Cellulosic-Derived Biofuels Initiative
The Cellulosic-Derived Biofuels Project will develop and demonstrate the necessary technologies to breakdown cellulosic materials from agricultural residues (corn stover), forestry wastes (such as saw dust, tree thinning, or pulp-mill residues), and purpose-grown crops from either marginal land (switchgrass) or cropland (sorghum) into sugars which can be fed to microorganisms that produce oil for biodiesel and JP8 jet fuel.
The Initiative Plan
- Assess the current and potential sources of biomass in the Commonwealth, including the economics and environmenal impacts.
- Determine best practices for saccharification, the process sugars are extracted from biomass materials and fed to oil producing algae.
- Determine effective uses of Co-products from Biomass and Algae Processes to improve the economic viability of the production process.
- Develop a pilot plant with an estimated 1M gallons per year capacity that coverts biomass into bio-oil for refinement to biodiesel and bio JP-8 jet fuel in Central Kentucky ultimately leading to commercial viability.
