Chevron Corp., San Ramon, CA, and Weyerhaeuser Co., Federal Way, WA, signed a letter of intent to jointly assess the feasibility of commercializing biofuel production from cellulose-based sources.

The focus will be on researching and developing technology that can transform wood fiber and other non-food sources of cellulose into economical, clean-burning biofuels for cars and trucks. Feedstock options include a wide range of materials from Weyerhaeuser’s existing forest and mill system and cellulosic crops planted on Weyerhaeuser’s managed forest plantations.

The venture combines Chevron’s technology capabilities in molecular conversion, product engineering, advanced fuel manufacturing and fuels distribution with Weyerhaeuser’s expertise in collecting and transforming cellulose into engineered materials, land stewardship, crop management, biomass conversion and its capacity to deliver sustainable cellulose-based fiber at scale.

Both Chevron and Weyerhaeuser already have separate research partnerships for the development of cellulosic biofuels. Chevron has alliances with the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of California at Davis, the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels, and the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Weyerhaeuser is collaborating with several research universities, national laboratories and technology-based companies in the US and Canada.

The companies point out that ethanol produced from biomass such as forest and agricultural waste does not conflict with food supply sources such as corn and is considered greenhouse gas neutral when derived from sustainable management practices. www.chevron.com, www.weyerhaeuser.com. PI

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