Bioenergy and Bioproduct Research and Outreach
at Washington State University
Bioenergy and Bioproducts Overview
National (Agricultural Research Center, WSU Extension Energy Program)
• Member of joint DOE/USDA Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee
• Member of National Biomass State and Regional Partnership Collaboration
Regional and State (WSU Extension Energy Program)
• Washington Project Leader for six state Pacific Regional Biomass Energy Partnership
• Maintain content rich regional bioenergy website http://www.pacificbiomass.org/
• Broad information about Washington’s bioenergy status and activities
• Strategic Planning/Roadmapping
• Broad bioenergy and renewable energy expertise
• Climate Friendly Farming Project website: http://cff.wsu.edu
Biofuels
Biodiesel (WSU Extension Energy Program, Climate Friendly Farming Project, USDA ARS)
• Oilseed cropping production potentials map for rain-fed agricultural region of Eastern Washington and Oregon
• Biofuel Variety Trials for irrigated production
• Biofuel Variety Trials for rain-fed production (esp. perennial crops)
• Community / Regional economic impact and benefit : cost analysis of emerging biofuel industry
• Technical, economic and policy analysis
• Outreach to farmers, communities, policy-makers, consumers on agricultural production of feedstock crops
• Assist both public and private sector groups interested in using/marketing biodiesel as a fuel
• Technical and programmatic assistance to the Puget Sound Clean Cities Coalition (market development)
Ethanol (WSU Extension Energy Program, Agri-environmental and Bioproducts Engineering Research Group - AEBE)
• Co-fermentation of C5, ligno-cellulosic sugars (wheat straw, paper pulp, etc.) for ethanol production
• Technical, economic and policy analysis
• Assist both public and private sector groups interested in using/marketing ethanol as a fuel.
Bioproducts (AEBE, Climate Friendly Farming Project)
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids from glycerin (waste product from biodiesel production)
• Chemicals from wheat straw (via waste products from ethanol production)
• Partnership development with Washington-based industry for commercialization of products
Biomass
Anaerobic Digestion (AD) (WSU Whatcom County Extension, AEBE, Climate Friendly Farming Project, WSU Extension Energy Program)
• Economic / technical evaluation and demonstration of a commercial-scale dairy anaerobic digester – state’s first commercial dairy anaerobic digester operating via partnership with Darryl Vander Haak
• Basic research on performance improvements of the anaerobic digestion process
• Applied research and technology development on novel approaches and processes for anaerobic digestion for various scales and end-use applications
• Technology R & D for global application and adoption of “village-scale” AD, and associated technologies
• Technology assessment on various anaerobic digestion processes
• Economic and policy analysis on AD
• Community / Regional economic impact and benefit : cost analysis of emerging on-farm (AD) bioenergy industry
• Information, workshops, technical assistance, and outreach
Bioenergy Inventory Assessment (AEBE, WSU Extension Energy Program)
• A bioenergy inventory assessment has been completed for Eastern Washington
• Phase 2 of the assessment (Western Washington) has begun
• Wheat Straw for Ethanol Production: A Resource, Technical and Economic Assessment
• Logging and Agricultural Residue Supply Curves
• Washington Bioenergy Facilities Directory
Sustainable Waste to Energy Education and Technology Center SWEET (WSU Material Resources Management / Compost Facility, Climate Friendly Farming Project, AEBE, Veterinary Medicine)
• Development of a state of the art waste to energy technology center for waste management, research, teaching and outreach on the WSU campus.
• Comparative technical and economic evaluations of waste to energy technologies
• R & D on waste management for developing waste issues (i.e. infectious diseases / prions – “Mad Cow Disease” – from animal rendering, etc.)
• R & D on new, value-added products from waste materials
Bioproducts (AEBE, Climate Friendly Farming Project)
• Applied research and technology development on “co-products” from the anaerobic digestion process: i.e. high-value uses and processing of the digested fiber, nutrient extraction from the liquid effluent (slow release fertilizer)
• Nisin and Lactic Acid from cheese whey
• Chitosin and Lactic Acid from cull potatoes
• Partnership with Washington-based industry for commercialization of products
• Carbon credits and green tags/tariffs
Contacts
Climate Friendly Farming Project: Chad Kruger, 509-663-8181 x235, cekruger@wsu.edu
WSU Energy Program – Bioenergy: Dave Sjoding, 360-956-2004, sjodingd@wsu.edu
Agri-Environmental and Bioproducts Engineering: Craig Frear, 509-335-1057, cfrear@wsu.edu
Whatcom County Extension: Craig MacConnell: 360-676-6736, cbmac@wsu.edu
USDA – ARS: Hal Collins, 509-786-9250, hcollins@pars.ars.usda.gov; Dave Huggins, 509-335-3379, dhuggins@wsu.edu
Sustainable Waste to Energy Education Technology Center: Rick Finch, 509-335-3288, finchr@wsu.edu