Partnerships Target Thermal Biomass Energy

Renewable energy start-ups Range Fuels and Ceres will collaborate on R&D of high-yield biomass feedstocks. Ceres develops specialty grass crops such as sorghum, switchgrass, and miscanthus for energy production. Range Fuels will explore using those crops in its thermochemical process to convert biomass to synthesis gas and then to ethanol. Separately, UOP and Ensyn are joining to advance Ensyn's Rapid Thermal Processing technology, which converts biomass to a "bio-oil" for use in power and heating applications. The partners want to refine the bio-oil into transportation fuels.