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Research: Manure could contribute to Hawai’i’s net-zero energy goals
May 7, 2024 by UH News
To help Hawaiʻi reach net-zero energy by 2045, two researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) received a $150,000 Sun Grant Western Region grant to assess how bioenergy generated from bioresources such as agricultural residues and animal manures, via anaerobic digestion, could significantly contribute to the state’s renewable energy.
Samir Khanal, of the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, and Tomoaki Miura, of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, are planning to develop the first comprehensive geodatabase on available bioresources across the Hawaiian Islands, and assess their bioenergy production potential.
“The National Renewable Energy Laboratory Biofuels Atlas, a valuable tool for identifying areas with abundant feedstocks, does not have specific data for Hawaiʻi,” Khanal said. “Given the decentralized nature of bioresources across the Hawaiian Islands, developing a comprehensive bioenergy feedstock map is essential.”