Dec 15 2009
The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) Foundation and Whole Energy Fuels Corporation are now ready to market an innovative cellulosic biofuel technology. This technology has been developed at the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center. The global licensing rights for EERC’s Foundation technology have been received by Whole Energy. This technology helps in converting biomass and other kinds of recycled materials into liquid biofuels.
Producing biofuels by utilizing cellulosic materials has a number of benefits. In comparison to the first-generation feedstocks like sugarcane or corn starch the cellulosic materials that include grasses, wood, nonedible parts of wheat straw, crops, corn cobs and soybean hulls are considered as diverse feedstocks and are vast. Besides this, cellulosic fuels are expected to become cost efficient biofuels that will also help in bringing about reductions in the emissions of greenhouse gases in comparison to the fuels derived from petroleum.
Ed Olson, Senior Research Advisor remarked that EERC through this project has been provided with a good opportunity to produce next-generation fuel additives from cellulosic feedstocks. This technology will be used to improve the performance of both gasoline and diesel engine by using renewable products. Olson also stated that additives produced by EERC will help in reducing particulate emissions, improve flow properties and cetane levels for diesel fuels.
Atul Deshmane, President and CEO of Whole Energy, remarked that the partnership between EERC Foundation and Whole Energy and possession of the technology license from EERC Foundation will lead to the establishment of Mercurius Biofuels, a company developed with the assistance received from Whole Energy. Mercurius Biofuels according to Deshmane aims in developing and marketing advanced biofuel technologies and it also intends to operate a pilot plant in order to project the most appropriate carbon and energy efficient processes used in producing cellulosic fuel.
Karl Seck, President of Mercurius Biofuels, remarked that the biorefinery technology from EERC Foundation possesses a supreme quality as it does not depend on fermentation, enzymes, or other kinds of operating conditions.
Gerald Groenewold, Director of EERC Foundation, remarked on the global recognition gained by EERC Foundation because of its environmental research programs and applied energy. Both Mercurius Biofuels and Whole Energy according to Groenewold are part of the success of the business model developed by EERC Foundation.
Source: http://www.undeerc.org/