ConocoPhillips forms cellulosic research venture

31 March 2008 23:03  [Source: ICIS news]

TORONTO (ICIS news)--ConocoPhillips has teamed up with the US Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Iowa State University to develop cost-effective processes to convert cellulosic biomass into biofuels, it said on Monday.

 

The partners would seek to develop processes such as gasification, pyrolysis and fermentation to make renewable fuels from non-food agricultural materials such as corn stalks, leaves, grasses and trees, the US energy major said.

 

“ConocoPhillips is committed to the development of technologies that will convert sustainable non-food feedstocks into transportation fuels that will be critical to the nation’s energy security,” said Stephen Brand, ConocoPhillips senior vice president for technology.

 

“The thermochemical and biochemical conversion of cellulosic biomass into liquid fuels has great promise to be a clean and renewable source of energy that doesn't compete with our food supply,” said Robert Brown, Iowa Farm Bureau director of the Bioeconomy Institute at Iowa State.

 

ConocoPhillips did not disclose financial terms, target or timelines.

 

Each party was providing its own time and resources and the collaboration was expected to produce an initial report by January 2009, it said.

 

Bookmark Simon Robinson's Big Biofuels Blog for some independent thinking on biofuels.

By: Stefan Baumgarten
+1 713 525 2653

< previous article(VIDEO – ICIS news Americas Lunchtime Bulletin 27 October 2009)

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly