Biofuels Center of NC awards $1.5M in grants to 12 projects

The Biofuels Center of North Carolina on Monday awarded nearly $1.5 million in grants for 12 projects across the state with the goal of growing the state's biofuels sector. Grants are going to a mix of academic, government and nonprofit groups.



"The projects directly address immediate needs of the statewide biofuels sector – biomass economics, efficient fuel development, soil science, wildlife sustainability, and waste-to-fuels conversion – and also reflect its decentralized nature, contributing to western, central, and eastern communities alike,” Biofuels Center Chief Executive Officer Steven Burke said in a statement. "In range and impact, the projects also verify why North Carolina has become quickly a credible national site for biofuels.”


The projects and grant totals:

• North Carolina's Role in the Global Biomass Energy Market, $75,000, UNC-Chapel Hill
• The Economic Impact of Biomass Alternatives on North Carolina's Economy, $50,000, UNC-Chapel Hill
• Arundo donax Response to Nitrogen in Central Piedmont Soils, $568,601, N.C. State University
• Evaluating Biomass Harvesting Practices with Respect to Wildlife Sustainability, $100,000, N.C. State University
• Suitability of NC Piedmont Soils for Bioenergy Crop Production (Year 2), $47,346, N.C. State University
• Modeling Impacts of Biomass Production on Landscapes and Wildlife, $98,038, N.C. State University
• Biodiesel Feedstock Harvesting and Production Improvements, $100,000, Catawba County
• Increasing Biofuels Production and use at Haywood Community College and Haywood County Materials Recovery Center, $15,770, Haywood Community College
• Delivering an Enzyme-based Solution for the North Carolina Biodiesel Industry, $99,994, Chatham County Economic Development Corporation
• Integrating Ethanol Production with Muncipal Waste Management in Catawba County, $95,200, UNC-Charlotte
• City of Raleigh: Assessment of Energy Crop Production at Wastewater Treatment Facilities, $100,000, City of Raleigh
• Accelerating the Western North Carolina Biofuels Industry, $130,000, AdvantageWest Economic Development Group