Biofuels: Changing our Agro-economy

J. Murillo1, J. J. Biernacki2, C. P. Bagley3, L. Norris4, and S. Northrup1

1Department of Chemistry, Environmental Science Program2Department of Chemical Engineering

3 College of Agriculture and Human Ecology4 Department of Sociology and Political Science

Tennessee Technological University

Cookeville, TN

Why am I here today?o Researchers at TTU are developing a

technology for production of fuels (other than ethanol) and chemicals from deliberately grown “energy” crops and other agricultural products and by-products.

o This work involves engineering and gathering of information on the potential impacts of such a technology on existing farming communities and practices.

There are things we all need…

• Food• Fuel• Clothing• Shelter

Things grown

Things taken from the earth Salt Coal and Crude Oil Stone and Minerals

Motor fuelsHeating fuelsAsphaltSynthetic fibersPlasticsFertilizerHerbicides/PesticidesCosmeticsPharmaceuticalsIndustrial and House- hold Chemicals

Heating (<5% from wood in US)Some Motor fuels (10% ethanol)CosmeticsPharmaceuticals

The balance must shift…

1750 1800 1850 Industrial

Revolution

LongAgo

2012Today

Things

Grown

Taken

From

Earth

ThingsGrown

TakenFromEarth

ThingsGrown

TakenFromEarth

U.S. History: An ethanol-centric legacy

o Ancient times• Along with plant and animal oils, ethanol was used for

lamp oil and cooking

o Pre-Civil War• 1826: Samuel Morey develops engine prototype that runs

on ethanol and turpentine• 1830s: Alcohol blends replaces expensive whale oil • 1860: The inventor of a modern internal combustion

engine, Nikolaus Otto, uses ethanol for one of his engines• 1862: Union Congress puts a $2/gallon excise tax on

ethanol to help fund the Civil War; no longer cheap enough to be used as illuminating oil.

Payne, W. A.“Are Biofuels Antithetic to Long-term Sustainability of Soil and Water Resources?” Advances in Agronomy 105 (2010): 1-46.

U.S. History: An ethanol-centric legacyo Post Civil War

• 1896: Henry Ford builds the Quadricyle to run on pure ethanol• 1906: Congress removes 50-year tax on ethanol; becomes an

alternative to motor fuel• 1908: Model T runs on ethanol, gasoline, and a mix of both.

o World War I and II• 1911-1918: Need for fuel drives ethanol demand to ≈ 60 Mgal/yr

• 1920s: Standard Oil adds ethanol to gasoline to increase octane and decrease knocking; Gas is motor fuel of choice.

o Post World War II• 1940s – 1970s: Due to the low price of gasoline, ethanol use as

fuel drastically declines; no commercial fuel ethanol available in the U.S.

Payne, W. A.“Are Biofuels Antithetic to Long-term Sustainability of Soil and Water Resources?” Advances in Agronomy 105 (2010): 1-46.

U.S. History: An ethanol-centric legacy

o Modern-day Energy Policy• 1992: The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT) • 2005: The Energy Policy Act of 2005 introduced the Renewable Fuel

Standard (RFS1) - mandates a 10% ethanol blended in U.S.-sold gasoline by 2012

• 2007: Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) Introduced the Renewable Fuels Standard-2 (RFS2), requiring the production of: 36 Bgal of ethanol-blended gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel by 2022 Of which 21 Bgal of the renewable fuel must be advanced biofuels* Of the advanced biofuels, 16 Bgal must come from cellulosic

material**

*Advanced biofuels as defined by RFS2 excludes biofuels made from corn-starch ethanol. **Lignocellulosic materials is primarily made of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.

Payne, W. A.“Are Biofuels Antithetic to Long-term Sustainability of Soil and Water Resources?” Advances in Agronomy 105 (2010): 1-46.

