Wood to jet fuel alliance to hold first annual meeting
06 September 2012
The Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA) will hold its first annual meeting in Missoula, Mont., 13-14 September, at the Hilton Garden Inn Missoula Conference Center. Researchers, educators, economists and business leaders will gather to discuss progress made and future challenges to develop a residual woody biomass to jet fuel and valuable co-products industry in the Pacific Northwest.
The meeting will feature panel discussions and presentations focused on sustainable biojet feedstocks, rural economic development, supply chain coalitions and energy literacy.
US Sen. Jon Tester of Montana will deliver a video greeting, followed by opening remarks from City of Missoula Mayor John Engen and U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) National Programs Director Bill Goldner.
NARA is an alliance of researchers, educators and economists from universities, businesses, and non-governmental and governmental institutions dedicated to help create a sustainable residual woody biomass to biojet fuel and value added co-products industry in the Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana region.
Created in fall 2011, the alliance is led by Washington State University and primarily funded by a $40-million, five-year Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grant from the USDA-NIFA.
Missoula recently was established as the first NARA supply-chain coalition community. Additional supply-chain coalition communities will be established in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
As paper is progressively and rapidly replaced by digital electronic displays, million of tons of wood bio-mass will become available for other uses. Many of today's paper mills could be converted to produce expensive but essential fuels for aviation.
Posted by: HarveyD | 06 September 2012 at 11:59 AM
Or, this could be an excuse for the nations of the Andes to strip-mine the upper reaches of the Amazon rain forest to turn into jet fuel for the people who can still afford to fly.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 06 September 2012 at 06:05 PM