WASHINGTON, ALA. — Auburn University has been selected to receive up to $4.9 million of federal grant money for a biofuel project.

U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced Monday that up to $21 million will be available for the selection of five projects that will develop supply systems to handle and deliver biomass feedstocks for cellulosic biofuels production.

The awards are part of the department’s efforts to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil and provide new jobs in many rural areas. Auburn will work with leading producers of forest biomass for energy in Alabama.

The university will help design a high productivity system to harvest, process and transport woody biomass from southern pine plantations.