U.S. Future: More ethanol?

o Modern-day Energy Policy• 1992: The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT) • 2005: The Energy Policy Act of 2005 introduced the Renewable Fuel

Standard (RFS1) - mandates a 10% ethanol blended in U.S.-sold gasoline by 2012

• 2007: Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) Introduced the Renewable Fuels Standard-2 (RFS2), requiring the production of: 36 Bgal of ethanol-blended gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel by 2022 Of which 21 Bgal of the renewable fuel must be advanced biofuels* Of the advanced biofuels, 16 Bgal must come from cellulosic

material**

*Advanced biofuels as defined by RFS2 excludes biofuels made from corn-starch ethanol. **Lignocellulosic materials is primarily made of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.

Payne, W. A.“Are Biofuels Antithetic to Long-term Sustainability of Soil and Water Resources?” Advances in Agronomy 105 (2010): 1-46.

16 Bgal is about 9% of the present US annual motor gasoline production.

U.S. Future: More ethanol?

o Modern-day Energy Policy• 1992: The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT) • 2005: The Energy Policy Act of 2005 introduced the Renewable Fuel

Standard (RFS1) - mandates a 10% ethanol blended in U.S.-sold gasoline by 2012

• 2007: Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) Introduced the Renewable Fuels Standard-2 (RFS2), requiring the production of: 36 Bgal of ethanol-blended gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel by 2022 Of which 21 Bgal of the renewable fuel must be advanced biofuels* Of the advanced biofuels, 16 Bgal must come from cellulosic

material**

*Advanced biofuels as defined by RFS2 excludes biofuels made from corn-starch ethanol. **Lignocellulosic materials is primarily made of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin.

Payne, W. A.“Are Biofuels Antithetic to Long-term Sustainability of Soil and Water Resources?” Advances in Agronomy 105 (2010): 1-46.

16 Bgal is about 9% of the present US annual motor gasoline production.

Ethanol, i

t’s not t

he only option!

MotivationA Sustainable Bioenergy Industry

o National energy independence by significantly reducing foreign oil imports

o Reduce the use of petroleum fuels and petroleum-derived chemical feedstock

o Revitalize the agricultural industry and rural economies

o Mitigate greenhouse gas emissions due to burning of fossil fuels

What are Biofuels?

Bioethanol

Sugar, starch

Wheat, corn, sugarcane

Lignocellulosic materials

Wastes, woody crops, grasses

Biodiesel

Vegetable oil, animal fats

Soybean, rapeseed

Non-food oilseed crops

Camelina, Jatropha

Biogas(CH4, CO2, N2, H2, O2)

Starch-derived gases

Vegetable oil, biomethanol,

bioethers

Biogenic material, wastes, wood, etc.

2nd

Bio-crude

1st

3rd Algae

GEN

Cherubini, F. “GHG balances of bioenergy systems - Overview of key steps in the production chain and methodological concerns.” Renewable Energy 35 (2010): 1565-1573

What are Biofuels?

Bioethanol

Sugar, starch

Wheat, corn, sugarcane

Lignocellulosic materials

Wastes, woody crops, grasses

Biodiesel

Vegetable oil, animal fats

Soybean, rapeseed

Non-food oilseed crops

Camelina, Jatropha

Biogas(CH4, CO2, N2, H2, O2)

Starch-derived gases

Vegetable oil, biomethanol,

bioethers

Biogenic material, wastes, wood, etc.

2nd

Bio-crude

1st

3rd Algae

GEN

Cherubini, F. “GHG balances of bioenergy systems - Overview of key steps in the production chain and methodological concerns.” Renewable Energy 35 (2010): 1565-1573

What are Biofuels?

Bioethanol

Sugar, starch

Wheat, corn, sugarcane

Lignocellulosic materials

Wastes, woody crops, grasses

Biodiesel

Vegetable oil, animal fats

Soybean, rapeseed

Non-food oilseed crops

Camelina, Jatropha

Biogas(CH4, CO2, N2, H2, O2)

Starch-derived gases

Vegetable oil, biomethanol,

bioethers

Biogenic material, wastes, wood, etc.

2nd

Bio-crude

1st

3rd Algae

GEN

Cherubini, F. “GHG balances of bioenergy systems - Overview of key steps in the production chain and methodological concerns.” Renewable Energy 35 (2010): 1565-1573

What are Biofuels?

