National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Biomass Research

Projects

NREL's biomass projects are designed to advance the production of liquid transportation fuels from biomass. Researchers explore biomass characterization, biochemical and thermochemical conversion processes, the chemicals and catalysts that optimize conversion, and how the steps of the process integrate with one another. Additionally, the viability of algae as a feedstock is a re-emerging area of research. Analysts support the R&D by studying market needs, technoeconomic drivers, and partnership opportunities for the commercialization and deployment of biofuels.

NREL supports the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of the Biomass Program in its R&D and analysis efforts with the objective of meeting:

• A near-term goal to demonstrate a modeled, cost-competitive, biochemically derived ethanol price ($1.33–$1.49/gallon) by 2012
• A longer-term goal to demonstrate biofuels technologies that can contribute to the production of 36 billion gallons of biofuels per year by 2022 and 60 billion gallons of biofuels per year by 2030.

Learn about NREL's biomass research, development, and deployment projects in:

• Biomass characterization
• Biochemical conversion
• Thermochemical conversion
• Chemical and catalyst science
• Integrated biorefinery processes
• Microalgal biofuels
• Biomass process and sustainability analyses.