Dec 21 2010
Logos Technologies announced that it has received the contract for the BioJET program’s second phase from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The contract is to manufacture jet fuel from cellulose, which is the structural component of algae and plants.
The scientists, at Logos Technologies, estimate that the cellulose waste obtained from industries, cities and agriculture will offer enough supply for the US transportation fuel requirements.
The jet fuel produced from biomass will be a substitute to fossil-fuel, offering high performance as well as engine compatibility than the existing biofuels. The second phase of the BioJET program needs delivery of jet fuel in larger quantities. The cost to produce JP-8 is estimated to be below $3.00 per gallon, at commercial scale.
The CEO of Logos Technologies, Dr. Greg Poe, stated that the fully compatible jet fuel manufactured from cellulose provides several benefits when compared to other sources. However, the production of this jet fuel requires complicated processing than the production processes for the existing biofuel. The company and the BioJET team have proved that it is possible to produce jet fuel from cellulose efficiently and economically.