1. Bioenergy Technologies Office U.S. Department of Energy
Engineered Carbon Cycling: Leveraging Biotechnology and the Bioeconomy to Re-Imagine BECCS
February 8, 2017
David Babson, Ph.D.
Technology Manager
Bioenergy Technologies Office
U.S. Department of Energy

2. Bioenergy Technologies Office
Mission
Strategy
Performance Goal
Accelerate commercialization of advanced bioprocessing through RD&D supported by public-private partnerships
Promote sustainable, nationwide production of bioproducts, biomaterials and biofuels
Validate bioprocess performance metrics to ensure the bioeconomy helps to achieve ambitious energy, climate and sustainability goals
BETO reduces risks and costs to commercialization through RD&D

3. Relevant trends in a warming world
Carbon
Clean power
Price
Amount
Clean power
Price
Time
Time

4. Relevant trends in a warming world
Carbon?
Clean power ?
Price
Amount ?
Clean power
Price
Time
Time

5. The Enormous Challenge and the Opening for BECCS

6. The Enormous Challenge and the Opening for BECCS

7. Cheap versus expensive carbon: differing views of BECCS
Cheap Carbon / Expensive CO2
Traditional BECCS is viable when carbon emissions are expensive and organic carbon is cheap

8. Cheap versus expensive carbon: differing views of BECCS
Cheap Carbon / Expensive CO2
Expensive Carbon / Cheap CO2
versus
Traditional BECCS is viable when carbon emissions are expensive and organic carbon is cheap
Re-imagine BECCS to function as a carbon mitigation strategy in a cheap CO2 world

9. Implications for cheap energy and expensive carbon
Re-imagining, and re-engineering and the carbon cycle
Non-photosynthetic carbon reduction – CO2 as a feedstock
Engineering 100% carbon efficient conversion strategies

10. Implications for cheap energy and expensive carbon
Re-imagining, and re-engineering and the carbon cycle
Non-photosynthetic carbon reduction – CO2 as a feedstock
Engineering 100% carbon efficient conversion strategies
Re-valuing carbon
Re-evaluating biomass carbon utility and engineered storage of functional biomass derived carbon

11. Pursuing two strategies for future carbon cycling
Re-imagining the carbon cycle
Strategies and technologies to reduce carbon oxides non-photosynthetically (rethinking the carbon-cycle – and the traditional view of “biomass”)
Re-engineering the carbon cycle
Strategies and technologies to enhance carbon conversion efficiency (engineering a more efficient carbon cycle)

12. Pursuing two strategies for future carbon cycling
three
management
NEW RULE – CANNOT ASSUME CARBON EMISSIONS WILL BE PRICED
Re-imagining the carbon cycle
Strategies and technologies to reduce carbon oxides non-photosynthetically (rethinking the carbon-cycle – and the traditional view of “biomass”)
Re-engineering the carbon cycle
Strategies and technologies to enhance carbon conversion efficiency (engineering a more efficient carbon cycle)
Re-valuing carbon
Strategies to leverage biotechnology to generate value added products from sustainably produced biomass and that stores carbon in those valuable products

13. Re-Imagining the Carbon Cycle
Limit land-use requirements
Avoid inefficient photosynthesis
Leverage carbon-free renewable power
Directly synthesize more valuable intermediates and feedstocks
Carbon Oxide Reduction

14. Re-Imagining the Carbon Cycle: Technologies
Biochemical carbon reduction
Whole-cell chemolithoautorophic
No H2 (CO reduction)
Syngas (CO via H2)
High H2 (CO2 via H2)
Whole-cell electrolithoautotophic
Cell-free biocatalytic
Catalytic carbon reduction
Thermocatalytic
Concentrated solar / high temperature
Microwave
Electrocatlytic

15. Re-Imagining the Carbon Cycle: BETO Efforts
Competitive Projects
LanzaTech
No H2 (CO reduction)
Syngas (CO via H2)
High H2 (CO2 via H2)
Kiverdi
Targeted Funding Opportunity
SBIR FOA : Biofuel and Bioproduct Precursors from Gaseous Waste Streams

16. Re-Engineering the Carbon Cycle
Whole-cell pathway engineering for optimized carbon utilization
Synthetic Biology
Engineered mixed microbial systems – the carboxylate platform

17. Re-Engineering the Carbon Cycle: Technologies
Biochemical
Arrested methanogenesis with biological upgrading
Whole-cell mixotrophic
Catalytic
Enhanced carbon efficient pyrolysis (e.g. Ford proposal)
Combined biochemical / thermochemical
Arrested methanogenesis with catalytic upgrading

18. Re-Engineering the Carbon Cycle: BETO Efforts
Competitive Projects
White Dog Labs
Ohio State University
Targeted Funding Opportunity (Proposed)
SBIR FOA: Leveraging Renewable Power to Enhance Biomass Carbon Conversion Efficiency
Analytical efforts (for all BETO strategies - planning)
Carbon utilization scenarios as a function of process grid integration, surplus electricity, electricity price, carbon price

19. Re-Valuing Carbon Management
Products matter
What is produced (fuel versus non-fuel)
Power matters
Must be clean and must be cheap
Context matters
This is bigger than food versus fuel
This more than just biofuels – it is the whole bioeconomy

20. What now? Thinking and planning across sectors
Incorporating land utility into the equation
Perceive, produce, process and use biomass differently
Think big with BECCS – its time to break the glass

21. Resources for a Vibrant Future
Bioeconomy 2017
Bioeconomy 2017: Domestic
Resources for a Vibrant Future
July 11–12, 2017 
Sheraton Pentagon City 
900 South Orme Street 
Arlington, VA 22204

22. David M. Babson, Ph.D. Contact me
Technology Manager | Bioenergy Technologies Office
U.S. Department of Energy o