Sustainable Bio-Energy Project: Geocycle Dorchester Starts a Crop Trial to Achieve Carbon Neutral Alternative Fuel

Recently, Geocycle Dorchester, in collaboration with North Carolina Department of Agriculture and North Carolina State, started a bioenergy project: a small crop trial of high-yielding, perennial grass species that can be used as carbon neutral alternative fuel. While the economics are certainly still challenging, these perennial, high-yielding species represent a great potential for developing an alternative fuel in the US Southeast region. They have low establishment and upkeep cost, and they already demonstrated yields between 12 and 20 tons per acre. For the trial that will be completed during the upcoming winter, our Geocycle Dorchester team included a few varieties of grass: Miscanthus, Miscane, Switchgrass, and a North Carolina genotype of Giant Reed. The trial crop will be available to visitors, schools and local farmers who want to know more about low carbon feedstock for alternative fuels and bio- based chemicals. The Geocycle Dorchester team considers itself an integral part of the communities that it operates in. The team is committed to actively participating in the communities’ and state’s bioenergy projects, which aim at developing the circular economy and help achieve net zero future.

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History: 

https://www.ncagr.gov/bioenergy/

Additional Background Materials

https://www.agmrc.org/commodities-products/biomass/switchgrass