Bioenergy Technologies Office
February 2018 News Blast: Bioenergy Technologies Office News and Events
Feb. 22, 2018
BETO 2017 Peer Review Results Are Now Online!
Last spring, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) conducted its seventh biennial external review of its research, development, and communications portfolio. More than 40 external subject matter experts from industry, academia, and federal agencies reviewed over 277 projects across BETO’s nine technology areas, as well as Strategic Communications. This Peer Review process is critical in evaluating past investments and demonstrating the success of BETO’s new core mission: to focus on early-stage applied research and development to enable industry to advance bioenergy technologies that are capable of producing price-competitive biofuels, biopower, and bioproducts from non-food sources of biomass. Read more.
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Bioenergy Social Media
and Multimedia Corner
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KDF Social Media Outlets
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Co-Optima Initiative Releases Two Studies on Fuel and Engine Co-Optimization Research
 DOE has released two new studies from the Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines (Co-Optima) initiative—a coordinated research effort designed to provide American industry with the scientific underpinnings needed to maximize vehicle performance and efficiency, leverage domestic fuel resources, boost U.S. jobs, and strengthen energy security. Learn more about two new Co-Optima studies, “Fuel Blendstocks with the Potential to Optimize Future Gasoline Engine Performance” and “Efficiency Merit Function for Spark-Ignition Engines." Then, check out this blog post for a closer look at Co-Optima’s latest research and development.
Engineered Carbon Reduction Listening Day Summary Published
 Attendee feedback from the Engineered Carbon Reduction Listening Day is now available online in a workshop summary! BETO hosted the listening day in La Jolla, California, on July 8, 2017, to advance the understanding of current technical barriers for engineered carbon reduction and inform future programmatic initiatives on rewiring the carbon economy. Topics discussed ranged from carbon management and analysis to non-photosynthetic and non-biological approaches to carbon reduction and upgrading of chemical intermediates. Approximately 50 attendees representing academia, research institutions and laboratories, and industry attended the workshop and provided their perspectives on the challenges, opportunities, and resources needed to enable new biomass conversion technologies. In response to the listening day, BETO is excited to launch its new Rewiring Initiative, which seeks to identify how low-cost clean power can enable a circular new carbon economy. Read the workshop summary to learn more.
New Catalyst Technology Enables Production of Cost-Effective Fuels from Biomass
Scientists at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) are working to enable more efficient biofuel production by providing industry with research that can help them develop better catalyst technologies—the key to the success of U.S. biobased liquid transportation fuel production. With funding from BETO, ANL’s work is allowing industry to maximize catalyst performance to ultimately power cars, trucks, and planes. Check out BETO’s latest Bioprose blog post to learn more.
A New Source of Renewable Plastics: Converting Ethanol to Butadiene in a Single Step
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed a new catalyst capable of converting renewable ethanol directly into butadiene—a key component in just about every major synthetic plastic or rubber. Using this new catalyst, which PNNL developed with funding from BETO, scientists can convert about 70% of ethanol into butadiene in a single pass. This research could help grow the $23 billion butadiene market and pave the way for a new renewable source of plastics. Read more on Bioprose.
Don’t Miss ChemCatBio’s Next Webinar on March 7
 Join BETO on March 7, 2018, at 12 p.m. MST for the second webinar in the Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium (ChemCatBio) webinar series: “Linking Catalyst and Process Development with Techno-Economic Analysis in the Conversion of Biomass to High-Octane Gasoline.” In this webinar, Dr. Dan Ruddy will build on recent ChemCatBio research and demonstrate how techno-economic analysis can be used to direct catalyst development research to target specific performance advancements. Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn about the latest ChemCatBio research―register today!
Did you miss the last ChemCatBio webinar? The presentation and recording are now available on the ChemCatBio website.
Save the Date for BETO’s Advanced Algal Systems Listening Session
Mark your calendars: On June 13, 2018, BETO will host an Advanced Algal Systems Listening Session in Seattle, Washington. This event aims to bring together experts in the fields of algal biology, cultivation, and conversion to discuss how to address near-term research and development barriers and opportunities for cost-competitive algal biofuels and bioproducts. BETO will seek input on recent technology advancements in advanced algal systems and their potential to drive innovation in the bioeconomy. The listening session will begin immediately at the conclusion of the 8th International Conference on Algal Biomass, Biofuels, and Bioproducts. For more information, visit the event web page.
Past and Upcoming Events with BETO Representation
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