TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – A new alliance is coordinating a partnership of landowners, private industry, government and academic institutions that will accelerate research to advance the commercialization of energy and chemicals from biomass. The Southern Alliance for the Utilization of Biomass Resources will be headquartered at The University of Alabama’s Alabama Institute for Manufacturing Excellence.
Biomass can be defined as trees, forest thinnings, logging residue, agricultural crops, and animal wastes, and it can be converted into energy and chemicals. A recent report published by the U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Biomass Program, states a goal that biomass will supply five percent of the nation’s power, 20 percent of transportation fuels, and 25 percent of chemicals by 2030.
“Southern rural economies have suffered from the closure and slowed production rates of pulp mills and the decrease in value of farm crops. In the Southeast, we have renewable and expandable sources of energy and chemical feedstocks in the 214 million acres of forestland and the 128 million acres of farmland,” said Dr. Liam Leightley, professor and head of forest products department at Mississippi State University, and chair of the Southern Alliance for the Utilization of Biomass Resources board of directors. “The formation of the alliance will help develop cost-effective solutions for biomass conversion in the Southeast.”
“This new alliance, with the support of AIME, will dramatically impact many rural landowners and businesses in the Southeast,” commented Dr. Robert Wells, executive director of UA’s Alabama Institute for Manufacturing Excellence, known as AIME.
The alliance was formed to capitalize on the forest and farm resources of the Southeast. Its goals include providing an economic stimulus to the rural economy, reducing the dependence on fossil fuels, and developing the technology for extracting chemicals from forest and farm crops.
The alliance will bring together academic institutions, private industries, landowners, government organizations, and others in the 13 Southeastern states, from Texas to Virginia. It will provide more efficient, cost-effective programs that will shorten the time from research to the commercial market for bio-based energy and chemical products.
“By working with nationally-recognized researchers at Southeastern universities, the alliance will be able to quickly and efficiently capitalize on biomass conversion projects,” explained Leightley.
The alliance will also work closely with state and federal government on policy development related to the biomass industry, develop educational seminars outlining the benefits of bio-based energy and chemicals, and assist in implementing new technology and research products.
The executive officers of the Southern Alliance for the Utilization of Biomass Resources board of directors include
- Chair: Dr. Liam Leightley, Mississippi State University
- Vice Chair/Chair Elect: Gene Quick, Forest Energy Associates
- Secretary: Freddy Thompson, Jasper Lumber Co.
- Treasurer: Dr. Scott Spear, The University of Alabama
For more information about the alliance, visit the web site at http://saubr.ua.edu or contact the alliance at saubr@bama.ua.edu.
The Alabama Institute for Manufacturing Excellence was established in response to growing manufacturing-related technology and human resource needs nationwide. AIME focuses the University’s resources and the talents of its faculty, staff and students on advancing efficient, competitive, and sustainable manufacturing technologies. AIME operates as a full partnership between the University, state industry and government, and federal research agencies.
Contact
Mary Wymer, Engineering Media Relations, 205/348-6444, mwymer@coe.eng.ua.edu
Source
Dr. Robert Wells, executive director of UA's AIME, 205/348-8878, bob.wells@ua.edu
Dr. Liam Leightley, professor and head of forest products department at Mississippi State University, 662/325-4444, lleightley@cfr.msstate.edu