Danville Delegate Danny Marshall, who is a member of the Tobacco Commission, said the Institute asked for funds to use for research that will focus on developing, testing and commercializing advancements in sustainable energy technologies, including bio-based fuels.

The project at the Institute’s Sustainable Energy Technology Center (SEnTeC) will evaluate and improve the conversion of selected alternative energy crops to biofuels and bio-based products, according to a news release from Marshall’s office.

The balance of the estimated overall project cost of $9,296,602 will come from a variety of sources, including the city of Danville, the American Public Power Association and the Pittsylvania-Danville Regional Industrial Facility Authority.

The bioenergy/bioproducts demonstration site at Windy Acres Nursery in Gretna will receive $873,745 to move this project into its second phase: producing crops at the site, converting them to products and using those products to produce fuel.

*Source - www.godanriver.com