The Energy Department’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) recently won a 2015 Excellence in Technology Transfer Award for developing an innovative process that uses heat and pressure to convert whole algae into biocrude oil in just minutes—much faster than existing processes. Using traditional refining methods, the biocrude oil can then be turned into into aviation fuel, gasoline, and diesel fuel. This process has the potential to double the yield of biofuel from algae and cut the cost of production by 86%.
Prior to receiving the award, PNNL garnered industry praise last year when it introduced this new process, which was developed with funding from the Bioenergy Technologies Office. PNNL partnered with Utah-based Genifuel Corporation to build a pilot plant for Reliance Industries Ltd. in Colorado to test this technology in preparation for scale up to large-scale biofuel production.
The Federal Laboratory Consortium annually recognizes national laboratories and their partners that successfully transfer energy technology to commercial markets. PNNL’s algae-to-biocrude process was one of 16 technologies awarded and was chosen from 57 nominations.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is one of eleven Energy Department national laboratories that receive BETO funding to conduct work in bioenergy, supporting BETO’s goals to develop and transform our renewable biomass resources into commercially viable, high-performance biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower through targeted research, development, and demonstration supported through public and private partnerships.
