America’s Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded the money to the university and a further 50% will be contributed to the Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative (FBRI) by the state of Maine through its economic improvement fund.
FBRI has already received US$6.9m from the DOE’s Experimental Programs to Stimulate Competitive Research initiative and the total cash investment will be used to develop methods of producing wood-based fuels and chemicals within the wood sector’s existing infrastructure.
“Forest biomass, including logging residue, pulp mill residue and spent liquors from pulp mills, hogfuel and sawdust, represents a significant renewable resource in Maine,” said Hemant Pendse, the university’s chemical and biological enigineering departmental chair.
“Efficient use of this resource using our existing forest products industry manufacturing assets will help us save Maine jobs and build new businesses.”
The University of Maine has added that it intends to carry out the research make the state a bioproduct leader in the US.
