Show me the Money: $564 Million Awarded to Integrated Biorefinery Projects
In an earlier blog post, Debra Frimerman reported that the U.S. Department of Energy was seeking applications for grants to help promote the construction and operation of pilot, demonstration, and commercial scale integrated biorefinery projects. Today, DOE announced the selection of 19 projects to receive up to $564 million in grant money authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Notable awards include the following:
· $81 million to Bluefire LLC for a Mississippi project to produce up to 19 million gallons of ethanol fuel annually from woody biomass, mill residue, and municipal solid waste.
· $50 million to Sapphire Energy, Inc. for a New Mexico project to produce algal fuels using the Dynamic Fuels refining process.
· $23 million to Clearfuels Technology Inc. for a Colorado scale project to produce renewable diesel and jet fuel from woody biomass.
A complete list of awards is available here.
Show me the Money: $5.5 million available for Ethanol Blends
Today, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced the release of a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) related to ethanol blends. The FOA provides up to $5.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to increase the use of higher ethanol blends through expanding refueling infrastructure and funding outreach to promote public awareness.
$3.5 million is available to fund refueling infrastructure related to higher ethanol blends. Potential projects include modifications, upgrades, or expansions of fuel pumps at retail gas stations.
$2 million is available to fund national campaign projects that increase public awareness of the benefits, safety, and use requirements of higher ethanol blends.
Applications for this FOA are due October 4, 2009.
Funds Available to Repower Biorefineries
USDA recently announced that it will deploy up to $20 million to encourage the use of renewable biomass as a replacement fuel source for fossil fuels as well as to provide process heat or power in the operation of eligible biorefineries. Eligible biorefineries are biorefineries that meet all of the following criteria:
- Convert renewable biomass into biofuels and biobased products and may produce electricity
- Located in rural areas
- In existence on or before June 18, 2009
- Primary production is liquid transportation biofuels
USDA may make payments under this program to any biorefinery that meets the program requirements for up to three years. USDA will determine the amount of payments to be made to a biorefinery based on the following factors:
- Quantity of fossil fuel a renewable biomass system is replacing
- Percentage reduction in fossil fuel used by the biorefinery
- Cost effectiveness of the renewable biomass system
- Economic benefit to the community
- Potential to improve the quality of life in rural America
The number of payments will vary and be based on the number of applicants and availability of funds but will not exceed $5 million or 50% of total eligible product costs. Applications are due by November 1, 2009.
