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BIOENERGY TECHNOLOGIES OFFICE
A wide variety of non-food biomass grown across the country can be converted into advanced hydrocarbon fuels using thermochemical
processes. Photos (clockwise from upper left): iStock/3786400, Scott Butner/PNNL, iStock/6090867, Calvin Feik/NREL/16029
Working with industry, academia, and the national laboratories,
BETO has identified critical R&D barriers for specific conver-
sion pathways. Research is needed to lower the cost, increase
the efficiency, and reduce the environmental impacts of thermo-
Thermochemical Conversion:
Using Heat and Catalysis to Make
chemical conversion. R&D efforts are addressing these technical
challenges with the goal of achieving a cost-competitive fuel
Biofuels and Bioproducts
The Bioenergy Technologies Office works with industry and
other partners to develop economical pathways that use
heat, pressure, and catalysis to convert domestic, non-food
biomass into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other products.
price of $3 per gallon (gasoline equivalent) by 2017.
Exploring Promising Technology
Pathways
Advanced biofuels are part of America’s “all-of-the-above”
energy strategy to develop domestic energy resources and win
the global race for clean energy technology. Developing a
sustainable, commercial-scale U.S. bioindustry will stimulate
the economy, create new jobs, and substantially decrease net
BETO uses techno-economic modeling and engages key
stakeholders to identify pathways that offer the greatest
promise to make hydrocarbon biofuels cost competitive
in the market.
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greenhouse gas emissions on a life-cycle basis.
Please visit BETO’s Technology Pathways Web page to
access the pathways characterized to date:
The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) supports research
and development (R&D) of technologies to efficiently convert
algae and diverse types of cellulosic biomass (fibrous, inedible
portion of plants) into renewable fuels that are compatible with
today’s vehicles and infrastructure. Thermochemical conver-
sion processes apply heat, pressure, and catalysts to convert a
broad range of biomass into renewable gasoline, diesel, jet fuels,
chemicals, and heat and power.
bioenergy.energy.gov/technology_pathways.html
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Impacts on emissions depend upon the type of biomass used, cultivation practices,
and processing.
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