March 2007 Digest

Bridging the Gap to Biofuels


When it comes to energy, we are all stakeholders – whether we are producers, refiners, developers, educators, policymakers, marketers, regulators, environmentalists, distributors, farmers, foresters, or simply commuters... we are all consumers with a vested interest in future development of renewable energy in concert with environmental sustainability.

Even though there is a growing global recognition that something must be done to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate carbon emissions, the potential for endless debate over the means to these ends is threatened by delays. We need to act now.

The success of any mission to achieve 25x’25 or Twenty in Ten is more dependent on our willingness to communicate and work together than it is on our technical achievements. Why? I am convinced it will take collaboration between all stakeholders to develop and deploy these emerging technologies.

Having attended three important conferences this month, perhaps the most important lesson I can share is one for “bridging the gap” that I learned at 25x’25. When negotiating all parties must take an attitude of “Yes, if...” rather than “No, because...”

For example, “Will you agree...?”:
• “Yes, if you will guarantee...
• “Yes, if you can convince...
• “Yes, if you can match...
• “Yes, if you will commit...

Without the proper spirit of collaboration no compact between stakeholders will be sustainable – even if the technology is.

BIOstock Blog--------------
• Will dead trees revive forest industries?
• Why ethanol from wood makes sense
• The Canadian action plan against the Mountain Pine Beetle
• 25x'25 Summit pressures U.S. Congress to act
• Environmentalists and industrialists meet at the BioEnergy Wiki

BIOconversion Blog--------------
• Multi-prong approach enhances energy security
• ACORE wins BIG in Vegas
• So. California Air Quality (AQMD) looks at Cellulosic Ethanol
• BIO World Congress is bio-energized by cellulosic ethanol

BIOoutput Blog--------------
• Using fungi to produce ethanol & biodegradeable material

BIOwaste Blog--------------
• Producing hydrogen from wastewater and MSW
• Fortune looks at waste source reduction

Each month we provide a similar breakdown of article titles from our favorite "companion" site - Biopact Blog. This list is kept current and is accessible in the right hand column of each of the three blogs.

Please forward a link to this digest to anyone you know who would be interested in keeping track of change that will affect us all. They can add their name to the mailing list on the BioConversion Blog.

technorati digest, biofuels, conversion, bioenergy, cellulosic, feedstock, ethanol, sustainability

BIO World Congress is bio-energized by cellulosic ethanol

The 4th Annual BIO World Congress on Biotechnology & Bioprocessing was held under ideal conditions in Orlando between March 22-24. In the past the focus has been on a wider range of industries including pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, nanotechnology, and plastics. This year, cellulosic ethanol took center stage.

Many academics were on hand including post-grads from my old alma mater (Cornell) who were furiously typing up their notes of the many excellent presentations. For the first time I didn't take any notes - I took pictures (with a 7 megapixel Casio Xilim) which is an excellent way to capture the blurrying array of slides for later mental digestion. One thing I have learned about left-brained presenters - they tend to cram more information into their visuals than they address. At a parent orientation at MIT I saw students photographing chalkboards full of organic chemistry equations and I thought - boy that looks like the way to go!

Their were five tracks running simultaneously: Biofuels and bioenergy, Renewable feedstocks, Chemicals & biochemicals, Consumer manufacturing and bioprocessing, and Business development infrastructure and public policy. Probably 75% of the breakout sessions were focused on some aspect of biomass conversion of ag and forestry feedstock for the production of ethanol and bioproducts: CE in California, Woody crops for biorefineries, the use of genomics to improve biological conversion of biomass, the emerging defense department bioenergy market, reshaping the paper and pulp industry... on and on. I needed Hermione's time shifter - but the printed brochure of abstracts is a goldmine of summary information.

