College Station, Texas
July 28, 2006
by
Dave Mayes
The
Texas A&M University System has the scientific expertise in
engineering and agriculture to become a national leader in the
development of clean, renewable bioenergy – when cars run on
some refined form of grease, garbage or grain – or scores of
other plant and animal products.
Today, the System's two premier research agencies in agriculture
and engineering-the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and
the Texas Engineering Experiment Station-joined forces to hasten
the bioenergy revolution, forming the Texas A&M Agriculture and
Engineering BioEnergy Alliance.
"Bioenergy is emerging as an important part of the energy
solution, with economic, environmental and social impact," said
John D.White, chairman of the A&M System Board of Regents. The
Texas A&M University System is uniquely situated to work with
existing industries and infrastructure, combined with emerging
ideas and technologies, to create a reliable and complementary
range of products to help the people of Texas and beyond. With
the scientific expertise we have in both agencies, we are making
this a top research priority."
"What we have going for us in the Texas A&M System are the
agricultural scientists who are developing the drought-tolerant
crops for a sustainable supply of biomass," White continued,
"and we have the engineers who are working on the technologies
and the engine designs that can maximize the effectiveness of
bioenergy fuels. We also think our highly productive agriculture
industry can become a major source of renewable energy," he
said, pointing out that Texas already produces large volumes of
crop and animal residues that could be prime sources of these
fuels.
This Texas A&M Agriculture and Engineering BioEnergy Alliance
was formally recognized during a ceremonial signing of a
memorandum of agreement by White and A&M System Chancellor
Robert D. McTeer following the A&M System Board of Regents
meeting on Friday (July 28).
"With the renewed national interest in biofuels and energy
independence, and our collective strengths in agriculture and
engineering, the A&M System is positioned to be a leader in
addressing the global demand for renewable transport fuels,
which is good for the world economy", said Robert D. McTeer,
chancellor of the A&M System.
"This formal agreement is groundbreaking and exciting because it
provides the infrastructure to better align and prioritize our
research initiatives and leverage our unique and cutting-edge
research in the areas of biomass and biofuels," said Dr. G.
Kemble Bennett, vice chancellor and dean of engineering and
director of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station.
"Ultimately, this alliance will accelerate our abilities to
transfer new technologies from the lab to the marketplace, which
means providing the public real solutions that are economical,
sustainable and environmentally friendly."
"There are two key components required to unlock the
possibilities of biofuels: agriculture and engineering. The A&M
System will utilize capabilities that no other program can
match. The potential of combining these capabilities is
staggering, and we are ready to take a leadership role in the
research and development of biofuels," said Dr. Elsa Murano,
vice chancellor and dean of agriculture and life sciences and
director of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station.
For example, chemical engineering professor Mark Holtzapple has
developed the MixAlco process, which converts biodegradable
material into alcohol for fuel. "We can use anything
biodegradable," Holtzapple said.
"Trees, grass, manure, sewer sludge, garbage – if you put it
outside and it rots, we can use it."
The process can also use high-productivity feedstocks, such as
sugar cane and sorghum, a crop that can be grown extensively in
Texas. The Texas Agricultural Experiment Station is recognized
as the world leader in sorghum-based research, and germ plasm
developed by the Experiment Station is estimated to be found in
75 percent of the hybrids grown in the United States today.
"Our studies show that sorghum can produce the same amount of
biomass as corn, with one-third less water," said Dr. Bill
Rooney, a plant breeder for the Texas Agricultural Experiment
Station in College Station. "Now that's the type of competitive
advantage that producers are seeking."
The Texas A&M's Agriculture and Engineering BioEnergy Alliance
expects to contribute significantly to the national biofuels
initiative, which is part of the Bush administration's goal to
reduce American dependence on foreign oil by replacing 75
percent of oil imports by 2025.
The A&M System is one of the largest systems of higher
education in the nation. Through a statewide network of nine
universities, seven state agencies and a comprehensive health
science center, the A&M System educates more than 101,000
students and makes more than 15 million additional educational
contacts through service and outreach programs each year.
Externally funded research brings in $600 million every year and
helps drive the state's economy. |