On April 11-12, 2006, the Biomass Initiative's Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee held a Central Region (see Exhibit 1) workshop, at Argonne National Laboratory, to update the Roadmap for Biomass Technologies in the U.S. The Roadmap details the research and development (R&D) pathways necessary to advance the role of biopower, biofuels, and biobased products in the U.S. economy, as set forth in the goals established in the Vision for Bioenergy and Bioproducts in the U.S. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required that both documents, which were developed in 2002, be updated. The Committee recently updated its Vision update, and with this first regional workshop, began the process of updating the Roadmap.

The workshop was comprised of 27 invited experts from universities, industry, national laboratories, and government with expertise in biomass feedstocks, processing and conversion, distribution networks and markets, and policy. The workshop focused on national issues and those unique to the central United States. The workshop was chaired by Committee member, Dr. Thomas Binder of Archer Daniels Midland.

Using the structure of the original 2002 Roadmap, participants mapped current R&D and non-R&D needs into four categories: Feedstock Production, Processing and Conversion, Product Uses and Distribution, and Public Policy Measures to Promote Biomass Development.

The following provides highlights of the workshop discussion.

Feedstocks Production

Decentralization

• Identify methods to widely distribute small-scale harvesting, pre-treatment, and handling operations.
• Identify biocatalysts for small-scale processing and conversion.

• Identify sustainable crop and soil practices, including full residue use.
• Identify diverse energy crops' effects on soil quality.
• Encourage crop diversity.

• Identify a goal for percentage of increased crop yield (e.g. up to 25 percent photosynthesis efficiency increase)
• Increase positive crop traits:
  • Cellulosic and lignin density
  • Btu value
• Integrate plant breeding research for bioenergy.
• Implement multi-season (at least 10-year), multi-location field trials to obtain accurate crop yield data.

• Reduce harvesting costs with increased crop densification and one-pass systems.
• Identify high-value products with Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) studies.

• Identify adaptable, commercially-viable crop varieties.
• Identify end-use market, financing for wide range of crops.

Analysis of Processes Found in Nature

• Analyze effective biological processes, such as in ruminants, which process cellulosic biomass.
• Improve processes to replicate effective biological processes synthetically.
• Combine Federal research efforts to maximize knowledge exchange and effective, targeted funding.

• Identify thermochemical processes to minimize tar and char in clean-up.
• Identify cost-effective conversion of black liquor to syngas.
• Identify more cost-effective and robust biocatalysts.

• Demonstrate conversion of biomass carbon and oil byproducts to platform chemicals for replacement of petrochemicals.
• Identify commercially viable replacement of petrochemicals.

• Identify syngas fermentation process improvement pathways.
• Identify catalyst separation process improvement pathways.
• Identify enzymatic mobilization process improvement pathways.

On-Farm Processes

• Identify methods for growers' pre-processing, biomass heating or electric generation, or early-stage biochemical conversion.
• Identify barriers to, and solutions for, chemical process safety and economies of scale.

• Improve methods to use fatty acids and gaseous fuels from biomass processes.
• Identify industry, supply, and policy partnerships to maximize new product markets. Identify opportunities in procurement requirements.

• Develop a multi-modal transport study involving rail, pipelines, waterways, and highways.
• Initiate studies of quick, cheap densification methods, and biomass pipeline feasibility.

• Initiate work with organizations such as ASTM or AOCS to establish performance specifications for biofuels and biobased products based on biomass industry input.
• Identify performance specifications for entire supply and production chain.
• Identify performance specifications to ensure biobased fuels and products meet standards necessary for public acceptance and future international trade.

Education and Training

• Develop training programs for workers at all levels in biomass industry; specifically transportation, processing, and distribution.

• Develop activities to promote biomass benefits to the general public, consumers, industry, academics, and policy makers.
• Develop an association for the biomass industry that represents all interests, activities, and organizations.

• Identify Federal agency areas for strategic biomass funding in a white paper or study funded by those Federal agencies.
• Collaborate among agencies on the level of the Manhattan Project to support all R&D efforts.

• Identify barriers and targeted incentives through supply chain analysis.
• Develop petroleum displacement credits.

• Identify public benefit metrics of biomass crops, processing, and end-products through Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA).
• Develop coalitions with environmental groups to create larger biomass support base and influence.

Two additional Roadmaps workshops are planned. A workshop for the Western Region is planned for August 2006 and the Eastern Region in the fall of 2006. An updated Roadmap will be available in early 2007.