Low-Energy Biofuels Process Wins Presidential Green Chemistry Award

Catalytic Process Uses Almost No External Energy, Developer Says

A Wisconsin company's energy-efficient process for making biofuels has won a 2009 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge award, the Environmental Protection Agency  announced this morning.

The award for work by a small business was won by Virent Energy Systems, of Madison, Wisc.

The company's catalytic process for making gasoline, diesel or jet fuel from plant sugars or cellulose requires little energy other than that generated internally by the fermentation of the plant biomass.

Virent said that its process can be modified to generate different fuels based on current market conditions and can compete economically with current prices for conventionally produced petroleum-based fuels.

The annual awards are administered by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and entries are judged, by the chemical society and its ACS Green Chemistry Institute, on the basis of their potential for reducing pollution or reducing environmental impact.

The 2009 awards are to be presented in a ceremony tonight at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Wash

Posted by

John O'Dell June 22, 2009, 1:04 AM

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2009 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge, Biofuels