The Louisiana Institute for Biofuels and Bioprocessing advisory board includes, left to right, standing: Tommy Thibodeaux, Dick Myers, Robert Crosby, Klein Kirby, Ben Russo, Spencer Swayze and Jose Alvarez. Seated, left to right, are Jack Oswald, Andrew Held, Kelsey Short and Malcolm Jarrell. (Click on photo for larger image. Photo by Frankie Gould.)

News Release Distributed 01/27/11

The LSU AgCenter has received a five-year extension from the Louisiana Board of Regents to continue with the establishment of the Louisiana Institute for Biofuels and Bioprocessing.

“We appreciate the vote of confidence,” said John Russin, LSU AgCenter interim vice chancellor for research and institute director. “We’ve made significant progress since the initial board approval, but there’s much more to be done.”

The Regents approved the extension at a meeting on Jan. 26. They gave the initial go-ahead for the institute at their December 2009 meeting, but they provide no funding for the institute, Russin said.

The institute’s purpose is to pull together all the resources concerning research and development of the biofuels and bioprocessing industry in Louisiana and provide a structure for expansion of the industry.

“The LSU AgCenter made a major commitment about five years ago to funnel resources into bioenergy research because of the critical need,” Russin said. “Louisiana is uniquely positioned for production of biofuels because of our diverse agricultural and forestry production sectors.”

So far a 16-member advisory board of industry and agency representatives has been formed to help with obtaining grants and promotion of the institute. The board’s first meeting was Jan. 12, Russin said.

Members from Louisiana include Carrie Castille, assistant deputy commissioner, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Baton Rouge; Michael Comb, general manager, Louisiana Sugar Cane Cooperatives, St. Martinville; Arthur Cooper, executive director, Louisiana Emerging Technology Center, Baton Rouge; Robert Crosby III, president, Crosby Land and Resources, Mandeville; Malcolm Jarrell, senior vice president, Shaw Group, Baton Rouge; Klein Kirby, chairman, A. Wilbert’s Sons, Plaquemine; Dick Myers, public affairs manager, Boise, DeRidder; Ben Russo, director of marketing, CLECO Power, Pineville; Kelsey Short, agriculture director, Louisiana Economic Development, Baton Rouge; Jackie Theriot, secretary/treasurer, Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, St. Martinville; Tommy Thibodeaux, general manager, Cajun Sugar Cooperative, New Iberia; and Buck Vandersteen, executive director, Louisiana Forestry Association, Alexandria.

Out-of-state members are Jose Alvarez, senior vice president, Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative, Belle Glade, Fla.; Andrew Held, director of process engineering, Virent Energy Systems, Madison, Wisc.; Jack Oswald, CEO, SynGest, San Francisco, Calif.; and Spencer Swayze, senior manager, Ceres, Thousand Oaks, Calif.

One research focus at the AgCenter has been the development of new crop varieties high in biomass, which can be converted into biofuel. One of the AgCenter’s accomplishments so far is the development of three sugarcane varieties, known as “energy cane,” which are higher in fiber than regular sugarcane and yet produce raw sugar.

“These varieties serve a dual purpose – as a source of sugar and fiber, which can be converted to ethanol,” Russin said. “They offer the opportunity of new markets for our sugarcane farmers.”

Scientists at the Audubon Sugar Institute, a research unit within the AgCenter located in St. Gabriel, have been conducting research on more cost-effective processes for converting the sugarcane fiber, known as bagasse, into ethanol and have received several patents for their discoveries. They are testing these processes in their laboratories for potential adoption by sugar mills in the state.

Another crop under investigation as a source for ethanol is sweet sorghum – a high-fiber plant that’s a cousin of grain sorghum but looks more like sugarcane. Its advantage is it can grow on marginal soils and can be harvested with the same equipment as sugarcane.

In north Louisiana, LSU AgCenter researchers are conducting experiments with switchgrass, a highly fibrous grass that grows quickly and can be grown amidst pine trees, allowing landowners to get more value from their land.

Other research projects under way include determining the biofuel potential from low-value trees, wood waste and the Chinese tallow tree.

A new area of research is finding ways to grow algae and extract biofuel ingredients. The LSU AgCenter has already been funded for two projects on algae this year, Russin said.

“This institute offers tremendous potential for economic development in the state,” Russin said.

 Linda Foster Benedict