanced lithium-ion battery pack rolled off the line at GM’s Brownstown Battery Pack Assembly Plant just five months after GM invested $43 million in the facility to prepare for the manufacturing of the Volt and other EVs with extended-range capabilities.
The Volt is designed to drive up to 40 miles on electricity alone, after which a flex-fuel engine-generator kicks in to extend the total driving range to about 300 miles. GM’s initial battery production at Brownstown will be used to validate the plant’s equipment and processes, and batteries will be sent to GM’s Global Battery Systems lab in Warren, Michigan, for testing. This spring, GM will begin shipping batteries to GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant, the assembly location for the Volt, for use in production validation vehicles. Regular production at Brownstown and Detroit-Hamtramck is set to begin in the fourth quarter of 2010. See the GM press release and the Chevy Volt Web site.
Ford is also investing heavily in EVs. On January 11, they announced an additional $450 million investment in Michigan as part of its aggressive EV plan. Ford intends to build a next-generation hybrid and plug-in hybrid in Michigan beginning in 2012. The new investment adds to a previously announced $550 million investment in the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, in part for the production of an all-electric Ford Focus, starting next year.
But first, Ford is collaborating with Azure Dynamics to produce an all-electric Ford Transit Connect van, which will be sold in the US and Canada this year. Azure will integrate its battery electric drive train in the Transit Connect van for commercial fleet and retail use. The collaboration with Azure Dynamics for the Transit Connect BEV will build on the existing business relationship between Ford and Azure as well as their shared experience with Johnson Controls-Saft, their battery supplier. Looking towards the future, Ford is even working with the University of Detroit Mercy to retrain automotive engineers to develop EVs. See the Ford press releases on the new investment, the Transit Connect BEV, and the retraining program.
GM and Ford can expect plenty of competition in the EV arena. In addition to Toyota’s plans to offer one for model year 2012 (see the story below), the Norwegian company Think (once part of Ford) is investing $43.5 million in a factory in Indiana that will produce the all-electric Think City, a highway-capable urban vehicle. Think says the plant could begin assembling vehicles early next year.
In the truck market, Balqon Corporation introduced a heavy-duty electric truck for short haul applications, the Mule M-150, in late September, while Smith Electric Vehicles US Corp started assembling electric trucks in Kansas City, Missouri, in October. See the Think press release, the Balqon press release and Mule M-150 Web page; and the press release from Smith Electric Vehicles US Corp.
Organizations are also preparing for the coming electric vehicles – the Society of Automotive Engineers released a standard for an EV charging coupler in mid-January. The Tennessee Valley Authority, the Electric Power Research Institute, and DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working together to test and deploy solar-assisted EV charging stations across the state of Tennessee. A prototype charging station will be built in Knoxville this spring, followed by a second prototype in Oak Ridge, with plans to install additional stations in Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Nashville over the next few years. See the press releases from SAE and TVA.
Honda, Toyota Unveil New Hybrids at Detroit Auto Show
Honda and Toyota unveiled new hybrid vehicles on January 11 at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Michigan.
The 2011 Honda CR-Z sport hybrid coupe, set to go on sale in the US in late summer, is powered by a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder i-VTEC engine paired with a 10-kilowatt motor to deliver up to 122 horsepower. The two-seater introduces a three-mode drive system that allows the driver to select between sport, economy, and normal driving modes. The coupe comes with a six-speed manual transmission, but a continuously variable transmission is also available. Honda expects the CVT-equipped CR-Z to achieve 36 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 38 mpg on the highway. See the Honda press release and the Honda NAIAS Web site.
Toyota unveiled the FT-CH, which is 22 inches shorter than the Prius. While the automaker didn’t divulge the new model’s fuel economy, it noted that the FT-CH would be lighter and even more fuel efficient than Prius, with a lower price point. It said the addition was part of its strategy to offer a wider variety of hybrid choices. It plans to begin introducing plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles in model year 2012, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in 2015 in global markets. See the Toyota press release.
This year’s Detroit Auto Show "Electric Avenue" displays about 20 EVs. China’s BYD Auto exhibited its all-electric five-seat crossover, the e6, which uses the BYD ferrous battery to achieve a 205-mile range. They expect to sell the car in the US starting this year. BYD also displayed the newest version of its F3DM plug-in electric sedan, which includes a 1.0-liter gasoline engine and a solar panel on the roof.
BMW unveiled its Concept ActiveE EV, which achieves a range of 100 miles using a liquid-cooled, lithium-ion battery pack. GM displayed the Cadillac XTS Platinum Concept, which pairs a 3.6-liter V-6 direct-injection engine to a plug-in hybrid system to achieve 350 horsepower.
Volvo showed off a next-generation EV, Volvo C30k, slated for real-world trials in 2011, and Volkswagen took the wraps off its New Compact Coupe hybrid concept, which has an estimated combined fuel economy of 45 mpg. The 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid was named North American Car of the Year. The NAIAS runs through January 24. See the BYD Auto Web sites for the NAIAS, the e6, and the F3DM; the press releases from BMW, GM, Volvo, Volkswagen, and Ford; and the NAIAS Web site.
Automotive X Prize to Hold Competitive Events in Michigan
The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize has chosen Michigan to host a multi-stage competition that will determine the winners of its $10 million prize purse for super fuel-efficient vehicles.
51 competing cars from 41 teams will compete on the track at the Michigan International Speedway, beginning April 26 and continuing through July. During the closed-door competition, organizers will evaluate the efficiency, safety, and performance of each vehicle under real-world conditions. There will be a public open house at the Michigan State Capitol on April 29, and the racetrack will be open to the public at some time in July, but not during competitive events. In August, the vehicles will undergo dynamometer testing (similar to vehicle emissions tests) at a U.S. EPA lab, with technical support from DOE’s Argonne National Lab. An award ceremony will take place in September.
Prizes totaling $10 million will be awarded to the teams that win the competition – creating clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed the energy equivalent of 100 mpg. See the Automotive X Prize press release and Web site.
11 Governors Commit to Regional Low-Carbon Fuel Standard
Governors of 11 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on December 30 that commits their states to developing a regional low-carbon fuel standard – a market-based, fuel-neutral program that addresses the carbon content of fuels. If adopted by the states, the standard would apply to the transportation sector, and potentially to fuels used for heating buildings.
The MOU establishes a process to develop a regional framework by 2011 and to examine the economic impacts of a low-carbon fuel standard while getting input from business and environmental stakeholders. The 11 signatories include Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. See the press release from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and the MOU (PDF 642 KB).
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) spearheaded the concept of a low-carbon fuel standard, adopting a standard in April 2009 to achieve a 10% reduction in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels by 2020. The measure was given final approval on January 12 by the California Office of Administrative Law, causing the regulation to take effect immediately. See CARB’s Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Web page and an article on the standard from the EERE Network News.
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EREE Network News is a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
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