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Northwest Tribes Share Expertise

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Bringing Experience, Holistic Approach to Renewables Work

When it comes to deep understanding of how renewable energy can impact land and water use, American Indian tribes in the Northwest are leading the way, according to Dr. Dan Schwartz, a University of Washington professor of chemical engineering and director of UW’s Ph.D. program in Bioresource-based Energy for Sustainable Societies.

He and Dr. Adrian Leighton, a forestry professor at Salish Kootenai College, are bringing their experience working with Northwest tribes on energy …more

A new lignin source for high-value products

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Lignin structure
Lignin structure

NARA is optimizing a conversion process that converts the carbohydrates in woody biomass into bio-jet fuel and other chemical products. Depending on the tree species, up to 60% of the dry weight of wood is carbohydrates. That leaves the remaining 40% of the woody biomass as a byproduct. In order to maximize the economic sustainability of a wood-to-biofuel industry, converting …more

A critical review of the U.S. biofuels industry

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U.S. ethanol biorefineries by location in 2016. Adapted from Renewable Fuels Association at http://www.ethanolrfa.org/resources/biorefinery-locations/
U.S. ethanol biorefineries by location in 2016. Adapted from Renewable Fuels Association at http://www.ethanolrfa.org/resources/biorefinery-locations/

NARA researchers have just published a critical review of the U.S Biofuels Industry. Their work appears in the BioProducts Business journal and can be viewed at http://biobus.swst.org/index.php/bpbj/article/view/18

The review provides a historical account of the …more

Wood to biofuel conference targets commercialization and education

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Dr Bill Goldner (USDA-NIFA) addresses the 2016 NWBBCP conference in Seattle, WA
Dr Bill Goldner (USDA-NIFA) addresses the 2016 NWBBCP conference in Seattle, WA

The 2nd Northwest Wood-Based Biofuels + Co-Products Conference was held May 4-5, 2016 in Seattle WA. The USDA-NIFA and WSU extension were the conference sponsors. NARA played a lead role in developing this conference, which drew 170 participants.

Representatives …more

Gevo’s alcohol-to-jet renewable biofuel powers Alaska Airlines flight

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photo credit John Schneider
photo credit John Schneider

On June 7th, Alaska Airlines fueled two commercial flights using a 20% blend of Gevo’s renewable biojet fuel made from sustainable U.S. corn. These flights represent the first commercial flights fueled with biojet fuel made using Gevo’s alcohol-to-jet technology.

Read the news release here. A video is available here.

Earlier this year, …more

High school students present energy solutions

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In May 2016, over 400 high-school students brought their solutions for a better world to the 2016 Alaska Airlines Imagine Tomorrow competition at Washington State University. The competition is hosted by the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture at Washington State University. NARA has been a major sponsor of this event since 2011. Encouraging high school students to think about energy solutions fits well with NARA’s education goals to increase bioenergy literacy and develop a bioenergy workforce.

With NARA’s …more

NARA researcher receives “Wood Award”

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Yalan Liu
Yalan Liu

NARA researcher Yalan Liu received the second place 2016 Forest Products Society Wood Award for her work titled, “Evaluating the role of wood ultrastructure change from mechanical treatment for kinetics of monomer sugars and chemicals production”.

The Wood Award recognizes and honors outstanding graduate student research conducted in the field of wood and wood products. Yalan will …more

Production of Lignocellulosic Isobutanol by Fermentation and Conversion to Biojet

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A recent webinar titled “Production of Lignocellulosic Isobutanol by Fermentation and Conversion to Biojet was provided by Gevo representatives Andrew Hawkins and Glenn Johnston. This webinar is part of the NARA webinar series.

Gevo has developed fermentation and process technology to convert biomass sugars to isobutanol and further into renewable jet fuel through chemical processing. As a key member of the NARA project, Gevo has developed GIFT®, Gevo Integrated Fermentation Technology, to produce isobutanol at high productivity, titer, …more