Sandia signs agreement with New Zealand institute to address critical transportation energy issues

LIVERMORE, Calif. — Sandia National Laboratories and Scion, a New Zealand Crown Research Institute, have signed an agreement that will focus research on the cooperative development of technical information and system studies relevant to low-carbon energy technologies.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlines the intention to develop mutually beneficial research activities between Sandia and Scion.

Bob Carling, director of Sandia’s Transportation Energy Center, said the collaboration will explore key research topics important to both organizations, including biofuels supply chain analysis, renewable energy and alternative transportation fuels, and modeling and systems analysis of energy resources.

The effort, Carling said, is aimed at leveraging complementary capabilities at each institution and furthering the strategic objectives in these areas for each party. It also signifies the first official MOU to be signed in support of Sandia’s blossoming HITEC (Hub for Innovation in the Transportation Energy Community) effort.

Tom Richardson, Scion CEO, said there is much to be gained from US-NZ scientific collaboration in this field as both countries see potential in creating new energy products from renewable resources.

“Scion has undertaken many decades of research into creating energy from woody residues. We are therefore in a strong position to both contribute to and benefit from the large research investment that the U.S. is making in this area. We welcome the opportunity to work with organizations like Sandia that have a shared interest in creating low carbon energy options for our respective consumers,” Richardson said.

Sandia is engaged in a wide variety of transportation energy research activities. It has worked extensively with General Motors and enjoys a longstanding relationship with all the major U.S. automakers. Sandia also plays a major role in the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) and other transportation energy projects.
Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major R&D responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies and economic competitiveness.

Scion is a crown-owned institute dedicated to building a stronger bio-based economy for New Zealand. Scion is focused on applying a deep knowledge of plantation forestry, wood and fiber to the development of new biomaterials and energy from renewable plant resources.