Research Grants Fuel Biofuels Effort

Several NC State research projects received funding from the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, which gave more than $1.4 million to projects statewide in an effort to accelerate the production of commercial-scale renewable fuels.

Biofuels Center president and CEO Steven Burke affirmed the value North Carolina will gain from the 12 awards.

“The projects directly address immediate needs of the statewide biofuels sector – biomass economics, efficient fuel development, soil science, wildlife sustainability, and waste-to-fuels conversion – and also reflect its decentralized nature, contributing to western, central, and eastern communities alike,” he said. “In range and impact, the projects also verify why North Carolina has become quickly a credible national site for biofuels.”

By 2017, 10 percent of North Carolina’s liquid transportation fuels will come from biofuels grown and produced within the state.

The awarded projects are:

North Carolina’s Role in the Global Biomass Energy Market
$75,000 ∙ UNC-Chapel Hill

The Economic Impact of Biomass Alternatives on North Carolina’s Economy
$50,000 ∙ UNC-Chapel Hill

Arundo donax Response to Nitrogen in Central Piedmont Soils
$568,601 ∙ N.C. State University

Evaluating Biomass Harvesting Practices with
Respect to Wildlife Sustainability
$100,000 ∙ N.C. State University

Suitability of NC Piedmont Soils for Bioenergy Crop Production (Year 2)
$47,346 ∙ N.C. State University

Modeling Impacts of Biomass Production on Landscapes and Wildlife
$98,038 ∙ N.C. State University

Biodiesel Feedstock Harvesting and Production Improvements
$100,000 ∙ Catawba County

Increasing Biofuels Production and use at Haywood Community
College and Haywood County Materials Recovery Center
$15,770 ∙ Haywood Community College

Delivering an Enzyme-based Solution for the
North Carolina Biodiesel Industry
$99,994 ∙ Chatham County Economic Development Corporation

Integrating Ethanol Production with Muncipal Waste Management in
Catawba County
$95,200 ∙ UNC-Charlotte

City of Raleigh: Assessment of Energy Crop Production at Wastewater
Treatment Facilities
$100,000 ∙ City of Raleigh

Accelerating the Western North Carolina Biofuels Industry
$130,000 ∙ AdvantageWest Economic Development Group