GORHAM, Maine (AP) – A Gorham company is seeking a $50 million federal grant to help it turn sawdust into an affordable heating oil substitute.

For three years researchers at Biofine Technology have been working to turn a bag of sawdust into heating and motor fuel at a cost of about $2 a gallon.

Now they’re seeking a grant from the Department of Energy to get the process that uses chemicals, pressure, temperature and time out of the laboratory and into production.

Biofine’s Stephen Fitzpatrick tells the Portland Press Herald the grant is a key to putting the technology into pulp mills in Maine. He calls it a huge deal.

The grant would help set up commercial versions of the Gorham pilot plant next to some of Maine’s paper mills.

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Information from: Portland Press Herald, https://www.pressherald.com