The story of David and Goliath is one that should bring courage to advanced biofuels innovators. These are the determined and clever souls who labor to create new technologies that will compete with deeply entrenched petroleum giants. Bringing advanced biofuels to market at full commercial-scale production is a giant challenge, and it will require significant ingenuity and funding.
The good news for North Carolina is that grants are available for 2012 from the Biofuels Center of North Carolina to help advance the technologies that convert biomass into liquid fuels.
The Biofuels Center of North Carolina was established in 2007 by the General Assembly with the charge to increase the capacity for producing renewable transportation fuels within the state. The goal is “By 2017, 10 percent of liquid fuels sold in North Carolina will come from biofuels grown and produced within the state.”
One significant approach to reaching that goal has been the Biofuels Center’s grants program, and the organization is pleased to announce the current grants program Request for Proposals. In 2012, the Center will prioritize award funding for Advancing Biofuels Commercialization. This general theme focuses on a number of specified work areas:
- Woody Biomass/MSW Process
- Assessment of Foreign Mandates for Biomass
- Growing Energy Grasses on Capped Landfills
- Analysis of Effect on N.C. Wood-based Biofuels by Other Sectors
- Hybrid Poplar Selection for Bioenergy Feedstock Production
- The Arundo donax Response to Nitrogen
- Producing Biomass in a Sustainable Way
- Civic and Small-scale Biofuels and
- Project Proposals from North Carolina’s Seven Regional Economic Development Partnerships
All required forms can be found on the Biofuels Center website by clicking on Grants. Required Letters of Intent to Apply are due November 14, 2011 and detailed applications are due December 15, 2011.
Applicants with questions may contact Biofuels Center Director of Contracts and Grants Kris Allsbury at grants@biofuelscenter.org or at (919) 693-3000, ext. 259.