About

In 2011, the USDA awarded $40 million to the Advanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest (AHB) consortium led by the University of Washington (UW).  The AHB team is working on a system to convert FSC-certified poplar trees into liquid biofuels, including gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, that are 100% compatible with existing infrastructure.  The target is to produce 400 million gallons of biofuel per year from 400,000 acres of hybrid poplars from the Pacific Northwest.  These fuels will be direct replacements for existing fossil fuels and will be certified to run in conventional car, truck, and aircraft engines.  The biofuel production from this project will meet a substantial portion of the region’s target for the 2022 Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2).  The AHB team will help revitalize the region’s agriculture industry by working with large and small farmers to grow the poplars on marginal lands to increase their incomes while adding new feedstock management jobs to rural communities.  In addition, the conversion of the poplars into biofuels will create new biorefinery plant operator jobs throughout the region.