News: Southscapes Fall 2008

Outreach

Fuelish Endeavours

By Stephanie Schupska

Gas costs just as much in Virginia as it does in Georgia, and when the empty fuel gauge is in a quad cab Ford Super Duty truck hauling an SUV-sized trailer, every penny at the pump hurts.

Every penny spent at the pump is also a reminder that bioenergy research at the University of Georgia could help bring down fuel prices. More than 80 researchers and economists are working on basic and applied biofuels research, collaborating through UGA's Biofuels, Biopower and Biomaterials Initiative (B3I). From rotten fruit to cotton stalks, they're searching for the second generation of biofuels that will produce energy without eating up valuable food crops.

K.C. Das, right, talks algae with a visitor to the Grand Challenge tent outside the Whitten Building on June 19 in Washington, D.C. Das, an associate professor in CAES's department of biological and agricultural engineering, has had a hand in bioenergy research ranging from char to algae.

So, with a trailer full of chicken fat, algae, wood pellets and sugar cane, scientists from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences were prepared to spread the word about biofuel research at the second BioEnergy Awareness Days (BEAD 2).

From June 19-21 (dates chosen for their proximity to the summer solstice on June 21, the day of the year when the Earth receives the most solar energy), they faced cameras and fielded questions like: "Chicken fat? Really?" Visitors, reporters and dignitaries toured UGA's lab-like display, which was set up in a walk-through trailer.

From bicycle-powered light bulbs to algae bubbling in plastic bags, 30 universities shared their biofuels research under a circus-size tent in Washington, D.C., at the Whitten Federal Building of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Arboretum.

"We've come together to work together on a common cause" of bioenergy, said Gale Buchanan, the USDA under secretary for research, education and economics and former CAES dean and director.

Whether it's chicken fat, pellets or fuel-efficient tractors, much of the research UGA displayed in Washington, D.C., is already being put to commercial use. Other research projects, like algae as a biofuel, are still in the development stage.

K.C. Das, a CAES associate professor and director of UGA's Biorefining and Carbon Cycling Program, estimates algae will be commercially viable as a source for biofuel in about five years. Algae have the potential for producing 2,000 gallons of oil per acre annually. In comparison, soybeans produce 48 gallons an acre and corn produces 18 gallons an acre.

Besides educating the public, a second benefit of the event was sharing. University researchers seized the chance to pick each others' brains for new ideas.

"We made great contacts that will help us solve some research problems," said Susan Varlamoff, director of the CAES Office of Environmental Science. "In this time of limited resources, collaborating is necessary to bring us quickly to energy independence."

Another high point was UGA's recognition as one of 13 winners of the Grand Challenge, an honor that recognizes universities for their leadership in renewable energy research, teaching and outreach and for their collaborations with other private or public institutions. Sponsored by the USDA and the 25x'25 Alliance - a coalition of leaders from agricultural, forestry and renewable energy communities committed to providing 25 percent of the nation's energy from farms and forests by 2025 - the Grand Challenge also allowed exhibits to be displayed at both the Whitten Building and the arboretum.

"Winning the Grand Challenge was a great opportunity to showcase our bioenergy work to Washington policymakers," Varlamoff said. "But, equally important was seeing the work and talking with scientists at sister institutions to learn about their initiatives."

Already, in north Georgia, chicken fat is processed into biodiesel. Pellets made from both peanut hulls and Georgia timber scraps are being burned for fuel. The UGA remote-controlled "sipping" tractor runs on both ethanol and solar power and earns its name by sipping just enough fuel to keep going. And sugarcane is just one of many crops UGA researchers are putting through the grind in search of better biomass.

Erin Macheski-Preston, left, and Brad Buchanan, researchers on UGA's Tifton campus, take UGA's sipping tractor for a remote-controlled spin at the National Arboretum.

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