Dow is delivering sustainable solutions to the global energy crisis by creating new ways to turn organic waste into fuel and chemical feedstocks. In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Dow is developing technology to convert waste biomass to ethanol, propanol and other alcohols, which will reduce CO2 emissions compared to the traditional fossil fuel routes.
A recent study by the US Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy concluded that there is enough biomass in the U.S. to equal the energy output of nearly 2 billion barrels of oil, the amount of oil the U.S. currently imports annually. Dow is developing "biomass to energy and feedstocks" processes that use resources, such as corn leaves and stalks, wheat straw and wood chips. Dow catalysts would help convert these ingredients into a mixture of carbon and hydrogen, which then uses a unique catalyst to create ethanol and other transportation fuels.
Dow and NREL are working together to evaluate the development, demonstration and commercialization of converting biomass to ethanol and other important chemical building blocks.
This kind of innovative thinking and collaboration is just one example of how the Dow is contributing to sustainability; for more, please visit http://www.dow.com/commitments/studies/index.htm.
