Northern Illinois University lands $650,000 USDA grant to study biomass pipeline

In Illinois, a research project supporting the feasibility of constructing an innovative, first-of-its-kind biomass pipeline in Maine has been granted a $650,000 award over four years to Northern Illinois University from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The USDA grant will be used in part to purchase roughly $100,000 in instruments and equipment for a new Waste Advanced Solution Technologies and Ecosystems Laboratory (WASTE Lab) in Still Gym, where a 30-foot, closed circuit prototype pipeline will be assembled in coming months. NIU’s Department of Engineering Technology, College of Engineering and Engineering Technology and Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships (RIPS) are supporting the laboratory development as well.