My chief objective is to meet the presenters and network. It was a field day for me. I spent most of my time with Richard Germain of Navigant Consulting and Jim Stewart of BRI (who used to work with Walt Disney and saw the first briefings that went into the conversion of Orlando into Walt Disney World!). Vinod Khosla gave the keynote and rousing lunch addresses from Jay Keasling (UC/Berkeley educator and 2006 Discover Magazine Scientist of the Year) and Alexander Karsner of the DOE/EERE stressed the national importance of the proceedings.

Aside from BRI there were several winners of the coveted DOE cellulosic ethanol grants giving presentations - Diversa and Celunol, Bluefire, Iogen, and Broin. I didn't see anyone from Abengoa or Rangefuels (but Doug Cameron of Khosla Ventures was in attendance).

The development of fast-growing ag and forest biomass was a hot topic of conversation including presentations by ArborGen 's Nathan Ramsey. From my vantage point as a marketing consultant for Price BIOstock Services in forestry biomass I found repeated references to the importance of forest stewardship and the critical role that the paper and pulp industries can play in achieving clean biomass to energy conversions. People are not aware that 44% of existing renewable electrical energy is being generated by the forestry industries.

The press was there and I was able to knosh with fellow blogger David Adams with whom I keep a running online relationship. He cornered Vinod Khosla for an excellent interview and introduced me to some journalists including Paul Elias of the Associated Press.

One panel relating to ongoing bioenergy education and communications was moderated by Terry Nipp of Sun Grant Association. Mark Downing of the Oakridge National Laboratory spoke of DOE plans to foster opportunities among emerging technologies in bioenergy. He provided insight to five years planning (2007-2012) by the Energy Efficiency an Renewable Energy division of the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Sun Grant Initiative is setting up regional feedstock partnerships to evaluate biomass production potential in each of the large scale biogeographical regions of the country.

One recipient of Sun Grant funding is a new educational resource called BioWeb that is an online resource for bioenergy and bioproducts. It will be premiere in beta form online on March 28th and releasing in full in mid-April. I videotaped Kelly Tiller, website editor, who described it as "an encyclopedia of everything biomass" that is approachable for every level of user. What makes it unique compared to the BIOenergy WIKI is that it is peer-reviewed with restricted contributions that are limited to biomass. Their creation of graphical interfaces could be very useful in simplifying understanding of the many technical complexities and relationships of this industry. They will also report on the emerging findings and products from the regional feedstock partnerships.

Other than Jim Stewart's BRI presentation on the final day I saw no mention of bioconversion of syngas through the use of catalysts or bioorganisms. Syngas fermentation would be almost a universal solution to feedstock conversion to ethanol and other chemicals - enabling us to convert blended ag, forestry, and urban waste in all its forms. Other companies are on the trail of this exciting technology but none of them appeared on the docket or in attendance.

technorati BIOblog, BIOconversion, bioenergy, biofuels, ethanol, hydrolysis, syngas, cellulosic, legislation, gasification, decentralization, security

So. California Air Quality (AQMD) looks at Cellulosic Ethanol

The Southern California Air Quality Management District (SC/AQMD) is both a hero to local health agencies and the bane of existence to emerging technology developers.

Unquestionably, the improvement in Southern California air quality is one of the great national health success stories. Since 1990, per capita smog exposure has seen marked improvement in every county of the region and that is a mostly a result of AQMD "policing" of stringent controls and testing.

However, the San Gabriel Valley, Riverside, and San Bernardino are still seemingly intractable challenges. Until there are significant improvements in vehicular, refinery, electricity generation, and cement manufacturing emissions mitigation, the region's climatological conditions will still produce oppressive smog-filled conditions. And Los Angeles is still ranked as the smoggiest city in America.

It is, perhaps, for this reason that the AQMD sponsors periodic full day forums and roundtable discussions to discuss energy, fuels, and transportation issues that bear on air quality. Since June of 2006, the AQMD has hosted forums on Ethanol, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles, Diesel Vehicles, Ozone, BioDiesel, and Container Movement Technology.

On February 15 AQMD held a web-cast forum on Cellulosic Ethanol that featured high caliber, national experts in the field. Each presented a 20-26 minute presentation in the morning and participated in a roundtable discussion in the afternoon.

