The U.S. military is very interested in alternative fuels — in particular, the wood-based biofuels being researched and produced at the University of Maine. Three methods, or pathways, to producing biofuel for use in military jets are being explored by UMaine chemical and biological engineers affiliated with the university’s Forest Bioproducts Research Institute (FBRI). The pathways all aim to produce what are known as drop-in fuels — those that can be used easily in a number of fuel tanks and pipelines.

In this video, UMaine faculty and student researchers demonstrate and discuss their major breakthrough in wood-based biofuels. The discovery could be an important key in making biofuels a viable alternative to traditional fuels.