Project Aims to Bring Bio-based Jet Fuel Production to the Northwest

Aviation Biofuel Research Producing Promising Results

News Release

September 29, 2011

• PNNL News & Media Relations, (509) 375-3776

PNNL research partner Imperium Renewables distributed the below news release on Sept. 27, 2011.

SEATTLE — Seattle biofuel producer Imperium Renewables and the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are developing a new method to make biomass-based drop-in jet fuels so that additional renewable jet fuel production facilities can be built in the Pacific Northwest. So far, their novel process has produced a meaningful amount of fuel that is being evaluated to determine how well it can blend with traditional, petroleum-based jet fuel.

The method uses a catalytic process being developed at PNNL that converts biomass-based alcohols into renewable drop-in jet fuels. Imperium entered into the project in July 2010 through a collaborative research agreement with Battelle, the nonprofit research organization that manages PNNL for DOE.

"This grant will help us provide sustainable, economically viable drop-in biofuels that will allow the Department of Defense and the airline industry to become less reliant on foreign oil," said Imperium CEO John Plaza. "Imperium is excited to be part of this partnership and to continue our work with LanzaTech, Boeing and PNNL to develop renewable jet fuels from multiple feed stocks."

The joint project started with an economic analysis to ensure the method could be financially viable when it's fully developed. In the lab, research has advanced to the bench scale. The ultimate goal is to use the process at a commercial plant such as Imperium's Grays Harbor biodiesel refinery near Hoquiam, Wash.

This work will be further developed as part of a recent award from the Department of Energy towards a new biofuel research project led by LanzaTech of Roselle, Ill. The award leverages approximately $5 million to the integrated technology which aims to develop a cost-effective technology to produce renewable drop-in jet fuel blendstock and bio-based products by employing biotechnology and catalysis. DOE is providing up to $4 million for the project, about $2 million of which is going to PNNL.

"We're excited to continue to contribute to the nation's biofuel efforts through this project and look forward to collaborating with LanzaTech and Imperium," said John Holladay of PNNL.

"We are extremely pleased with the leadership that the President, the Departments of Energy, Agriculture and the Navy have shown by several strong commitments towards the development of advanced biofuels to the aviation industry in the recent months," said Plaza. "This award and our resulting success will provide additional drop-in fuels to help meet our nation's aviation fuel needs."

LanzaTech is developing the first half of the process, which coverts biomass to intermediates such as alcohols, while PNNL is working with Imperium to convert the alcohols produced by LanzaTech into a renewable drop-in jet fuel that works in today's existing aircraft. Imperium is also providing in-kind contributions for PNNL's research and is funding related research at the University of Delaware and Michigan Technological University.

Other partners in the new project are the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Orochem Technologies and The Boeing Company, with support from The Port of Seattle.

Click here to read the original release from Imperium Renewables.

Tags: Energy, Technology Transfer and Commercialization, Biomass, Biofuel, Green Energy, Energy Production

Imperium Renewables, Inc. (IRI) was founded in 2004 to commercialize our novel and innovative design for biodiesel refining, with a focus on fuel quality and environmental sustainability. In August, 2007 we opened the nation's largest BQ-9000^® certified biodiesel refinery Imperium Grays Harbor in Hoquiam, Washington, which is capable of producing up to 100 million gallons of high quality biodiesel per year.Today, Imperium Renewables is a national leader in next generation biofuel production. We are driven by a single yet ambitious goal - to fundamentally change the way we fuel our cars, trucks, ships, trains and planes by developing and producing clean, renewable and sustainable alternative fuels, now and into the future. To meet that goal, the company has developed and continues to develop proprietary technology and processes across the biofuel value chain. We are committed to ensuring that our biofuel is made from the most sustainable and environmentally friendly feedstocks possible, and that our product is of the highest quality in the industry.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory draws on signature capabilities in chemistry, earth sciences, and data analytics to advance scientific discovery and create solutions to the nation's toughest challenges in energy resiliency and national security. Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. DOE's Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit PNNL's News Center. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.