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For Immediate
Release Wedesday, September 12, 2007 |
CONTACT:Steve Wymer – Allard/ 202-224-6207 |
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The Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels, better known as C2B2, convened the first meeting of the 27 private sponsors of C2B2 in Boulder, Colorado on September 11 and 12, 2007. C2B2 is a research venture of large and small businesses and the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory, the association of four of Colorado’s premier research institutions: the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU-Boulder), the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), Colorado State University (CSU) and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). C2B2 will perform world class research to develop new biofuels and biorefining technologies and transfer these advances as rapidly as possible to the private sector. On Tuesday evening, more than 40 representatives of the private sponsors, the Colorado Universities and NREL met for introductions, conversation and an informal dinner at the historic Chautauqua Park Dining Hall in Boulder. NREL Director Dan Arvizu spoke on the current factors driving a national and international focus on renewable energy and biofuels. Among other factors indicating a new national commitment to renewable energy, he noted the dramatic increase of private investment in renewable energy technologies and companies. Dr. Arvizu also listed the research strengths of each of the Collaboratory institutions, predicting that C2B2 would play a major role in developing new products and technologies. At the Wednesday meeting, representatives of the sponsors will recommend ten to twelve research projects to be initially funded in 2007. The projects will be selected from 65 “seed grant” proposals offered by the faculties of the four Collaboratory institutions. C2B2’s private sponsors represent a broad range of refining and manufacturing companies, including large oil and gas and chemical companies, specialty chemical companies, automotive manufacturers, pulp and paper companies, engineering companies, industrial manufacturers, agricultural producers, small biofuels producers and independent energy research firms. According to Alan Weimer, C2B2’s Executive Director, “C2B2’s four institutions have combined their faculties and laboratory resources to provide sponsors with biorefining and biofuels research and development opportunities on a scale that no single public or private institution can match. With the added resources of the private sponsors, C2B2 represents the most powerful biorefining and biofuels research center in the world.” C2B2’s current roster of private sponsors includes: Archer Daniels Midland Company, ASD Inc., BioExtraction, Blue Sun Biodiesel, Ceres, Chevron, Cobalt Biofuels, ConocoPhillips, Copernican Energy, Dow Chemical, DuPont, General Motors, Korth O’Neil Engineering, LiveFuels, LS9, Mascoma, OpX Biotechnologies, PureVision Technology, Range Fuels, Rocky Mountain Sustainable Enterprises, San Juan Biodiesel, Shell Global Solutions, Solix Biofuels, Suncor Energy, UOP, Weyerhauser and W.R. Grace. “The collaborative relationships among NREL, Colorado’s leading research universities, and industries large and small have Colorado and the C2B2 Center poised to be world leaders in biofuels and biorefining technologies,” said U.S. Senator Wayne Allard. “Partnerships like C2B2 represent the future of renewable and sustainable energy technology development.” U.S. Senator Ken Salazar praised the rapid progress of C2B2: “When I helped announce the collaborative C2B2 program last March, there were eleven private partners, which was a good start. Today, as the shared research program is about to begin, the number of private partners has nearly tripled with many more waiting to join. In the coming years, C2B2’s research will change the way we make fuels and chemicals, moving us away from oil and gas and toward biomass. C2B2 is good for Colorado, good for America and good for the environment.” “We need to reduce our dependence on foreign fuels with domestic, non-polluting fuels,” said Colorado Governor Bill Ritter. “Colorado’s natural and intellectual resources are the strength behind C2B2 to bring these new transportation fuels to market.” Congressman Mark Udall, representing Colorado’s Second Congressional District, which includes the University of Colorado at Boulder, said, “C2B2 represents the future of Colorado and the future of our country. This partnership builds upon the excellent work performed at Colorado’s research institutions and our many technology and energy companies to address one of our country’s greatest challenges. Cellulosic ethanol holds great promise to revolutionize not only our energy supply, but also our use of biomass, much of which is now a waste product.” “Colorado is well suited to lead the nation in renewable energy development,” said Rep. Marilyn Musgrave. “C2B2 will be an effective means to combining our state’s ability to harvest homegrown fuels with our advanced research facilities.” Rep. Musgrave represents Colorado’s Fourth Congressional District, home to Colorado State University. “This meeting involving C2B2 and the business