New Mexico State University

The following projects are representative of bioenergy/biofuels research at New Mexico State University (NMSU):

Investigating Algae as a Feedstock for Large-Scale Biodiesel Production

An estimated 7.5 billion gallons of biodiesel could be produced on 1,200 square miles of land employing algae as the predominant feed stock. To produce the same quantity from a rapeseed crop would require 58 million acres or 90,000 square miles. The primary technical challenges center on algae harvesting methodologies and oil extraction processes.

The goal of this project is to identify and culture strains of algae, preferably species with physical characteristics suited to our area that will produce the most oil and be hardy enough to withstand regional climatic conditions. The abundance of frost-free days, sunlight, warm ambient temperatures, and availability of almost unlimited volumes of saline groundwater with little domestic or industrial value, make Southeast New Mexico a unique, highly viable location for such a project. This project will confirm bench-scale projections for oil production, demonstrate potential economic viability (regional economic development), and validate predictions regarding reductions in atmospheric carbon dioxide.

The NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Artesia is cooperating with the Center of Excellence for Hazardous Materials Management (CEHMM) in Carlsbad to evaluate the feasibility of growing selected strains of salt-water algae. Algae are being grown at the Agricultural Science Center where there is infrastructure available to grow the algae and document the climate and pond characteristics. Harvesting and extracting the oil from productive strains of algae will be a collaborative effort among CEHMM, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and NMSU.

Identification of Potential Biodiesel Crops for New Mexico

There is an urgent need to identify well adapted oilseed crops for New Mexico for biodiesel production. Water is the major limiting factor in the state and extensive use of underground water for biodiesel production will reduce net energy production. Therefore, we need a biodiesel crop that is more water use efficient.

Some farmers do not have water for irrigating a full season crop on an entire circle. We need to identify a biodiesel crop that is earlier maturing and needs water only during early part of the season when water needs of a full season crops are less. Such ultra short duration crop can be grown in half the circle and a full season crop on the other half. Both crops then will be produced with less water. Spring canola and canola-quality mustard are promising ultra short duration crops. Winter canola varieties are promising full-season oil crops.

Sustainable Poplar Production for Multiple Uses in the Four Corners

The New Mexico legislature has mandated public power providers to increase their utilization of renewable energy sources up to 10% by the year 2011. Public Service of New Mexico (PNM) plans to build several power plants fueled by woody feedstock to meet the legislative mandate. A sustainable source of poplar biomass from farms located within proximity of PNM power plants would be highly advantageous compared with alternative sources because of lower transportation costs. With two power plants in the Four Corners area and a third under license review, an alternate strategy would be the use of poplar chips to be co-fired with coal. Although technically feasible, language in the legislation precludes co-firing from the mandate. The Navajo Agricultural Products Industry (NAPI), a commercial farm enterprise of the Navajo Nation, has planted 60 ha of poplar plantation with clones selected from the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Farmington research program.