Industry advances biofuels along commercialization path for commercial airline, military use

Posted by Courtney E. Howard

WASHINGTON, 3 Oct. 2011. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), responding to the U.S. Air Force’s Request for Information (RFI) on the status and market for advanced drop-in biofuels, revealed that advanced biofuels can be commercialized rapidly for military use, on military timelines, with adequate support and coordination of efforts by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Defense (DOD), and Energy (DOE).

“The military requires access to adequate fuel supplies in strategic locations, and biorefineries producing advanced biofuels from multiple feedstocks represent perhaps the best option for meeting this military need,” says Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial & Environmental segment. “Coordination of efforts by the USDA, DOE, and DOD to address the market challenges could significantly accelerate production of the volumes necessary to meet the energy security needs of the U.S. military. Military use of advanced biofuels could in turn validate emerging technologies and unlock private investment in future advanced biofuels production for civilian markets.”

Some advanced biofuel companies already have worked with the DOD and commercial airlines to test and certify advanced biofuel/petroleum blends, and more are poised to do so, according to Erickson.