February 15, 2007

C-FAR Research Lays Groundwork for $100 Million Bioenergy Initiative in Illinois

URBANA--The energy company BP recently announced that the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), University of California at Berkeley, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have been selected to partner in a new $500 million research program. The Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) will focus on exploring how bioscience can be used to increase energy production and reduce the impact of energy consumption on the environment. Illinois will receive about $100 million over the next 10 years to conduct its portion of the research.

UIUC was selected to participate in this large-scale, ground-breaking research due in large part to the university's biomass energy crops research program, established with support from the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR). In 2003, the C-FAR membership, comprised of Illinois food and agricultural industry stakeholders, initiated a strategic research initiative focused on the development of biomass energy crops. This five-year, $1.2 million visionary investment allowed Illinois to be in the position to partner in the BP research program.

"The support we have received from C-FAR over the past four years was a critical factor in Illinois being selected for this new, large-scale research program. I am certain we would not have been considered if it had not been for the C-FAR initiative on biomass energy crops," said Stephen Long, a UIUC professor of crop sciences and plant biology and lead EBI investigator for Illinois.

C-FAR Research Chair Nels Kasey said, "We consistently have experienced C-FAR initiatives being successful in leveraging additional dollars. This investment from BP is obviously a monumental and defining moment in this regard."

The EBI will focus on five research areas, with UIUC taking the lead on the generation of feedstock - plant material - for the production of biofuels. "Our work will complement existing technologies, which derive ethanol from cornstarch and diesel from soybeans," said Long. "Initially, we'll examine corn stover and perennial grasses such as Miscanthus as feedstocks. We will work to improve feedstock yields and quality; engineer equipment for planting, harvesting, and processing; and examine the economic, social, and environmental impacts and benefits of biofuels production. Although the other areas will be led by Berkeley, UIUC researchers are also involved in these efforts."

"We are extremely pleased with this recent development," says Alan Puzey, C-FAR chairman. "It is an indicator of the foresight of our membership when selecting the biomass energy crops initiative for funding. With gratitude, we also thank the State of Illinois for having the confidence in our guidance for not only this highly successful initiative, but also the many other high-impact research endeavors our membership has identified as high priority investments for Illinois."

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