Environmental Fuel Research, LLC — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: 16a
Environmental Fuel Research, LLC — SBIR Phase I award from Department of Energy.
Phase I SBIR feasibility signal
- Phase I awards fund proof-of-concept work. For capture teams, they mark early interest from Department of Energy in a technical approach.
- Watch for Phase II follow-ons from the same firm/topic family — that conversion path is where budgets and transition pressure rise.
- Obligated amount $150,000. Cross-check similar awards in the same agency and technology tags for going-rate context.
- Topic code 16a links this award to a solicitation family — search the same topic stem for incumbents and recompete timing.
- Amount
- $150,000
- Agency
- Department of Energy
- Program / Phase
- SBIR · Phase I
- Topic
- 16a
- Solicitation
- DE-FOA-0001770
- NAICS
- —
- Place of performance
- PA
- Period
- 2018-04-09 → 2019-01-08
Description
While renewable diesel and biodiesel production is projected to increase over the next several years, feedstock supplies are limited by mature markets for yellow grease and refined vegetable oils- Brown grease refers to organic fats, oils, and greases extracted from wastewater residuals- Brown grease has the potential to alleviate the shortage of biofuel feedstock, but it is dirty, inconsistent in composition and higher in contaminants that make meeting specifications for on-road diesel fuel difficult- Brown Grease is primarily free- fatty-acids, which are suitable for biofuel production and have been thoroughly studied for over a century- Brown grease has often been considered for biofuel production but problems with purification and highly-variable composition have yet to be overcome- The novel approach in this project involves upgrading brown grease into pure free fatty acids, which then can be readily used by biodiesel or renewable diesel companies for fuel production-