BETO Requests Information On Operational Challenges Of Biorefineries

On March 10, 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) announced a Request for Information (RFI) on integrated biorefinery optimization. The RFI covers information on the technical and financial challenges that biorefineries run into in order to run continuously and reliably. BETO is primarily interested in stakeholder input on systems that use between one and 1,000 dry tonnes per day of feedstock in order to:

• Understand scale-up and mitigate operational risks and challenges;
   
• Develop robust handling of variable solid materials;
   
• Improve pre-processing methodologies;
   
• Advance process intensification focused on simplification; reduce cost through innovative fabrication and construction methods; and/or develop efficient water management techniques;
   
• Address unique process issues and pathways; and
   
• Develop strategies to lower capital expense costs by reducing technical risks and ensuring minimum modifications.

The full RFI is available on the EERE Exchange website and responses are due by 5:00 p.m. (EDT) on April 6, 2016.