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Cellulosic Ethanol Technology Forum and Roundtable Discussion

Transportation sources in the (Southern California) South Coast Air Basin are substantial contributors of air pollution and toxic risk affecting the residents of the South Coast Air Basin, primarily because the fuel used in transportation sources is based on petroleum, such as gasoline and diesel. Such overwhelming dependency on a single fuel makes California and this Basin vulnerable to supply shortages and consequent severe price hikes, that in turn could seriously affect California’s ability to move goods and people.

Alternative fuels, such as ethanol, can reduce this dependency on petroleum and also enable this agency to meet its targeted air quality goals. Twenty percent of the ethanol currently produced in the country is consumed in California. However, production of this corn-based ethanol is ultimately limited by a number of factors. To be sustainable in the long-term and on a large scale, it is imperative that ethanol be produced from forest and agricultural residues such as corn stalks and rice stalks, and other plant materials including grasses and wood grown for this purpose.


technorati BIOblog, BIOconversion, bioenergy, biofuels, ethanol, hydrolysis, syngas, cellulosic, gasification, decentralization

ACORE wins BIG in Vegas

What a difference a year makes! The American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) deserves strong praise for its 2006-2007 accomplishments as facilitators of America's emerging technologies development.

This year's Power-Gen Renewable Energy & Fuels conference in Las Vegas (March 5-8) was a "candy store" of information and networking opportunities for anyone interested in learning about emerging technologies in the renewable energy field. If this is an indication of ACORE's trajectory, anyone who reads this blog should make a point to attend next year - roughly the same time and city as this year. Not only was there greater exhibitor diversity and maturity but current events leading up to the conference imbued it with a heightened sense of importance and urgency.

Networking opportunities for the conference registrants abounded starting with tours to Hoover Dam and local desert solar arrays. Other receptions featured industry luminaries like former CIA Director James Woolsey.

I spent most of my time attending workshops and conference sessions dealing with biomass and conversion issues. Solar, wind, ocean wave, and geothermal technological development were also prominent on the agenda.

The Biomass Coordinating Council held its 2nd annual pre-conference meeting on Monday, March 5th. In comparison to last year (where attendees made brief introductions and discussed general topics in a round table configuration) this year its venerated and dynamic committee chairman, Bill Holmberg, organized a compelling string of ten joint presentations conducted by thirty of the participants. Topics included: Biomass in Developing Countries, Sustainability, Rural Development, Multifuel Engines and Biofuels, Soil Enrichment, Fast Growing Trees, Prison Industries, and Cellulosic Ethanol - the Future of BioFuels.

For my part, I co-presented - with Barbara Bramble of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and Doug Durante of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition (CFDC) - a discussion of how our Communications Working Group would foster networking, education, promotion, and feedback over the coming year.

Barbara focused on the NWF-supported BioEnergy WIKI that her organization inaugurated several months ago. It typifies the kind of innovation that will help move BCC collaborative tasks forward - online, user-written, informative, and topical. Be sure to visit it and bookmark it now. It will become the BCC/Communication Working Group's primary means of communication this year.

CFDC has been a major producer of focused publications that are used throughout Congress and industry to help foster understanding of clean fuels technologies, policy issues, and opportunities.

Navigant Consulting's extremely knowledgeable experts ran a pre-conference workshop that was worth the price of admission called "Uncovering the Full Renewable Energy Potential." Their work on the Bioenergy Action Plan for California was a key determinant leading to this year's passage of various progressive energy policies by its "action" Governor, Arnold Schwarzenneger, and the state legislature. At the conference they gave attendees their insight about: Technologies, Economics, and Markets; Biofuels Today and Tomorrow, and Renewable Energy Project Development. These experts (Richard Germain, Michele Rubino, Ryan Kotafsky, and Lisa Frantzis) are a must-see at the many events they attend around the country.