community highlights the role of Colorado as a world leader in renewable energy research and development,” stated Representative Ed Perlmutter, from Colorado’s Seventh Congressional District, home to NREL and the Colorado School of Mines. NREL Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships Stan Bull noted: "The strong alliance of public research institutions and industry makes C2B2 highly effective in moving technologies from laboratory to market, so renewable fuels will be available more quickly as an option for American consumers." Colorado School of Mines President M.W. Scoggins stated: “Developing new energy technologies with our C2B2 partners and creating educational possibilities for our students are now exciting realities for Colorado School of Mines.” “C2B2 is an exciting collaboration between higher education, the private sector and state government,” said G.P. “Bud” Peterson, chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder. “I and the entire CU-Boulder community look forward to hosting this important meeting, to bringing together these key players, and to setting a bold agenda that will transform energy research in Colorado, the nation and across the globe. ”
“Broad technology
development collaborations like C2B2 will help speed the expansion of
second-generation biofuels,” said Steve Bobzin, Ph.D. of Ceres, Inc.,
which is developing new crops like switchgrass as feedstocks for biofuels
and bioproducts. “The industry has evolved from making individual technologies
work on the experimental scale to linking together an entire production
and delivery chain. C2B2 can play an integral role in this process.” “We are looking forward to attending the inaugural meeting of private sponsors,” said Lou Burke, manager biofuels for ConocoPhillips. “We appreciate the efforts of C2B2 to bring all parties together and welcome the opportunity to work with both private and public partners to advance the use of renewable fuels.” "C2B2 supports Dow Chemical's strategic goal of feedstock diversification through exploration of promising bio-sources, as well as our 2015 Sustainability goals on energy and climate change," said Charles T. Kresge, vice president, research and development for Basic Plastics & Chemicals, Hydrocarbons & Energy, and Licensing at The Dow Chemical Company. "We're pleased to be collaborators in this innovative association of four of Colorado’s premier research institutions." “The C2B2 has brought together an impressive group of researchers who are focused on all aspects of the renewable fuel cycle ‘CO2 to CO2’,” said Stephen del Cardayre, Vice President of Research and Development at LS9. “LS9 is excited to participate.” Said, Jim Flatt, Ph.D, Senior Vice President, Research & Development of Mascoma Corporation, “C2B2’s participants and sponsors represent the best and brightest minds from virtually every facet of the nascent biofuels and biorefining industries. The collaborative efforts of all involved will serve to accelerate the development of biofuels as a viable alternative to oil and gas. We look forward to being an active contributor and benefiting from our participation in the work of this important organization.” PureVision Technology's
President Ed Lehrburger stated, " PureVision looks forward to rapidly
bringing cellulosic biofuels and bio-based products to the U.S. markets
by working with other entities within the C2B2 family." "Suncor Energy has long believed that technology and collaboration are the keys to moving alternative energy sources into mainstream supply and we're pleased to be part of this effort with C2B2," said Steve Douglas, general manager, supply and marketing. “C2B2 allows us to collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the world from key scientific disciplines impacting biorefining,” said UOP’s Director of Renewable Energy & Chemicals business unit Jennifer Holmgren. “UOP believes that the world must look to renewable resources to manage our future energy needs, and we are committed to finding sustainable solutions. Partnerships like the one that C2B2 creates will help to make this vision a reality.” C2B2 will work to create
new technologies for the production of transportation fuels and other
valuable products from plants. In addition to transportation fuels,
biorefining promises to create new sources of agricultural fertilizers,
synthetic fibers, plastics and commercial chemicals. Because these materials
are now derived from petroleum and natural gas, biorefining will reduce
our dependence on oil and gas and provide alternative, domestic sources
of energy and commercial products. In addition, by producing fuels and
other products from biomass instead of oil and gas, biorefining will
reduce green house gas emissions, helping to reduce global warming.
The research projects of
C2B2 will also create educational opportunities for undergraduate, graduate
and post-graduate students, serving to train the next generation of
chemical and biological engineers for our universities and private enterprise.
C2B2 will focus its research capabilities in the areas of plant biotechnology
and crop sciences, biochemical engineering, process engineering, thermochemical
engineering, product engineering and systems analysis. ###
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