Richland is emerging as a major bioproducts and bioenergy research center.  Washington State University's Center for Bioproducts and Bioenergy in the Tri-Cities has partnered with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to advance our region’s role in the emerging bioproducts and bioenergy industry.

The $24.8 million Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory (BSEL) in the Tri-Cities was set up to research ways to recycle dairy waste, wheat straw, forestry byproducts and municipal waste into fuel and other usable products and to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign petroleum and the carbon footprint of energy use.  The unique partnership will open this year at the WSU - Tri-Cities campus. 

The new center will also collaborate with Aalborg University in Denmark to develop biofuels and bioproducts.  The newly hired Director of BSEL, Birgitte Ahring, is an internationally recognized microbiologist who founded and led a private engineering and technology company, BioGasol, that designs and develops technologies for second generation bioethanol production.  She also has extensive ties with world class researchers at Aalborg University.  

According to a recent article in the Seattle Times, Ahring noted that "the cooperation will offer opportunities to develop new processes for biorefineries, going beyond the production of biofuels to produce industrial products and raw materials for the transportation, food and pharmaceutical industries".

The state of Washington, at the direction of Governor Chris Gregoire, was instrumental in securing funding both for BSEL and Ahring.