Bioenergy Research
Workshops
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Upcoming Workshop
Scaling biomass-to-bioenergy technologies at Idaho National Laboratory’s proposed Energy Technology Proving Ground
Join experts from the Idaho National Laboratory’s Biomass Feedstock National User Facility during the upcoming webinar, Scaling biomass-to-bioenergy technologies at Idaho National Laboratory’s proposed Energy Technology Proving Ground.
- Workshop Dates: June 10, 2025 at 10 P.M. MT
- Workshop Location: Online
- Register here
In this webinar, we invite interested industries and future partners to join us as we explore the potential for scaling capabilities at the Biomass Feedstock National User Facility and fostering further investment in industry and national laboratory partnerships. Attendees can weigh in on developing the capabilities and the research and development required to derisk unit operations or pathways.
A new facility at INL’s proposed Energy Technology Proving Ground aims to integrate biomass research with hydrogen production and thermal energy sources, creating fully integrated pathways for fuels and chemical production.
INL’s goal at the proposed facility will be serve as a test bed that can derisk mechanical systems for preprocessing and feeding biomass and waste carbon resources at up to 3 to 5 tons per hour, ultimately supporting 1,000- to 4,000-hour continuous conversion campaigns. These size and time scales will derisk technologies for integrated biorefineries by addressing process upsets, such as those caused by material handling, variability and wear.
This webinar will invite participants to explore the potential for scaling these capabilities and fostering industry partnerships.
Upcoming Workshop
Workshop title
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- Workshop Dates: Month 00, 2025
- Workshop Location: Idaho Falls, ID
- Register here
Previous Workshops
Advanced Feedstock Supply System Workshop
The Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) at the Department of Energy hosted the Advanced Feedstock Supply System Validation Workshop on February 3 and 4, 2015 in Golden, Colorado. Participants represented a range of stakeholders including industry (biorefining, agriculture, forestry) and academia. The participants discussed how to approach and address feedstock supply system challenges associated with an expanding bioenergy industry in the United States, supporting the achievement of the DOE/BETO goal of a billion tons of biomass by the year 2030.
Topics/themes that emerged repeatedly from the workshop participants:
- There are fundamental barriers to the expansion of the bioenergy industry in the United States.
- Conventional biomass supply systems have a limited ability to support expansion of the biofuel industry in the United States.
- Advanced Feedstock Supply Systems and depots could play a role in addressing many of the barriers that currently hinder industry growth.
- A transition strategy from conventional to Advanced Feedstock Supply Systems is needed.
Information gathered during the workshop is available to the public in the following summary report:
ThinkTank Collective Intelligence System
Workshop input and participant ranking of themes and topics were captured and managed in ThinkTank, a collaboration technology that champions autonomy and the power of collective contribution.
Densification Challenge
Secretary of Energy Steven Chu named “Densification of biomass” as one of the key research challenges facing biofuels (Chu 2011). The IEA report, Bioenergy Status and Prospects, cites “Development of advanced densification and other pre-treatment technologies” as crucial to future deployment of biorefineries and bioenergy trade (IEA 2009).
On August 23–24, 2011, experts from industry, government, and academia gathered for a biomass workshop held at Idaho National Laboratory to discuss potential solutions to address the densification challenge and accelerate bioenergy industry expansion. Sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE)–Biomass Program, the workshop gave participants the opportunity to explore the theme “Transforming Raw Biomass to Feedstock” through presentations, demonstrations, and a tour of the Feedstock Process Demonstration Unit (PDU).
Access Biomass Densification Workshop Overview and Summary Report:
High-Yield Scenario Workshop
The “High-Yield Scenario” workshop series was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (DOE/EERE) Biomass Program to identify and discuss the challenges associated with substantially increasing production of lignocellulosic biomass resources, such as agricultural crop residues (in particular, corn stover) and herbaceous and woody energy crops, to sustainably supply feedstock for biorefineries.
Workshop participants were selected from widely known and respected experts in diverse segments of industry, academia, and government. Individual workshops were held in St. Louis, Missouri, on December 3, 2009, and in Chicago, Illinois, on December 10 and 11, 2009.
The proceedings of the workshop discussions are summarized in the following documents:
