December 23, 2010
BY Erin Krueger
Arlington, Va.-based Logos Technologies Inc. has been awarded the second phase of BioJET from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to produce cellulosic jet fuel. According to Logos, the second phase of the BioJET Program requires the delivery of larger quantities of JP-8, or military-grade jet fuel, with a projected cost of less than $3 per gallon at a commercial-scale level of production.
Logos’ effort in Phase 1 was worth $19.6 million, while the Phase 2 base award totals $17.5 million without options. The project team consists of 10 organizations from five states, and includes universities as well as large and small businesses. According to Logos, the team with be managed by the Logos Technologies Energy Systems Division at its process-integration laboratory in northern Virginia.
The U.S. Department of Defense requires a steady supply of JP-8 to meet the energy needs of the Armed Forces, and the agency states it has been instructed by Congress to explore a wide range of energy alternatives to help reduce the military’s reliance on foreign oil. DAPRA began its pursuit of alternative biofuels in 2006, with the original objective of providing a proof-of-concept for producing biobased JP-8 from agricultural feedstock. The agency’s current program, titled, “Biofuels: Cellulosic and Algal Feedstocks Program,” aims to build on the original program to demonstrate economic and scalable process for producing JP-8. According to DARPA, Phase 1 of the program aimed to demonstrate 30 percent conversion energy efficiency (by energy content) of feedstock into JP-8. In Phase 2, the contractor, Logos, is required to demonstrate a 50 percent conversion efficiency.
Although Logos could not be reached for further comment on the project, the company’s CEO Greg Poe said in a written statement that Logos is looking forward to completing Phase 2 of the project. “While fully compatible jet fuel produced from cellulose offers many advantages over other sources, its production demands more complicated processing than do current biofuel production approaches,” he said. “We and our BioJET team have shown that jet fuel can be produced economically and efficiently from cellulosic biomass feedstock. We look forward to continuing this important program with DARPA.”
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“I am delighted at Logos Technologies has been selected to continue a program that will ultimately help solve one of the most pressing problems the U.S. military and our country faces—the need to greatly increase domestic production of alternative energy,” said Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va. “Small businesses are our nation’s engine for innovation and job creation. I am thrilled that this tradition continues with one of Arlington County’s own.”
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