Biomass research center pursued

Massachusetts has a good shot at winning one of two bioenergy research centers the federal government will create next year, US Representative William D. Delahunt says. And if the state succeeds, the Quincy congressman wants it built on the South Shore.

"There are prominent pieces of the puzzle located in Massachusetts and in my congressional district," said Delahunt, a Democrat who represents the area along the coast from Quincy to Provincetown. "I can't imagine a more suitable location for a center."

Delahunt is part of a team that includes representatives from Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Romney administration, and state business leaders crafting a formal proposal for winning one of two $125 million centers.

Each center will receive $25 million in startup money plus $25 million a year for four years to study new ways to convert biomass -- stems, leaves, grasses, and other plant products -- to ethanol or similar materials that could be used in place of petroleum products.

The center would not only bring high-paying jobs but would also place the region on the leading edge of a technology that could spawn new industry by attracting biofuel manufacturing facilities.

Delahunt and his team are facing stiff competition from other parts of the country. Researchers, government officials, and politicians from several other regions are also pursuing the federal research center award.

"I think this will be very competitive," said Ann Marie Sastry, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan and a leader of an effort to win a center in her state. "These centers offer enormous opportunities to a region."

Delahunt said he did not know where on the South Shore the center would be built, but he and others involved in the Massachusetts bid are eyeing the Fore River basin, where Quincy, Braintree, and Weymouth converge.

Twin Rivers Technologies, a firm that produces biodiesel fuel for trucks and other heavy equipment, is headquartered on the Fore River in Quincy. Twin Rivers produces biodiesel from soybean products at facilities in Ohio. Its Quincy manufacturing plant processes imported tropical oils for use in soap and cosmetics.

It is one of two prominent area companies in US bioenergy development. The other is Bioenergy International LLC in Norwell. Bioenergy International is developing ethanol production facilities in Louisiana and Pennsylvania. At its Norwell location, the company conducts research and development, and manages its operations elsewhere in the country.

Officials from the companies are part of the team preparing a bid to win the federal research center, and both would like to expand on the South Shore, according to their top executives.

Twin Rivers' president, Paul Angelico, said the company wants to build a biodiesel manufacturing plant in Quincy. The company has only one undeveloped acre on its Fore River site and would need access to other land nearby.

Stephen Gatto, chief executive officer of Bioenergy International, said the company is considering several sites on the South Shore for a $17 million research and pilot manufacturing facility.

Proposals for the federal research centers are due Feb. 1, and the US Energy Department expects to make its selections in June. The money would be awarded by September.

"What we would like to see is a consortium of universities and research institutions and businesses coming together with a proposal," said Craig Stevens, a department spokesman.

He acknowledged the stiff national competition. While declining to speculate on Boston's proposal, he said, "There is no question Boston brings together a lot of intellectual and investment capital."

The Energy Policy Act of 2005, adopted by Congress and signed by President Bush after the oil shocks of last year, spurred planning for the new research centers. Policymakers want to find new and cleaner sources of fuel and also lessen US dependence on foreign oil. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman has set a goal of replacing 30 percent of current transportation fuel demand with biofuels by 2030.

Converting biomass to energy is one of the oldest technologies, which humans first used when they burned wood to keep warm. But converting plants and plant-based products into fuels that can power automobiles has proven to be a difficult challenge.

After the oil crisis of the 1970s, the federal government launched a major initiative for production of ethanol, known then as "gasohol," using corn and other agricultural products to produce fuel. The program foundered, in part, because of the large amount of energy needed to make the fuel.

Recent research has focused on finding more efficient ways to convert plant products to fuel. And researchers are seeking to use different types of plant-based products, from corn husks to scrap wood to animal waste.

Both Gatto of Bioenergy International and Angelico of Twin Rivers said the Fore River basin could make a good site for a research center. The area has a deep-water port and a connection to the East Coast rail network, they noted.

"I think we are well-prepared to have that center here," Angelico said. Most available sites in the Fore River area are privately owned, and deals with owners would need to be completed. The largest parcel is the approximately 110-acre former Quincy Shipyard, now owned by South Shore automobile dealer Dan Quirk.

Quirk is planning a mixed-use development on the site with mostly housing and stores. John Dobie, planning director for Quirk, said he knew very little about the bioenergy proposals. While Quirk's preliminary master plan for the Quincy Shipyard does not include a site for research facilities, the property is large enough that it might be able to accommodate a research center.

Jay Cashman, a prominent Boston contractor, owns a 12-acre parcel on the Fore River waterfront. Cashman had tried unsuccessfully to acquire the entire Quincy Shipyard, and he sued in an unsuccessful attempt to block Quirk's purchase of the property.

Delahunt said he believes bioenergy development in the Fore River area would benefit all parties.

"These are business people," Delahunt said. "I'm certain the stakeholders can sit down and have a conversation. Let's see what happens."