Research

The U.S. government aims to produce 3 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) annually by 2030, but the high cost of making SAF from renewable feedstock compared to petroleum-derived jet fuel is a major barrier to achieving this. The SWF³ program seeks to advance technologies that co-produce fish feed ingredients and SAF from low-quality woody biomass (LWB) within a biorefinery setting, which could substantially reduce the costs of producing both SAF and fish feed ingredients for more cost-effective commercial production.

REsearch Includes

Preprocessing of LWB

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of LWB to SAF

AI modeling of HTL

Microbial production of fish feed ingredients

Techno-economic and AI based life cycle analysis

Fish nutrition

Harnessing The Potential of LWB Can

Accelerate the United States bioeconomy.
Allow forest owners to unlock additional revenue streams.
Incentivizes active and sustainable forest management, improving forest health and enhancing long-term forest productivity.
Increase the profitability of aquaculture farming.
Maximizes the value of the forestland and avoids forest land use changes.
Minimize the ecological impact of aquaculture by reducing reliance on wild-caught fish as feed.
Offer a promising opportunity to mitigate the carbon footprint of the US aviation industry.
Strengthen food security through enhancing aquaculture production.

The decades of fire suppression, long-term drought, and reduced demand for pulp and paper production have been creating millions of tons of low-quality woody biomass (LWB), which typically includes small-diameter trees, branches, and other low-value wood products. Our sustainable wood to fuel and fish feed (SWF³) program develops new technologies capable of upgrading these millions of tons LWB to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and fish feed ingredients. By harnessing the potential of LWB, forest owners unlock additional income streams that would otherwise be lost. This additional revenue 1) maximizes the value of the forestland and avoids forest land use changes, and 2) incentivizes active and sustainable forest management, improving forest health through practices like selective thinning. This proactive approach enhances long-term forest productivity. The cost-effective production of fish feed from LWB not only increases the profitability of aquaculture farmers but also minimizes the ecological impact of aquaculture by reducing reliance on wild-caught fish as feed. Moreover, the SAF derived from LWB offers a promising opportunity to mitigate the carbon footprint of the US aviation industry, making it a crucial step toward sustainable air travel. The current annual US commercial jet fuel market is 21 billion gallons, and it is projected to reach 35 billion gallons by 2050. The US government aims to meet the aviation sector’s 100% jet fuel demand with SAF derived from renewable feedstock (e.g., forest and agricultural residues) by 2050, while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of this sector by at least 50% compared to its current emission levels. The near-term target of the US government is to produce 3 billion gallons of SAF annually by 2030.In 2022, US SAF production was only 2 million gallons, falling short of targets. This is because the cost of making SAF from renewable feedstock is very high compared to petroleum derived jet fuel. Our overarching objective is to advance technologies that co-produce fish feed ingredients and SAF from LWB within a biorefinery setting. This pursuit holds the promise of substantial reductions in the production costs of both SAF and fish feed ingredients, paving the way for their cost-effective commercial production. To realize this overarching objective, we are engaging in research, education, and extension activities in a wide range of fields including chemical engineering, artificial intelligence (AI), fish nutrition, forest resources, economics, microbiology, and sustainability. The outcome of these activities will 1) advance fundamental and translational sciences related to SAF production via feedstock agnostic catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction technology and the production of fish feed from LWB-derived sugars, 2) address the workforce needs of the bioeconomy, and 3) provide science-based knowledge to stakeholders in the bioeconomy, empowering them to make informed decisions regarding the development, use, and promotion of SAF and fish feed.