Virginia, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com] Logos Technologies Inc. has been awarded a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to produce fully compatible jet fuel from cellulose. Logos’ current effort is valued at US $19.6 million. If all phases of the development program are completed, funding could grow to $35 million.
The project team assembled under the DARPA program includes 21 organizations from nine states. Universities, large and small businesses are all part of the team and will be managed at Logos’ process integration laboratory in northern Virginia.
“While fully compatible jet fuel produced from cellulose offers many advantages over other sources, its production demands more complicated processing than do current biofuel-production approaches. An important focus of the DARPA effort is to produce fuel at a cost that is attractive relative to other renewable alternatives, a goal that can be achieved better with our process, which can also produce diesel fuel and automotive gasoline,” said Dr. Greg Poe, Logos Technologies’ CEO.
If the production of the fuel proves to be successful, Logos’ scientists estimate that the cellulose waste streams from agriculture, industries, and cities could supply a significant amount of U.S. transportation fuel needs with a fossil-fuel substitute that offers superior performance and engine compatibility when compared to current biofuels.
