DOE to award $59 million to reduce emissions from the aviation sector

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will give $59 million to accelerate the production of biofuels and bioproducts to reduce emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as aviation and marine.

The money will be focused on applied research, development, and deployment to improve the performance and reduce the cost of biofuel production technologies and scale-up production systems in partnership with the industry. By reducing costs and technical risks, the biofuels industry will have a clearer path for deploying commercial-scale integrated biorefineries, supporting the goal of a net-zero carbon economy by 2050.

Marine and aviation sectors are considered difficult to decarbonize because they require high energy densities to avoid frequent stops to refuel for long flights, international shipping routes, and cross-country rail routes. Since electrification cannot currently meet the sectors’ requirements, liquid biofuels are becoming the best alternative.

“Energy harnessed from plants and waste presents a huge opportunity to reduce emissions from hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as aviation, rail, and shipping, while supporting high-quality jobs across rural America,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “DOE’s investment in biofuels is a key component of the Biden Administration’s effort to support clean energy technologies that increase our energy independence and move us closer to a net-zero carbon economy.”

The “Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries” funding will help support biorefinery projects that can produce sustainable renewable diesel and aviation, marine, and rail fuel at every stage of development.

The funding also supports DOE’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge goal of enabling the production of three billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel annually by 2030 and 25 billion gallons annually by 2050, enough to meet 100% of U.S. aviation fuel demand.

Applicants of the Scale-Up of Integrated Biorefineries FOA must submit a concept paper by 5:00 pm EST on or before July 8, 2022, to be eligible to submit a full application. To apply, applicants must register with and submit application materials through a DOE online application portal at https://eere-Exchange.energy.gov.