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September 2022
NREL and Cemvita Factory Team Up To Put Carbon Dioxide to Good Use
For some entrepreneurs, carbon dioxide is more than a greenhouse gas. It is an opportunity and a business case for decarbonizing fuel and chemical production.
News Release: Catalytic Process With Lignin Could Enable 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Researchers at three institutions—NREL, MIT, and Washington State University—report success in using lignin as a path toward a drop-in 100% sustainable aviation fuel. Other parts of plants are used for biofuels, but lignin has been largely overlooked because of the difficulties in breaking it down chemically and converting it into useful products.
Q&A With Avantika Singh: The Cautious Optimist Who Hates Waste (Like, Really Hates Waste)
As part of the Manufacturing Masterminds Q&A profile series, Avantika Singh shares why she hates waste and what she's doing to help combat it.
August 2022
NREL's 6th Partner Forum Digs Deep on Sustainable Aviation Opportunities
On Aug. 9-10, 2022, NREL convened its sixth Partner Forum at its Golden, Colorado, campus, pulling together public and private sector leaders to collaboratively explore solutions for sustainable aviation.
En Route to Market: Alder Fuels and NREL Partner To Scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel Technology for Commercial Use
A critical pathway for producing large quantities of low- to negative-carbon sustainable aviation fuel is enroute to market following a collaborative research and development agreement between NREL and Alder Fuels.
July 2022
NREL Selected for Space-Bound Research To Solve the Plastic Waste Dilemma
Researchers at NREL will send an engineered bacteria into space as early as next year as part of ongoing research into solving the problem of plastic waste mitigation on Earth.
Not Just Bread and Beer—Microbes Can Ferment Carbon Dioxide To Make Fuel, Too
Bakers ferment dough for a well-risen loaf of bread. Brewers ferment wheat and barley for a smooth, malty glass of beer. And as nature's foremost bakers and brewers, some microbes can do even more.
NREL Addresses Energy Challenges for Sustainable Aviation
From sustainable fuels to airport infrastructure analysis to next-gen aircraft, NREL offers solutions for lowering emissions in a sector that is among the most difficult to decarbonize.
NREL Innovations Open Door to Industry Collaboration, Commercialization
NREL researchers made for an inventive bunch in fiscal year 2021, even exceeding record-breaking activity in FY '20. A patent issued in November 2021 for compressed gas energy storage, for example, which covers the idea of injecting compressed natural gas into defunct oil and gas fracking sites, accounted for just one of 36 issued patents in FY '21.
June 2022
Co-Optima Crosses the Finish Line
Just as the wheels keep turning on cars, trucks, and trains, the planet keeps spinning in its orbit. All the while, climate change is accelerating, along with the dire need to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions responsible for global warming.
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Last Updated May 5, 2025