Navigant is conducting a comprehensive, multi-client study called "The (Re-) Emerging Bioenergy Economy" which will focus on the true potenital of bioenergy in the U.S. It is aimed, and priced, for strategic involvement and utilization by subscribing companies who will be introduced to the study, kept informed during development, and receive key findings in a presentation style report. Approximately eight weeks after the final meeting, NCI staff will offer one-and-one-half day follow-up meetings with a tailored presentation for each company. Subscription details are available by contacting Richard Germain.

Introduced by Jackie Jones of conference owner and producer PenWell Corporation at the keynote address, Michael Eckhart, President of ACORE, cited a Thomas Friedman quotation certain to be repeated often this year - "Green is the new Red, White, & Blue" - which identifies the patriotic fervor of the movement as well as its broad based support (among both "red" and "blue" states). He then introduced luminaries from each of the major renewable technologies represented at the conference - Alec Dreyer from Horizon Wind Energy LLC, Cameron "Mac" Moore from Germany-based Coenergy Group, Dr. Dan Arvizu from the National Renewable Energy Lab, and Dave Vander Griend from ICM, Inc. Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons also made an impassioned case for relocating businesses to Nevada - "No taxes!"

Ethanol naysayers take note - with the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) announcement of over $385 million in matching grants for 6 cellulosic ethanol plants around the country, there is little debate now about the net energy balance of ethanol. At one session on Advanced BioFuels Technologies, Michele Rubino of Navigant oversaw a panel that included two winners of the grants - Abengoa Bioenergy, and BlueFire Ethanol - and Seth Snyder of Argonne National Labs. Much of the presentation focused on a comparison of biochemical vs. thermochemical conversion processes and how they would be deployed in upcoming installations.

Jim Stewart of BRI, a third CE plant DOE grant recipient, made a presentation at the BCC workshop about BRI syngas fermentation technology - the advantages and benefits of its unique bioreactor process. He also drew attention to my BioEnergy BlogRing with a very generous testimonial. Thank you, Jim!

There was more interest expressed this year than last concerning the variety and quantity of biomass feedstock available for conversion. With the transitioning emphasis from corn to cellulosic ethanol feedstocks, there was a number of speakers who mentioned the untapped potential of woody biomass. It may be surprising to learn that the forestry and paper mill industries have been the largest producers of renewable energy in America - accounting for roughly 44% of the total. This production is generally unseen because the privat companies that produce it also use it - to avoid the expense and reliance on external, public sources of energy. The anticipated renaissance of the forestry industry will play a crucial role in our ability to meet renewable energy goals in the coming decades. It was heartening to see the wood industry sector receive some of the recognition it deserves.

One of the last presentations of the day was devoted to promotion of the 25x'25 Vision:

By 2025, America's farms, forests and ranches will provide 25 percent of the total energy consumed in the United States, while continuing to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed and fiber.

National Co-chair Read Smith was joined by summit program committee member Richard Hahn to advance the goals of the organization as well as promote the upcoming 25x'25 Summit in Washington, D.C. March 20-21 at the Fairmont Hotel.

The agenda for the 25x'25 Summit is now posted on their website and it consists of a who's who of renewable energy, some who were not in attendance at the Power-Gen show including keynote speaker Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures, David Morse of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, various Senators and Congressmen, and Thomas Friedman of the N.Y. Times (invited).

PLEASE NOTE: I plan to be at both the 25x'25 Summit and the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing from March 22-24 in Orlando, Florida. Please notify me if you will be attending - I'd love to see you there.

technorati 25x'25, biofuels, conversion, bioenergy, agriculture, feedstock, legislation, forestry

Multi-prong approach enhances energy security

A recently released report from the Southern States Energy Board gives a realistic scenario for increasing "American Energy Security" by eliminating the petroleum import gap. Using a multi-prong approach involving a broad range of technologies, they anticipate that this can be accomplished by 2031. This in spite of the fact that they project liquid fuel demand will increase during that time by 25%.

