International Activities
The Office of the Biomass Program (OBP) engages in bilateral and multilateral collaboration as a means to leverage international resources to achieve programmatic goals, explore new concepts with international partners, and gain access to world-class experts in the field of sustainable biomass and bioenergy production and use.
Key goals of OBP's international activities are to:
- Accelerate progress toward biofuels research and development (R&D) goals
- Reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on oil
- Promote industry partnerships and global economic development.
Scope of International Work
OBP's international activities focus on sustainability, analysis, feedstocks, algae, biochemical conversion, thermochemical conversion, and integrated biorefineries. OBP partnerships cover several regions of the world. The Program is currently conducting research with partner institutions in countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America. In addition to bilateral collaboration, OBP is active in key multilateral forums, including the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP), the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB). OBP is also a member of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Bioenergy, with U.S. representatives serving as leads for a number of IEA Bioenergy tasks.
Core U.S. Partners
OBP works closely with the Department of Energy's Office of Policy and International Affairs and EERE's International Office, as well as with other federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of State, to select and support bilateral and multilateral activities that further U.S. diplomatic efforts and advance the country's bioenergy agenda.
Our national labs and their counterparts in industries and universities are integral to the international research, development, and deployment efforts undertaken by the Program. Currently, the National Renewable Energy Lab, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratory are engaged in international activities.