Biofuels

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Biofuels
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Why are biofuels attractive?

• Energy security locally produced, wider
  availability, grow your own oil
• Climate change mitigation one of the few
  low-carbon options for the transport sector
• Lower emissions of various harmful pollutants
  (e.g., sulfur)
• Liquid fuels conducive to existing
  infrastructure, storage, distribution
• Bioethanol cars, light trucks, motorcycles
• Biodiesel commercial vehicles, buses, pumps,
  isolated electricity generation

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Biofuel production

• Ethanol
• Sugarcane (Australia, Brazil, China, Colombia,
  Ethiopia, India, Thailand), sugar beets (EU)
• Maize / Corn (US, China)
• Wheat (Canada, EU)
• Cassava (Thailand)
• Biomass wastes (cellulose) forest products
  (Canada), wood wastes, agricultural
  residuesmaize stover, sugarcane trash
• Energy cropsswitch grass, hybrid poplar, willow
• Biodiesel
• Rapeseed (EU)
• Soybeans (US)
• Palm oil (Malaysia)
• Coconut oil (Philippines)
• Plants growing on marginal landJatropha,
  Karanja (India)

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USDA, July 2006
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Greenhouse Gases

• We burn fossil fuel (coal, oil fossilized
  plants and microscopic algae) MUCH faster than it
  is formed - Middle East oil 110 million years
  old US coal 320 million years old.
• CO2 H2O -gt CH2O O2 (photosynthesis) reverse
  reaction-burning, decay respiration
• Biofuels every year burn as we grow - crops
  pick up CO2 in photosynthesis, we put it back by
  burning -gt no net effect on concentration of
  greenhouse gases

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Things to consider

• Alternative fuel what are its TOTAL costs?
• Example hydrogen-powered cars what does it cost
  (energy, environmental) to make the hydrogen?
• Biofuels energy costs of growing include
  watering, fertilizer production, transport of
  fertilizer and crop, costs of seed grain, cost of
  government subsidies, environmental pollution
  clean-up, income from byproducts
• Other factors job creation, competition with
  food production, environmental pollution through
  fertilizer use, and so on

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Does it take more energy to make ethanol than is
contained in the ethanol?

• SIMPLIFIED
• 1980 yes
• 1990 probably not
• 2005 no
• the ethanol industry, in terms of energy use per
  gallon of ethanol produced, has become much more
  efficient over the years, as has the farmer, in
  terms of energy use per bushel of corn grown

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Efficiency

1. Yield of ethanol per acre
2. Net energy yield (ratio of energy in / energy
   out)
3. Expenses as compared to that of gasoline derived
   from oil, combined with miles/gallon (cars need
   30 more ethanol than normal gas per mile
   driven)

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• 1 acre sugar beets 720 gallons
• 1 acre sugarcane 695 -720 gallons of ethanol
• 1 acre of corn 350-420 gallons of ethanol
• 1 acre of sorghum 172 gallons of ethanol

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USDA, July 2006
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Energy ratios

• Corn to ethanol 1.3 (mean current techniques)
  to 1.7 (best present techniques)
• Cellulose ethanol use enzymes to digest
  cellulose) - not yet fully functional.
• Estimated 3-6
• Sugar cane - sugar beets 6-8 (including energy
  generated through byproduct burning)
• Difference in fermentation processes of starch
  (in corn) and sucrose (in sugar crops) higher
  efficiency of sugar

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COSTSWorld raw sugar vs. gasoline price
Rotterdam unleaded regular gasoline 4Q 2005 US
dollars
SourceWorldbank
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COSTSBrazil worlds lowest-cost sugar producer

• Favorable climate, plentiful land, good soil, and
  abundant rainfall in Center-South (cane
  cultivation water intensive)
• Use of bagasse for plant energy use and surplus
  electricity sales
• Between 1975-2000, sugarcane yield per hectare
  increased by 33, sugar content of cane 8,
  ethanol yield from sugar 14, fermentation
  productivity 150
• Modern sugar production and processing and high
  level of managerial skills
• More than 500 commercial varieties of cane (each
  plant processes around 15 varieties)
• Hybrid sugar mill/distillery complexes
• Planting, harvesting, and plant operations
  computerized

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Source USDA 2002
Brazilian ethanol is cheapest
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Sugarcane-ethanol Advantages

• Higher ethanol yield per acre
• Lower energy costs
• Higher net energy balance
• Bagasse is used for production of steam power
• Could received 2.5 credits for every gallon
• Lower Volatile Organic C emissions

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Sugarcane-ethanol Disadvantages (production
within US)

• Higher feedstock costs
• Higher cane transportation costs
• Higher processing costs
• Higher labor use and labor costs
• Higher expenses for repairs, maintenance, and
  parts
• Higher expenses for general and administration

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Source Brazilian Government
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Source Brazilian Government
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Source Brazilian Government
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Prospects for biofuels

• Near term
• Ethanol from sugarcane best overall chance of
  commercial viability
• Biofuel trade liberalization beneficial to all
  consumers
• Biodiesel remains expensive relative to world oil
  prices
• Medium term
• Fall in production costs
• New feedstocks
• Growing trade
• Long term
• Commercialization of cellulosic ethanol
  widespread availability, abundance, and
  significant lifecycle GreenHouse Gas emission
  reduction potential
• Higher oil prices favoring biofuel economics

SourceWorldbank
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In Summary

• Significant use of biofuel-ethanol will reduce
  emissions of greenhouse gases significantly
• Corn ethanol production IS energy efficient
• Sugar-crop ethanol production (within US) is more
  efficient than corn ethanol production (BUT
  climate, water availability, costs)
• Import of ethanol from Brazil would lower costs
  for consumers in the US if sugar tariffs are
  abandoned/ lowered (globalization) - no benefits
  for US farmers
• Further research is needed to investigate
  production of cellulose - ethanol (bacterial
  enzyme action) and other compounds (butanol)