2003 Alumni News
Center for Biorefining
Making ethanol from corn stalks or plastics from native grasses
are some of the topics that might be studied in the newly
established Center for Biorefining. The goal is to produce
a range of chemicals, fuels, and materials from renewable
biomass feedstocks in a manner similar to the way that multiple
products flow from a conventional petroleum refinery. The
center is located in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering,
but has cooperators from other disciplines on campus. The
center is also working to develop relationships with industry
and producer groups. Roger Ruan and Vance Morey are co-directors,
and Paul Chen is program manager for the center.
Twenty-five years ago, renewable energy was an important
part of department programs in response to energy shortages
and significant increases in the price of petroleum. However,
conservation programs resulted in decreased demand and prices
for energy, and as a result interest in renewable energy programs
waned. Now, increased demand, political instability, and environmental
concerns have rekindled interest. Biomass is renewable and
can partially replace nonrenewable fossil sources, which are
decreasing in supply and are sometimes located in unstable
parts of the world. In addition, biomass does not contribute
to increased carbon dioxide in the environment as do nonrenewable
fossil sources. These are some of the reasons that there is
interest in all forms of renewable sources, including biomass,
wind, and solar.
The Center for Biorefining is part of a larger effort launched
this year at the University called the Initiative for Renewable
Energy and the Environment (IREE). The mission of IREE is
to “To promote statewide economic development, sustainable,
healthy, and diverse ecosystems, and national energy security
through development of bio-based and other renewable resources
and processes.”
Goals of the IREE include:
- Provide leadership in research and development of environmentally
sound production, distribution, and use of energy, chemicals,
and materials from renewable resources
- Create jobs by transferring technologies into practical
outcomes for industry and communities
- Support the goal of moving toward an economy based on
hydrogen and other renewables
- Utilize bio-based and other renewable sources as a substitute
for fossil fuel-based energy, chemicals, and materiall
- Facilitate communication, coordination, and collaboration
Four areas of activity or “clusters” have been
formed under the IREE. They include:
- Hydrogen
- Bioenergy and Bioproducts
- Policy, Economics, and Ecosystems
- Conservation and Energy Efficient Systems
The Center is closely aligned with the Bioenergy and Bioproducts
cluster, of which Roger Ruan is one of four co-leaders.
The 2003 Minnesota Legislature established a $10 million
Renewable Development fund to support the IREE from Xcel dry
cask storage funds. They also directed 5 percent of Xcel’s
Conservation Improvement Program obligation to support the
program for five years. This is estimated to yield $1.7 to
$2 million per year in support. The IREE intends to use these
funds to develop partnerships with external cooperators and
leverage them with grant funds from other sources.
Some of the initial work in the Center for Biorefining involves
development of highly refined cellulose from cornstalks and
similar materials. The highly refined cellulose is used in
the food industry as dietary fiber, emulsion stabilizer, and
edible films and coatings. Another project involves total
liquefaction of cornstalks or other biomass to produce biopolyols,
which have properties similar to fossil sources such as crude
petroleum. Biodegradable films and foams that replace fossil
derive plastics are examples of products that can be produced
in this process.
Other programs in the department have potential to fit into
the IREE. One approach to dealing with animal manure issues
is to produce methane, which can be used to generate electricity.
A project headed by Phil Goodrich, David Schmidt, and Vance
Morey is exploring recovering hydrogen from methane produced
in an anaerobic digester on a dairy farm to power a fuel cell,
which will produce electricity for the grid.
These and other efforts may help form the foundation for
a bio-based economy sometime in the future. Minnesota has
an abundant supply or renewable bio-based resources that could
support a biobased industry. Development of these resources
could provide much needed stimulus to parts of Minnesota’s
rural economy. Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering graduates
will have an important role to play in these new industries.
Find out more about the Center for Biorefining at http://biorefining.coafes.umn.edu
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