Byproducts from biofuel focus of PNNL and WSU partnership

News Release

October 06, 2017

• Susan Bauer, PNNL, (509) 372-6083

RICHLAND, Wash. - Researchers at the D.O.E.'s Pacific Northwest National Lab have created a continuous thermo-chemical process that produces useful biocrude from algae. The process takes just minutes and PNNL is working with a company which has licensed the technology to build a pilot plant using the technology.

The 1st part of the conversion process, hydrothermal liquefaction, creates biocrude that can be upgraded to produce fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. It also produces a by-product wastewater stream which includes carbon and nutrients from the algae. A partnership with Washington State University researchers at the Tri-Cities campus led to a means of converting the wastewater stream, to a bio-based natural gas. In this process, any remaining solid material can be further recycled into the hydrothermal liquefaction process or converted to an agricultural fertilizer.

WSU researchers are using anaerobic microbes - those that don't need oxygen - to break down the residue in the wastewater. Having a viable way of dealing with the wastewater enhances the commercial viability of creating biocrude from algae or even sewage sludge as demonstrated by PNNL.

The wastewater project, described in a WSU news release, was recently published in Bioresource Technology.

Tags: Energy, Biofuel, Green Energy

Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National Lab address many of America's most pressing issues in energy, the environment and national security through advances in basic and applied science. Founded in 1965, PNNL employs 4,400 staff and has an yearly budget of nearly $1 billion. It is managed and operated by Battelle for the D.O.E.'s Office of Science. As the single biggest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information on PNNL, visit the PNNL News Center, or follow PNNL on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

There are currently no comments for this story. Be the first to add a comment!
Click here to add a comment about this story.