Rentech Inc. and ClearFuels Technology Inc. on Monday announced today that their project to construct a biomass gasifier at Rentech's Energy Technology Center (RETC) in Denver, Colorado has been awarded a conditional US $22.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The gasifier will be integrated with Rentech's Product Demonstration Unit (PDU) for the production of renewable synthetic fuels from biomass.

The conditional award follows the DOE’s selection of the project in December 2009 to receive funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to validate refining technologies and help lay the foundation for full commercial-scale development of an advanced bio-fuels industry in the United States.

The award is conditional upon final approval of the application and any supplemental information as well as completion of negotiations.

The grant will be used to manufacture and install a 20 ton-per-day ClearFuels biomass gasifier at RETC. The system is designed to produce synthesis gas from various wood waste and sugar cane bagasse feedstocks.

The gasifier will be integrated with Rentech’s existing PDU at the site, which uses the Rentech Process and UOP’s upgrading technologies to produce renewable drop-in synthetic jet and diesel fuels at demonstration scale.

This demonstration of an integrated bio-refinery is expected to be completed in late 2011 and could lead to the final design basis for commercial facilities that are expected to use the combined technologies.