Pall Gets Contract to Develop Processes for National Advanced Biofuels Consortium

Noria news wires, Pall Corporation
Tags: oil filters, contamination control

Pall Corporation, a global leader in filtration, separation and purification, on March 22 announced that it has been contracted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to develop critical filtration and separation processes for a U.S. Department of Energy advanced biofuels project. The contract establishes Pall as a member of the National Advanced Biofuels Consortium (NABC), a federal initiative under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to drive the creation of a domestic biofuels industry, reduce U.S. reliance on fossil fuels and generate jobs.

Pall will develop and demonstrate the science and separation technologies necessary to enable fungible biomass-based fuels to be integrated into the existing hydrocarbon fuels infrastructure. The company will be an engineering partner on each of six processes for biofuel production being evaluated under the program. These processes include fermentation, catalytic conversion, catalytic fast pyrolysis, hydropyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction, and a low-cost, one-step syngas-to-distillates process.

“Pall is honored to have been selected to participate in this important research collaboration,” said Greg Heilbrunn, senior vice president, global marketing, Pall Energy. “Our experience in advanced hot gas and liquid hydro separations for both conventional and alternative energy applications, as well as our global leadership in industrial membrane separations, will enable us to help ensure a marketable outcome of the consortium’s work.”

The initiative will deliver at least one pilot-ready process, design reports, and life cycle analysis demonstrating economics and environmental benefit. The $46 million project will be co-led by NREL and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

“Collaborating on the ARRA fungible fuels program is consistent with Pall’s global commitment to partnering with our customers for a greener future,” Heilbrunn added. “It will capitalize on our enabling technologies and expand our renewable energy applications portfolio.”

In addition to Pall, other consortium members include: Albemarle Corporation, Amyris Biotechnologies, Argonne National Laboratory, BP Products North America Inc., Catchlight Energy LLC, Colorado School of Mines, Iowa State University, Los Alamos National Laboratory, RTI International, Tesoro Companies Inc., University of California-Davis, UOP LLC, Virent Energy Systems and Washington State University.

To learn more about the U.S. Department of Energy’s investment in advanced biofuels research, visit: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/progress_alerts.cfm/pa_id=286

About Pall Energy
Pall’s Energy group provides filtration and separation technologies for the oil and gas industry, petroleum refineries, power production, transmission, and distribution, alternative and renewable energy, chemical and petrochemical plants, and polymer producers. The company's products and services enable customers to reduce the total cost of ownership and increase output while meeting regulatory requirements. Pall's solutions help to ensure product quality and protect consumers while lowering operating costs and minimizing waste. They also enable the production of clean, sustainable energy, and water recycling and reuse.

About Pall Corporation
Pall Corporation is a filtration, separation and purification leader providing Total Fluid Management solutions to meet the critical needs of customers in biopharmaceutical; hospital, transfusion and veterinary medicine; energy and alternative energy; electronics; municipal and industrial water; aerospace; transportation and broad industrial markets. Together with our customers, we foster health, safety and environmentally responsible technologies. The Company’s engineered solutions enable process and product innovation and minimize emissions and waste. Pall Corporation, with total revenues of $2.3 billion for fiscal 2009, is a S&P 500 company with more than 10,000 employees servicing customers worldwide.