As can be seen in the accompanying pie chart, the bulk of the technologies are fossil-fuel related - coal-to-liquid conversion, oil shale, and enhanced oil recovery. Like it or not, coal, oil shale, and other domestic fossil fuel feedstocks do represent an alternative to imported oil and natural gas feedstocks. Energy made from these resources are not, however, carbon neutral and they will not simultaneously help to reduce carbon emissions.

Transportation efficiency means the reduction in demand for oil effected by a gradual changeover from pure gasoline to gasoline blends involving extenders like ethanol and the sale of flex-fuel, hybrid, and plug-in hybrids that use even less gasoline. Biomass includes fuels like ethanol and biodiesel that are made from sugar fermentation, hydrolysis, and gasification.

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American Energy Security Report

A vast array of technologies exist that can produce liquid fuels from coal, oil shale, and biomass resources, that can facilitate enhanced oil recovery from U.S. reservoirs and save millions of barrels per day of liquid fuels in the transportation sector.

Liquid fuels are complex mixtures of hydrocarbons or oxygenated hydrocarbons in the form of ethers or alcohols. The transformation of biomass into these types of compounds involves breaking down the macropolymers of biomass into elemental molecules and then reconfiguring these molecules into the desired fuel compounds.

There are two fundamental approaches to this transformation: one is a bioconversion approach and the other uses thermochemical methods. Commercial ethanol and biodiesel liquid fuels production is well established in the U.S., and new pyrolysis and thermal depolymerization techniques are being developed to produce hydrocarbon fuels from cellulosic resources. Large polygeneration carbon-to-liquids plants can process a varied blend of coal, oil shale, and biomass feedstocks into oil. These combination plants first will gasify the carbon-bearing feedstocks and then combine the product gases into liquid fuels using well established Fisher-Tropsch technology.



technorati BIOblog, BIOconversion, biomass, decentralization, security

Biopact: March 2007 Digest

Biopact Blog writes many stories that are relevant to the study of BIOstock, BIOconversion, BIOoutput, and BIOwaste.

Rather than summarize and reprint excerpts from this excellent source of information, a breakdown of each month's most relevant titles is provided in one updated article...

BIOstock...
• Leading investors create major biofuel company in Brazil, as bagasse-based cellulosic ethanol advances
• Disappointing yields dampen switchgrass enthusiasm
• Unique study analyses consumption and carrying capacity of ecosystems

BIOconversion...
• Hydrogen infusion could boost synthetic biofuel yields
• Scientists develop analytical system to monitor trace elements in biomass gasification
• Lack of fuel may limit nuclear power expansion - MIT
• Vinod Khosla predicts exponential growth of biofuels, to replace 25% of world fuel demand
• Lost in the forest of green energy concepts? Try the Bioenergy Wiki
• President Lula's letter: "Our Partnership"

BIOoutput...
• CarbonTracker: powerful new tool to track atmospheric carbon dioxide by source
• Researchers develop bioplastic that breaks down into biodiesel after use
• Bioplastics developed that degrade in seawater, boon to cruise industry

BIOwaste...
• Scientists discover fungus to convert biomass into ethanol, and into biodegradable antibacterial and super-absorbent material

February 2007 Digest

The IPCC finally released their long-awaited summary of findings on global warming. Al Gore's movie won the Oscar for Best Documentary. Does that mean that people are finally convinced of the truth about global warming? Does it matter?

There are plenty of reasons to be concerned about the state of the atmosphere without having to declare one way or the other on the issue of global warming. Living in Los Angeles, raising a daughter with lifelong battles with allergies, bronchial congestion, and asthmatic inhalers, I am more concerned with particulate matter and reactive organic gases than I am about gradual global temperature increases due to greenhouse gas. No one has to convince me that we need to act now to clean up the air we breathe.

As ACORE attests, a welcome consequence of a switch to renewable fuels is that we will move closer to a carbon-neutral balance for our atmosphere. If we can simultaneously reduce our mountains of decaying trash and fire-prone wood waste to produce biofuels through bioconversion, so much the better for our environment.

