Cellulosic Ethanol: Projected For Success

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Written by Healthy Newspaper

Friday, 06 March 2009 19:05

Across the United States, March 2009 – A little over a year ago it was reported in this publication that recent studies coming from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and from key work being done at well-known heartland universities – had determined that cellulose feed stock can produce up to 540% more energy than is consumed in their production. Today, cellulosic ethanol is looking to be the hope of the future for the beleaguered biofuel industry, which has been hit by price swings and reduced profits this past year, as it struggles toward become an everyday item in our lives. Corn ethanol has been criticized by some as energy inefficient because it produces only 25% more energy than it takes to make it. Cellulose changes the energy production equation. A five-times energy output to energy input will make cellulosic ethanol a very efficient renewable fuel. Farmers, specifically those in Nebraska and the Dakotas, over the past five year participated in a study by planting switchgrass and carefully recording all costs for fuel, fertilizer, etc. The study concluded that ethanol production would equal 300 gallons per acre. U.S. News and World Report states, “If cellulosic ethanol becomes a widespread fuel, it would be a boon for agricultural regions.” One of the nation’s top ethanol producers, Poet LLC, recently began operation at an $8 million pilot-scale biorefinery at its Scotland, South Dakota research center. From this plant it’s hoped that 20,000 gallons of fuel can be produced each year from corn cobs and other fibers normally left behind to rot in fields. And this is only the beginning. A much larger plant, costing $200 million, is scheduled to open near Emmetsburg, Iowa two years from now. Alternative biofuels constitute a critical component of America’s alternative energy future. Market leaders in this endeavor include agricultural ethanol producers such as ADM, Cargill and soybean processor Bunge Limited. As initial corn-based ethanol plants have proven to be inefficient, the market quickly realized the future of biofuels would depend on the ability to turn non-food biomass into alternative fuels efficiently. With large energy companies such as ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil also launching alternative fuel initiatives, others in the business want to be positioned in the path of progress. Poet LLC, a privately held company, is one of several backed by hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. Department of Energy grants aimed at moving forward quickly in the development of fuels made from non-corn feedstocks such as wheat straw, wood chips and switchgrass. If this projection goes as scheduled, more than 36 billion gallons of biofuels will be blended into gasoline by 2022. Currently, nearly all the ethanol produced domestically comes from corn, with this past year a tough one for many of the larger producers – when dramatic swings in corn and fuel prices, tighter credit and the adverse effects of what using so much corn had on the food industry caused shutdowns and filings for bankruptcy. Today, while the idea of cellulosic ethanol shows promise and is sparking interest, the conversion processes, both biological and thermochemical, will take time and take ample funds to make production arrive on time. These concerns, coupled with the recession and even tighter credit, will make the production of ethanol from this ‘new’ line of materials a significant challenge. Given time, proper dedication, and good use of funds available, the experts are saying this process will be successful, and someday have an enormous positive effect on this country’s ability to wean itself from foreign oil – and provide a much-needed boost for our nation’s farmers. SOURCE: Associated Press; MarketWatch < Prev   Next >