A US$1 million pa research agreement to develop and evaluate promising alternatives for the production of ethanol, aviation and other fuels using waste and natural resources has been reached between Auburn University‘‘s Alabama Center for Paper and Bioresource Engineering (AC-PABE) and the Masada Resource Group LLC.

One of the most promising sources of alternative energy is biomass - a term that covers a wide variety of renewable plant and waste materials. Cullinan‘‘s team believes that biorefineries, fueled by biomass, can provide a strong, sustainable alternative for the production of chemicals and fuels. Integrated biorefineries combine innovative biomass/waste conversion processes with the conventional production capabilities of facilities such as pulp and paper mills to produce a wider range of fuel, chemical and renewable energy products.

Masada and its affiliates developed the proprietary CES OxyNolT Process to safely process and dispose of garbage and sewage sludge, while generating ethanol, a renewable, clean burning fuel. The biomass conversion process offers a viable method of greatly reducing or eliminating the amount of waste sent to landfills or incinerators. More than 90 percent of waste via Masada processing methods can be recycled or converted to beneficial use.

The proposed work will include the identification and validation of the optimal pretreatment of municipal waste to prepare it for ethanol production through enzymatic and microbial conversion. Researchers will also explore, a novel and environmentally-friendly means of separating cellulose and lignin from biomass; identify a cost-effective processing scheme for biomass and municipal waste, enabling the production of synthesis gas that can be used to produce aviation fuel as well as value-added chemicals; and develop a mathematical-based framework that accommodates the inclusion of profitability and other techno-economic measures in the process planning for a large biorefinery