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Improved, High‑Moisture Ensiled
Crop Feedstocks for Cellulosic Ethanol--Edenspace Systems Corporation, 3810 Concorde
Parkway, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151;
703‑961‑8700, www.edenspace.com
Dr. Michael J. Blaylock, Principal
Investigator, blaylock@edenspace.com
Dr. Michael J. Blaylock, Business
Official, blaylock@endenspace.com
DOE Grant No. DE‑FG02‑07ER84770
Amount:
$750,000
As grain ethanol production capacity becomes constrained by the
available supply of corn grain, production of ethanol from lignocellulosic
biomass is widely seen as necessary to meet the surging demand for fuel
ethanol. However, the high cost of
biomass pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis make cellulosic ethanol too
expensive. This project will develop
technology to improve the quality of ensiled biomass, thus reducing both
downstream pretreatment and hydrolysis costs.
The approach builds on past research in which ensiled biomass was
inoculated with cellulases and other enzymes to
increase saccharification (sugar content) and
digestibility, thereby improving feed quality for livestock. Analogously, energy crops will be engineered
to express such enzymes in plant tissues, with the enzymes activated during ensilement. In Phase
I, two crops, switchgrass and corn stover, were bioengineered to produce a cellulase
in their leaves and stems. Ensilement increased the level of fermentable sugars in each
crop relative to unensiled control crops. In Phase II, three crops – corn, switchgrass, and sorghum – will be bioengineered to produce
cellulases in leaves and stems, then grown,
harvested, and ensiled. The ensiled
crops then will be tested for saccharification
levels, improvements in ethanol yield, and reductions in processing cost
relative to the control crops. Following
Phase II, the technology will be applied to a DOE-supported, pilot-scale
cellulosic-ethanol biorefinery in
Commercial Applications and other Benefits by
the awardee: By
ensiling crops that produce enzymes, the downstream processing costs of
cellulosic ethanol can be reduced.
Pricing models have indicated that even slight increases in the levels
of fermentable sugars can substantially reduce overall production costs. The new technology will create value-added
revenue opportunities for agricultural producers and ethanol cooperatives, and
reduce fuel costs for consumers.