Hawaii Microalgae Biofuel Project ($4,400,000)
This project would support the demonstration of JP-8 production from biofuel feedstock on a large scale.
General Atomics, a high technology systems development company, will
partner with a biotech company (Kuenhle AgroSystems, LLC), research and development company (Hawaii BioEnergy), the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center (HARC), and an energy crops company (Ceres, Inc.) to demonstrate that JP-8 feedstock can be produced on a large scale using a highly efficient hybrid of biomass and solar algae ponds while cleaning up wastewater and power plant emissions from military bases and municipalities. A small pilot demonstration biorefinery will be developed and the technology validated during a two phase development project.
The U.S. Air Force is the single largest user of JP-8 fuel in the world. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has demonstrated that JP-8 can be made from biofuel feedstocks, but currently there are insufficient alternative energy feedstocks to support large-scale production of fuels for military or civilian use.
Recipient: General Atomics
3550 General Atomics Court
San Diego, CA 92186
Why this is a good use of taxpayer dollars: The project partners aim to develop a clean, domestically produced source of fuel that could minimize our need for petroleum-based fuels in the next decade. This would have tremendous strategic value and help the Air Force meet the Defense Department's alternative energy commitments. Implementation of the technology would improve our national security by minimizing oil imports and increasing our energy independence. Development of this biofuel has the added benefit of recycling carbon dioxide and clearning up wastewater treatment plant effluent streams.
