By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Oct. 1 -- ConocoPhillips has formed an alliance with agricultural processing firm Archer Daniels Midland Co. to develop technology to convert biomass into renewable transportation fuels.
The alliance reportedly will spend $10 million/year on the collaborative research of a next-generation biofuel production process that involves the conversion of biomass from crops, wood, or switchgrass into biocrude, as well as the refining of biocrude to produce transportation fuel.
ConocoPhillips last April teamed with meat producer Tyson Foods Inc. to produce diesel from animal fat. For this project, the major said it would spend $100 million over the next few years to upgrade several US refineries to enable production of the new diesel (OGJ Online, Apr. 18, 2007).
