INL’s BioEnergy Program 

INL’s Bioenergy Program is 

built on the Lab’s 

programmatic ties to DOE’s 

Office of Biomass , its 

scientific and technical 

capabilities, resources and 

infrastructure. 

INL’s BioEnergy Program draws on the expertise of Biological Sciences and 

Renewable Energy & Power Departments at the Idaho National Laboratory. The Program

conducts biomaterial characterization and computational modeling research to understand 

and better utilize the physical and chemical properties of diverse biomass sources. The 

focus is on applying this growing knowledge base to improve feedstock harvesting, 

fractionation and separation, preprocessing, storage, and pretreatment systems. The goal is 

to systematically describe and harness biomass physical and chemical characteristics in 

order to more cost-effectively utilize them for renewable energy and related products. 

The Program provides the needed expertise and advanced technology for characterizing 

diverse biomaterials and biological systems. The identification of chemical, biomechanical, 

and ultrastructural properties that most impact biomass utilization is possible because of the 

INL’s unique combination of biotechnology, microscopy, computational, and engineering 

capabilities including single cell microdissection, microarray analysis, bioinformatics, 

genomics, proteomics, biomechanics, and virtual modeling expertise. These capabilities 

and INL’s state-of-the-art equipment are important resources available to our national 

laboratory, university, and industrial collaborators for identifying and tailoring biomaterials 

with improved collection, preprocessing, and pretreating characteristics. 

Program Purpose 

The Program embraces the vision of ‘Whole Crop Utilization’ and leverages key multidisciplinary INL capabilities to address the major science and technology needs associated 

with the cost-effective utilization of renewable biomass. Whole Crop Utilization means 

using the entire crop – including both the grain and traditionally discarded plant biomass – 
to produce food, feed, fiber, energy, and value-added products The research focuses on 

exploiting biomass diversity as it impacts the biomass physical and chemical properties that 

contribute to material cost and quality throughout the assembly and processing system. 

Resources 

The Program integrates INL personnel and capabilities with key partners to address 

national energy and security needs through four signature research areas. 

Biomaterials Deconstruction and Composition Laboratory (BD&C) – Utilizes advanced 

composite theory, microscopy, and NIR analysis to understand and utilize the chemical and 

mechanical characteristics of biomaterial to enhance harvesting, preprocessing, and 

pretreatment systems. (Wright, Pryfogle, Radtke)

Computational Engineering and Simulation Laboratory (CE&S) – Couples state-of-the-art 

compositional modeling and simulation tools to allow real-time integration, analysis, and 

design of biological systems, harvesting and preprocessing equipment, and industry

infrastructure and processing interface. (Kenney, Wright)

Post-Harvest Physiology and Storage Laboratory (PP&S) – Characterizes the impact of 

biomaterial genomic diversity and the post-harvest physiology of stored biomass on the 

biochemical and physical properties of biomass in order to enhance the quality and 

processablitiy of tailored bioindustry feedstocks. (Radtke, Pryfogle)

Feedstock Assembly and Preprocessing Facility (FA&P) – Utilizes advances in laboratory

fundamental research to design and implement full scale equipment configurations to 

demonstrate the capabilities of feedstock assembly and preprocessing systems to meet and 

potentially exceed feedstock cost, efficiency, and quality targets. (Hess, Hoskinson, 

Kenney)

Goals For more information 

The main mission of the Program is to integrate the expertise, advanced technology, and 

state-of-the-art equipment of its four signature areas to meet DOE Office of Biomass 

Programs’ feedstock interface milestones: 

Management contact:

J. Richard Hess 

208.526.0115 

JRichard.Hess@inl.gov

Project Leads:

Reed Hoskinson 

208.526.1211

Reed.Hoskinson@inl.gov 

Kevin Kenney 

208.526.8098

Kevin.Kenney@inl.gov 

Pete Pryfogle 

208.526.0373

Peter.Pryfogle@inl.gov 

Corey Radtke 

208.526.5186

Corey.Radtke@inl.gov 

Chris Wright 

208.526.3075

Christopher.Wright@inl.gov 

• By 2006, identify sufficient, sustainable ag. residue supply at $10/dry ton grower 

payment. 

• By 2010, resource data with national coverage for all significant existing ag. residue 

resources is up-to-date, documented, and readily available via the internet. 

• By 2010, develop technologies and methods to harvest and collect nationally 300 M 

tons/year of ag. residues with a 50% cost reduction compared to current (2003)

technologies. ($12.50/dry ton) 

• By 2009, develop and demonstrate innovative storage methods so that the cost, 

accounting for losses, is less than 50% compared to current (2003) dry bale based 

systems. ($1.75/dry ton) 

• By 2009, demonstrate transportation cost reductions resulting in average transportation 

costs of $8/dry ton or less. 

• By 2009, demonstrate preprocessing technologies that produce ag. residue resources 

with bulk, flowable properties similar to large solid commodities so that it can be 

handled with traditional high-volume conveyance thus reducing cost by 50% when 

compared to bale-based systems. ($2.75/dry ton) 

• By 2007, develop and validate optimized process and cost models for feedstock supply 

systems showing that ag. residue feedstocks could be supplied to biorefineries at 

$35/dry ton or less.