The US Department of Energy awarded the University of Illinois a $10.6 million five-year grant to convert the two most productive crops in the United States into sustainable biodiesel and biojet fuel. The new research project uses ultra-high-yield energy cane Renewable Energy Generation (or ROGUE Project). This study kicked off at a team meeting held in Tysons, Virginia on February 25th with the 2018 Genome Science Program Annual Lead Investigator Conference.
'The United States continues to enjoy cheap and abundant energy, but more than 80% of it comes from natural gas, coal and oil,' Stephen Long, chairman of ROGUE, is chairman of the Ikebane Chapter. 'Heavy duty diesel-powered semi-trailers and aviation industry hope there are other options, But power batteries are not feasible, and current biofuel crops cannot meet the needs of biodiesel and power fuels.
Bioenergy
ROGUE will design energy cane (Energycane) and Miscanthus to produce oil for biodiesel and biojet fuel. Their work is guided by a computer model that predicts that these crops can achieve 20% oil content in the factory. Quantity - a sharp increase from a natural level of less than one percent.
'If fully successful, these crops can produce 15 times more biodiesel than soybeans. Soybeans are a food crop and currently half of our country's biodiesel comes from this crop,' Long said.
Earlier work funded by the US Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency Energy Department (ARPA-E) achieved 8% oil accumulation. Now ROGUE will further increase oil production, and ROGUE's patented extraction technology will make it easier to obtain oil.
'The redirection of these plants to the production of oil rather than sugar will enable us to make full use of these productive crops to produce biodiesel and biofuels,' said Chen Liqing, an assistant professor of plant biology in Illinois.
sustainable development
ROGUE will also increase the efficiency of these crops transforming solar energy into plant energy to promote its bio-oil production. Increasing the photosynthetic efficiency of these crops will ensure that the production of high-energy-density oil will not reduce yield, while inhibiting the plant's own defense mechanisms. Photosynthetic efficiency will also help plants conserve limited resources such as water and nitrogen, especially under stressful conditions.
'Photosynthesis is the process that ultimately produces all of our food and most of the fiber and increases our fuel volume,' said Don Ort, professor of plant biology and crop science, who will co-lead the photosynthesis part with the project leader. 'By improving this In the process, we can strengthen the ability to create these crops to achieve more efficient productivity to produce sustainable bioenergy.
technology
ROGUE applies synthetic biology to energy sugarcane and miscanthus. This technology uses engineering principles to optimize and accelerate the design of biological systems. This project will also make energy cane more hardy to expand its growing area and extend its growing season.
'Our crops can thrive on 235 million acres of land, transforming underutilized edge planting into a sustainable source of bio-oil,' Long said. 'More importantly, we have existing infrastructure. , Can use existing sugar cane plants to plant, harvest and process bio-oil immediately. These oils can be processed into bio-fuels through existing technologies and sold through the market.
effect
ROGUE will ensure the effectiveness of its crop technology through technical economic analysis and replicated field trials. Energy cane will be evaluated in Florida and Mississippi. Miscanthus will be tested in Illinois. The project will continue to refine and evaluate its patents. Method to separate oil from biomass and its processing technology.
"According to our model, ROGUE's crop yields and benefits per acre are much higher than those of corn or soybeans,' said Vijay Singh, director of the comprehensive biological treatment research laboratory responsible for the project's technical and economic analysis and processing technology.
ROGUE is a collaboration of researchers from the Brooke Haven National Laboratory, Illinois, University of Florida, and Mississippi State University with the support of the DOE Science Office (Biological and Environmental Research Office).
