OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY

“We are studying ways to more economically and 

reliably produce, deliver, and use forest, agricultural, 

and waste resources to expand the US bioeconomy 

while preserving ecosystem services.” 

—Bioresource Science and Engineering 

Group Leader Erin Webb

Bioenergy Technologies

Scientists and engineers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) are applying a range of expertise and big science tools to assess the 

nation’s biomass resources, develop renewable replacements for petroleum-based chemicals, create new plastics that are recyclable 

on demand, and advance sustainable fuels to decarbonize hard-to-electrify transportation sectors such as aviation, marine, and rail.

Growing the nation’s bioeconomy

ORNL’s bioenergy technologies research brings together experts in agricultural 

economics and engineering, computational science, environmental science, fuels and 

engines technology, materials science, and synthetic biology. Researchers work closely 

with partners in industry, other federal agencies, and academia to ensure analyses and 

technologies are relevant and scalable to support the nation’s growing bioeconomy. 

Focus areas include the following:

Quantifying sustainable biomass resources—We lead comprehensive resource 

assessments known as the Billion Ton studies to inform decision makers about 

opportunities to advance sustainable use of biomass resources locally, regionally, and 

nationally. We apply expertise in biomass engineering and logistics to develop nationalscale energy crop production strategies that advance best practices and facilitate 

decarbonization, build rural economies, and strengthen domestic supply chains. 

Converting biomass to fuels and products—We develop new catalysts and 

conversion technologies that increase the efficiency and enhance the economics of 

producing renewable biofuels and biochemicals. We work with microbes to convert 

waste carbon sources from biorefineries and other industries into valuable chemicals for 

use in plastics and a wide variety of consumer products. 

Scaling technologies and enabling commercial viability—We apply 

advanced materials science capabilities to understand causes of wear in production 

equipment and to evaluate the compatibility of new and existing materials. We 

collaborate closely with industry, providing computational modeling across scales from 

the atomic to full-size reactors to optimize processes and boost commercial production. 

DECARBONIZING 

hard-to-electrify transportation sectors, such 

as aviation and marine

ACCELERATING 

industry scale-up of 

conversion processes

CREATING 

low-carbon 

fuels, chemicals

DESIGNING 

recyclable biobased 

plastics

REDUCING the 

carbon intensity of 

agricultural biomass
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle LLC for the US Department of Energy January 2023

LanzaTech collaborated with ORNL researchers 

to optimize carbon capture technology that 

harnesses emissions from industrial processes 

to produce widely used chemicals, acetone and 

isopropanol, that form the basis of thousands of 

consumer products.

ORNL scientists used computational modeling and 

simulation capabilities to assist industrial partner 

in scaling its reactor technology by 1,000 times 

in a single step.

CONTACT

Tim Theiss

Bioenergy Technologies 

Program Manager

theisstj@ornl.gov

865-341-1348

One Bethel Valley Road

Oak Ridge, TN 37830

www.ornl.gov/

bioenergy

Recent Impacts

Assessing biomass resources—Leading the fourth in a series of 

comprehensive national assessments, known as the Billion Ton studies, 

that provide details on available biomass from a variety of feedstocks, as 

well as estimated current and future costs as markets grow and promote a 

robust bioeconomy

Best use of biomass—Developed a new tool to evaluate the best use of 

national biomass resources to maximize carbon reductions at minimal cost 

3D printing with biomaterials—Created biocomposites that have 75% 

of the strength at 50% of the cost of typical carbon fiber–reinforced plastics 

used for large-scale additive manufacturing

Studying sustainability—Showed that using less-profitable farmland 

to grow bioenergy crops such as switchgrass promotes clean energy and 

boosts biodiversity

Biomass benefits—Quantified and confirmed the significant economic 

benefits of a thriving bioeconomy on disadvantaged counties in the nation

Converting carbon into chemicals—Engineered microbes in 

collaboration with LanzaTech and Northwestern University to turn industrial 

emissions into acetone and isopropanol, chemicals that are the basis of 

thousands of products, from fuels and solvents to acrylic glass and fabrics

Upcycling plastics—Developed new chemical and biological methods to 

break down and upcycle mixed plastics into valuable bioproducts

Upgrading ethanol for use in hard-to-electrify sectors—Supported 

scaling of ORNL-developed technology licensed to Vertimass LLC that 

converts ethanol into higher-grade hydrocarbons for use in sustainable 

aviation, marine shipping, and renewable diesel fuels

Addressing industry needs—Leading the DOE Bioenergy Technologies 

Office’s Consortium for Computational Physics and Chemistry, which 

leverages modeling and simulation capabilities to help industry optimize 

processes and resolve technical barriers to deployment

Scaling industrial processes—Provided computational modeling and 

simulation capabilities, enabling industrial partner Pyran to scale its reactor 

technology by 1,000 times in a single step

Biobased options for marine shipping—Leading a multi-lab effort to 

evaluate the use of bio-intermediates as a suitable maritime fuel. Achieved 

good blend stability of marine fuels when using mixes that contained up to 

50% very low sulfur bio-oil

Improving materials—Evaluated biomass processing equipment 

and developed affordable solutions that decreased equipment wear and 

provided more consistent feedstock processing