Biofuels Press Event
General Systems Research is pleased to announce details of our advanced biofuel project in partnership
with VT Fuel Dealers Association, USDA, Nordic Farms, Fiddlehead Brewery, and Commercial Aviation
Alternative Fuels Initiative to assess the feasibility of Algae-based Advanced Biofuels production
facility utilizing farm & industrial wastes in Vermont. See draft
press release below.
We would like to invite you to the announcement. Please RSVP if you are able to attend. Thank
you
for your support.
BUILDING A BETTER BIOFUEL
Imagine if we could take waste from dairy farms and breweries and convert it into a fuel that can heat
our homes— or power cars and planes. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) wants to see if it can
be done here in Vermont. The Vermont Fuel Dealers Association (VFDA) has received a USDA Rural Business
Enterprise Grant (RBEG) to assess the feasibility of a sustainable distillate fuel production facility
that utilizes farm waste materials.
VFDA is working with General Systems Research (GSR), the Nordic Dairy Farm, Fiddlehead Brewery, and the
Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative on an advanced biofuel technology project that will
focus on sustainability. According to project director Dr. Anju Dahiya of GSR, the dairy and brewery
waste streams offer nutrient rich, organic carbon content that can grow oleaginous algae. “This algae
can produce fuel molecules that create a product that is fully interchangeable with home heating
oil, diesel and jet fuel,” said Dr. Dahiya. In addition, the process will potentially produce a valuable
byproduct— an organic fertilizer which could serve as a home grown alternative to imported synthetic
phosphorus fertilizers.
The research is the first step toward proving that advanced biofuel technology can provide an economic
benefit for local dairy farmers while producing a sustainable fuel that will reduce the carbon footprint
of heating, flying, and driving. “Many Vermonters want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by heating
their homes with renewable fuel. This research offers an opportunity to produce the fuel here in
Vermont while providing an economic boost for local farmers,” said Matt Cota, Executive Director
of VFDA.
“The Vermont Fuel Dealers advanced biofuels project provides a real opportunity for USDA to invest in
new technology that could reduce our reliance on fossil fuels,” stated Ted Brady, State Director
for USDA Rural Development in Vermont. “President Obama and Secretary Vilsack have made investing
in projects that support the expansion of the national bioeconomy, like this one, a top priority.”
Visit us on the farm and learn more about this project and the possibilities for fueling our future.
Visit us on the farm and learn more about this research and possibilities for fueling our future.
Press Availability
Where: Nordic Dairy Farm, 1211 Ethan Allen Hwy, Charlotte, VT
When: Tuesday, October 01, 2013 at 2:00pm
Who:
Dr. Anju Dahiya, General Systems Research
Clark Hinsdale, Nordic Dairy Farm
Matt Cota, Vermont Fuel Dealers Association
Richard
Altman, Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI)
Ted Brady, USDA, State Director
for Rural Development