Bioethanol

Sugar, starch

Wheat, corn, sugarcane

Lignocellulosic materials

Woody crops, wastes, grasses

Biodiesel

Vegetable oil, animal fats

Soybean, rapeseed

Non-food oilseed crops

Camelina, Jatropha

Biogas(CH4, CO2, N2, H2, O2)

Starch-derived gases

Vegetable oil, biomethanol,

bioethers

Biogenic material, wastes, wood, etc.

2nd

Bio-crude

1st

3rd Algae

GEN

Cherubini, F. “GHG balances of bioenergy systems - Overview of key steps in the production chain and methodological concerns.” Renewable Energy 35 (2010): 1565-1573

What are Biofuels?

Bioethanol

Sugar, starch

Wheat, corn, sugarcane

Lignocellulosic materials

Wastes, woody crops, grasses

Biodiesel

Vegetable oil, animal fats

Soybean, rapeseed

Non-food oilseed crops

Camelina, Jatropha

Biogas(CH4, CO2, N2, H2, O2)

Starch-derived gases

Vegetable oil, biomethanol,

bioethers

Biogenic material, wastes, wood, etc.

2nd

Bio-crude

1st

3rd Algae

GEN

Cherubini, F. “GHG balances of bioenergy systems - Overview of key steps in the production chain and methodological concerns.” Renewable Energy 35 (2010): 1565-1573

Making Bio-crudeThermochemical Conversion

FLUIDIZING GASHeat for

Pyrolysis

BIO-CHAR

DRY

GRIND

Co

nd

ense

Heat for drying

Pyrolysis Reactor

Cyclone

BIO-GAS

BIO-CRUDE

“The Biomass Pyrolysis Cycle” http://www.nachhaltigwirtschaften.at/publikationen/forschungsforum/004/teil2.en.html( Accessed 7 October 2012).

Pyrolysis of BiomassStructure of Plant Matter

The Way of the Future

Ferrell, John. 2010. Advances in bioenergy: A southern states briefing. Presentation, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. January 28.

Balancing Environmental Sustainability and Economics

What is a “sustainable” bioenergy industry?

• Not confounded by oil and food prices

Favorable economics

• Improve or maintain soil, water and air quality

Conserve natural resources

• Maintain biodiversity and land-use changes

Preserve ecology

• Rural economies (US and developing countries)

Promote social justice

Payne, W. A.“Are Biofuels Antithetic to Long-term Sustainability of Soil and Water Resources?” Advances in Agronomy 105 (2010): 1-46.

What’s it mean for you?Outlook: Common Biomass Feedstock

U.S. Department of Energy. 2011. U.S. Billion-Ton Update: Biomass Supply for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry. R. D. Perlack and B. J. Stokes (Leads), ORNL/TM-2011/244. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN. 227p. (Figure ES.4)

How will it change land use?Environmental Conservation Considerations

Land-use changes• Direct: new agricultural land is used

for energy crops• Indirect: land is repurposed to grow

energy crops

Cherubini, F. “GHG balances of bioenergy systems - Overview of key steps in the production chain and methodological concerns.” Renewable Energy 35 (2010): 1565-1573

What are others doing?Biorefinery Activity in the US

Commercial 2 t/h - 20 t/h

Demonstration 200-2000 kg/h

Pilot 20-200 kg/h

Laboratory 1-20 kg/h

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/integrated_biorefineries.html (accessed 24 June 2012)

Participation

• Knowledge and willingness to grow energy crops for biofuels and biotechnology industry

Perception

• Opinions related to the production of energy feedstock, pre-processing, and transporting to near-by biorefineries

Outlook

• Are growers optimistic about revitalization efforts in rural agricultural communities?

Environmental

• Characteristics of farm operations, including types of enterprise, and use of various agricultural practices (tilling, use of cover crops, etc.)

Socio-economic impacts of growing energy crops for biofuels in the Upper Cumberland – a participatory approach.

So, why am I here again?

THANK YOUQUESTIONS?

PYROLYSIS – An Opportunity to Change Things…