Project Grant 20233361040261

TERRAGIA BIOFUEL INC.PROPOSES A PHASE II SBIR PROJECT AIMED AT AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH FOR LOW-COST PROCESSING OF LIGNOCELLULOSETO FUELS AND CHEMICALS BASED ON ENGINEERED THERMOPHILIC BACTERIA COMBINED WITH MILLING DURING FERMENTATION (COTREATMENT). THISAPPROACH, TERMED C-CBP, AVOIDS THE TWO PROCESS STEPS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HIGH COST OF CURRENT TECHNOLOGY: THERMOCHEMICALPRETREATMENT AND ADDED ENZYMES. WE TARGET THE OPPORTUNITY FOR C-CBP WITH THE SHORTEST PATH TO COMMERCIALIZATION: CORN STOVERTO ETHANOL. PHASE I EFFORTS NEARLY DOUBLED ETHANOL TITERS FROM CORN STOVER, SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATED SIMULTANEOUS CONVERSION OFC6 AND C5 SUGARS, AND SHOWED THAT COMPONENTS OF THE C-CBP APPROACH CAN BE FUNCTIONALLY INTEGRATED.PEER-REVIEWED TECHNOECONOMIC ANALYSIS CARRIED OUT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY (NREL)HAS SHOWN THAT AN ADVANCED CELLULOSIC ETHANOL PLANT EMPLOYING C-CBP HAS AN 8-FOLD SHORTER PAYBACK PERIOD AND ECONOMICFEASIBILITY AT 10-FOLD SMALLER SCALE THAN CONVENTIONAL SCENARIOS. GIVEN THE COST SAVINGS AND SCALE-INSENSITIVITY OF C-CBP, WEHYPOTHESIZE THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO BUILD A DEMONSTRATION FACILITY FOR WHICH REVENUES EXCEED OPERATING EXPENSES, CO-LOCATED AT ANEXISTING CORN ETHANOL PLANT. TOWARD THIS END, OBJECTIVES OF THE PHASE II PROPOSAL ARE:1. IMPROVE THE TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE OF ETHANOL PRODUCTION FROM CORN STOVER VIA C-CBP THROUGH A COMBINATION OF BIOPROCESSAND STRAIN IMPROVEMENT;2. DEVELOP A LOW-COST GROWTH MEDIUM FOR C-CBP MAKING USE OF STREAMS AVAILABLE WITHIN A CORN ETHANOL MILL;3. DEVELOP A DETAILED DESIGN FOR A DEMONSTRATION PLANT CO-LOCATED AT A POET CORN ETHANOL MILL THAT WILL COST LESS THAN $5 MILLIONTO BUILD AND HAVE REVENUES THAT EXCEED OPERATING EXPENSES.4. DEMONSTRATE KEY FEATURES OF C-CBP AT 60 GALLON SCALE AT POET'S RESEARCH CENTER IN SCOTLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA.5. PERFORM A TECHNOECONOMIC AND MARKET ANALYSIS OF CATALYTIC CONVERSION OF ETHANOL TO HYDROCARBON BLENDSTOCKS, CO-LOCATED AT ACORN ETHANOL PLANT.POET LLCWILL PROVIDE MATERIALS NEEDED FOR WORK ON OBJECTIVES 1 AND 2, AND WILL PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES PURSUANT TO THEREMAINING OBJECTIVES. VERTIMASS LLC WILL WORK WITH ENCHI AND POET ON OBJECTIVE 5. AN EXPERIENCED INDUSTRY CONSULTANT AND IPFIRM WILL PROVIDE TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.THE ANTICIPATED RESULTS OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SMALL BUSINESS AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF A HIGHLY INNOVATIVETECHNOLOGY. THIS PHASE II PROJECT REPRESENTS A CRITICAL STEP TOWARD ENABLING LOW-COST CONVERSION OF CORN-STOVER TO ETHANOL ANDWOULD LEAD TO INCREASED REVENUE AND JOB CREATION FOR BOTH CORN FARMERS AND FUEL PRODUCERS. COMMERCIALIZATION OF C-CBP WILL BEAN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD REALIZING THE LONG-ANTICIPATED BENEFITS OF EXPANDED USE OF CELLULOSIC FEEDSTOCKS WITH RESPECT TO RURALECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CLIMATE STABILIZATION.