NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 

operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

Partnering with Industry to Advance Biofuels 

NREL’s Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility 

pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis steps, a key factor in 

reducing costs. Bioreactors from 10 L to 9000 L and separation 

and concentration equipment are housed in the IBRF allowing 

for biomass conversion processes to be fully integrated. 

Access to Experts 

While using the IBRF, industry partners have access to NREL’s 

world-renowned biofuels experts, process equipment, and 

systems that can be used to develop and evaluate commercial 

processes for the production of biofuels. In addition, partners 

have access to NREL’s state-of-the-art molecular biology, 

biochemistry, and biomass compositional analysis laboratories. 

Advanced biofuels produced in the IBRF can be tested and 

analyzed in NREL’s fuel testing laboratories, and data generated 

in the IBRF can be incorporated into technoeconomic and 

life cycle analysis models to estimate the feasibility and 

sustainability of commercial-scale production. 

Ultimately, by leveraging the investments DOE has made in 

the IBRF and NREL, industry partners can develop biofuels 

conversion processes and technologies faster and enter biofuels 

markets sooner and more profitably. 

For more than 30 years, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) 

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been at 

the leading edge of renewable fuels research and technology 

advancements to reduce the cost of cellulosic ethanol and 

develop other cost-competitive alternatives to conventional 

transportation fuels. 

NREL is developing technologies and processes to produce a 

range of sustainable, energy-dense advanced biofuels that are 

compatible with our existing transportation fuel infrastructure. 

As part of that effort, NREL’s National Bioenergy Center has 

entered into more than 90 collaborations in the past five years 

with companies ranging in size from start-ups to those that 

appear on Fortune magazine’s Fortune 100 list. 

The new Integrated Biorefinery Research Facility (IBRF) 

showcases NREL’s commitment to collaboration and to meeting 

the nation’s biofuels development and deployment goals. 

Designed to speed the growth of the biofuels industry, the IBRF 

is a unique $33.5 million pilot facility capable of supporting a 

variety of advanced biofuels projects.

The IBRF is available to industry partners who work with NREL 

through cooperative research and development, technical, and 

analytical service agreements. With 27,000 ft2 of high bay space, 

the IBRF provides industry partners with the opportunity to 

operate, test, and develop their own biorefining technology and 

equipment.

Research Flexibility 

The IBRF offers an unprecedented level of research flexibility. 

In particular, it can handle a wide range of biomass feedstocks 

and pretreatment processes. Three parallel pretreatment 

processing trains allow for the testing of conversion processes 

using a variety of technologies under a wide range of conditions. 

The IBRF can handle high concentrations of solids in the The IBRF’s new enzymatic hydrolysis reactors can handle high solids – 

a key factor in reducing conversion costs.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, Colorado 80401

303-275-3000 • www.nrel.gov

NREL/FS-5100-49323 • October 2010

NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 

Operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper containing at least

50% wastepaper, including 10% post consumer waste.

Credits: Front page photos (L to R): Pat Corkery, NREL/PIX 16580; Dennis Schroeder, 

NREL/PIX 17680; Dennis Schroeder, NREL/PIX 17933; Courtesy of Pearson Fuels/PIX 16745

Front page lower right photo: Dennis Schroeder, NREL/PIX 17678

Downstream Processing Equipment 

• 10-m-tall by 0.5-m-diameter sieve tray distillation column 

• Continuous forced recirculation evaporator for 

concentrating or evaporative operations 

• Small 1-L solid-bowl high-speed centrifuge (17,000 G) 

for cell recovery 

• Continuous sterilizable high-performance decanter 

(5,000 G) with 100-L/hour capacity 

• Continuous decanting centrifuge (3,000 G) with 

1,200-L/ hour capacity 

• Semi-automatic perforated basket centrifuge (900 G) 

with automatic feed, discharge, and washing capability 

• Semi-continuous pressure belt filter 

• Continuous sterilizer 

• Continuous ultrafiltration/reverse-osmosis system

Other Capabilities 

• Compositional analysis 

• Wet chemistry and near-infrared spectroscopy 

• High performance liquid chromatography and 

spectrometers (infrared, visible, and ultraviolet) 

• Pilot plant monitoring 

• Real time data acquisition and dedicated mass 

spectrometer for on-line monitoring of fermentation 

exhaust gas composition 

• Molecular biology laboratories 

• Development of enzymes and biocatalysts

• Strain engineering

• Proteomics

• Transcriptomics 

• Metabolomics

Pretreatment Capabilities

• Continuous 1-ton/day horizontal reactor system with 

the capability for multiple configurations 

• Residence times of 3-120 minutes 

• Temperature range of 150°-210°C 

• Ability to test and evaluate different pretreatment 

schemes and catalysts (dilute acid, alkali, or hot water) 

• Hastelloy C-2000 and 316 stainless steel construction 

• Continuous 1-ton/day vertical reactor system

• Residence times of 1-45 minutes 

• Temperature range of 150°-200°C 

• Pretreatment schemes (dilute acid, alkali, or hot water) 

• Zirconium construction 

• Continuous 200-kg/day (dry basis) horizontal-screw 

reactor system 

• Residence times of 3-30 minutes 

• Temperature range of 130°-200°C 

• Pretreatment schemes (dilute acid, dilute alkali, 

or steam/liquid hot water) 

• Hastelloy C-2000 construction 

• 4-L batch steam gun reactor system

• Batch 130-L paddle-type pressure reactor with 

steam-jacket and direct steam-injection

• Batch 1-L mixed reactor with steam injection and 

ability to handle volatile catalyst

Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Fermentation 

• High-solids 4000-L horizontal paddle-type reactors 

• Operate at total solids loading >20% (w/w) 

• Operate in batch mode with 36-hour turnaround 

time to achieve semi-continuous processing 

temperature range 40°-75°C 

• Systems for injecting neutralizing chemicals 

and enzymes

• Bioreactors (continuous or batch/aerobic or anaerobic)

• Multiple stirred bioreactor systems from 10-L - 100-L 

• Two 160 L stirred vessels; two 1,500-L stirred vessels; 

four 9,000-L stirred vessels 

• Feed and support vessels (stirred) ranging in size 

from 100-L - 9,000-L

For additional information about the IBRF, including inquiries 

about equipment, capabilities, or partnership opportunities, please 

contact John Ashworth at 303-384-6858, john.ashworth@nrel.gov

or Richard Bolin at 303-384-7716, richard.bolin@nrel.gov.