COLUMBIA, Md., Sep 10, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --W. R. Grace & Co. (NYSE:GRA) has been selected to receive up to $3.3 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for the evaluation and enhancement of advanced biofuel technologies.

Grace will work with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to develop technologies for thermochemical conversion of biomass to advanced biofuels that are compatible with existing fueling infrastructure. The technologies will upgrade bio-oils into gasoline, diesel and jet fuels using a specialized catalytic reactor designed to resist corrosion and extend catalyst lifetime. Also on the team are VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, who will be providing pyrolysis oils, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, who will study corrosion.

The funding is a component of the Department of Energy's strategy to accelerate the development of sustainable biofuels, and is coordinated by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Biomass Program.

Grace and PNNL researchers will use a thermochemical process known as pyrolysis, which breaks down biomass using heat to produce bio-oils that can be further processed in existing petroleum refineries into transportation fuels.

Susan Ehrlich, Business Director of Grace Renewable Technologies, commented, "We are excited to be selected for this funding and look forward to collaborating with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Our understanding of catalysts, combined with their pyrolysis and process development expertise, will position us to accelerate the commercialization of this new technology and production process."

Ms. Ehrlich continued, "Pursuing and receiving this grant is validation of Grace's strategy to grow the renewables business, explore open innovation with high-caliber researchers and become a global supplier to the biofuels industry."

Grace has more than seven decades of experience with catalysts used in the production of transportation fuels, such as gasoline and diesel fuels, and other petroleum-based products. In 2006, the company expanded its work in the biofuels industry with the introduction of a renewables product line that provides technologies for purification, drying and biofeedstock conversion. Some current products include the company's EnSieve^(R) desiccants for ethanol dehydration and EnPure^(R) adsorbents for biodiesel purification.

About Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is a Department of Energy Office of Science national laboratory where interdisciplinary teams advance science and technology and deliver solutions to America's most intractable problems in energy, the environment and national security. PNNL employs 4,700 staff, has an annual budget of nearly $1.1 billion, and has been managed by Ohio-based Battelle since the lab's inception in 1965. More information is available at www.pnl.gov.

About Grace

Grace is a leading global supplier of catalysts and other products to petroleum refiners; catalysts for the manufacture of plastics; silica-based engineered and specialty materials for a wide range of industrial applications; sealants and coatings for food and beverage packaging, and specialty chemicals, additives and building materials for commercial and residential construction. Founded in 1854, Grace has operations in over 40 countries. For more information, visit Grace's web site at www.grace.com.

SOURCE: W. R. Grace & Co.

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