BIOstock Blog--------------
• SunOpta goes global with steam explosion biomass pre-treatment
• Wood beats corn stover in U.S. cellulosic ethanol race
• "Green Tags" reward Renewable Energy development
• Trees-for-Fuel Biomass Plants Mitigate Fires

BIOconversion Blog--------------
• BP invests in UC Berkeley/UIUC Biosciences Institute
• Banking big on Renewable Energy
• Corn Sugar Fermentation - Educational Videos
• Wood beats corn stover in U.S. cellulosic ethanol race
• Online game is a Climate Challenge
• U.S. DOE backs funding of six cellulosic ethanol biorefinery projects

BIOoutput Blog--------------
• The IPCC Report solution? Renewable Energy.
• Green Options is the place to be
• California's Transportation Action Plan targets 2020
• INDY 500: Drivers, start your ethanol-fueled engine
• Clean and Efficient Biogas Fuel Cells

BIOwaste Blog--------------
• PyroGenesis' BIOwaste Conversion Systems
• Small Town with a BIG green vision
• Green Options for Recycled Paper

Each month we provide a similar breakdown of article titles from our favorite "companion" site - Biopact Blog. This list is kept current and is accessible in the right hand column of each of the three blogs.

Please forward a link to this digest to anyone you know who would be interested in keeping track of change that will affect us all. They can add their name to the mailing list on the BioConversion Blog.


technorati digest, biofuels, conversion, bioenergy, cellulosic, feedstock, ethanol

U.S. DOE backs funding of six cellulosic ethanol biorefinery projects

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman hosted a press conference today to announce selection of six cellulosic ethanol biorefinery projects that will contribute to the President’s goal of reducing U.S. gasoline consumption by 20 percent in ten years (President’s Bush’s Twenty in Ten Initiative).

The government's matching fund program was considered by many to be a necessary step to get cellulosic ethanol off the ground. With six separate initiatives being pursued by private industry, the better technologies will "rise to the top." Each is sited in a different region of the country using a broad array of feedstock - a testament to the universality of the bioconversion approach.

The project winners are a who's who of developers that have been chronicled on this BIOconversion Blog over the past year and a half. For more information on them, use the search engine at the top of this webpage.

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DOE Selects Six Cellulosic Ethanol Plants for Up to $385 Million in Federal Funding
Funding to help bring cellulosic ethanol to market and help revolutionize the industry

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Samuel W. Bodman today announced that DOE will invest up to $385 million for six biorefinery projects over the next four years. When fully operational, the biorefineries are expected to produce more than 130 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year. This production will help further President Bush’s goal of making cellulosic ethanol cost-competitive with gasoline by 2012 and, along with increased automobile fuel efficiency, reduce America’s gasoline consumption by 20 percent in ten years.

“These biorefineries will play a critical role in helping to bring cellulosic ethanol to market, and teaching us how we can produce it in a more cost effective manner,” Secretary Bodman said. “Ultimately, success in producing inexpensive cellulosic ethanol could be a key to eliminating our nation’s addiction to oil. By relying on American ingenuity and on American farmers for fuel, we will enhance our nation’s energy and economic security.”

Today’s announcement is one part of the Bush Administration’s comprehensive plan to support commercialization of scientific breakthroughs on biofuels. Specifically, these projects directly support the goals of President Bush’s Twenty in Ten Initiative, which aims to increase the use of renewable and alternative fuels in the transportation sector to the equivalent of 35 billion gallons of ethanol a year by 2017. Funding for these projects is an integral part of the President’s Biofuels Initiative that will lead to the wide-scale use of non-food based biomass, such as agricultural waste, trees, forest residues, and perennial grasses in the production of transportation fuels, electricity, and other products. The solicitation, announced a year ago, was initially for three biorefineries and $160 million. However, in an effort to expedite the goals of President Bush’s Advanced Energy Initiative and help achieve the goals of his Twenty in Ten Initiative, within authority of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), Section 932, Secretary Bodman raised the funding ceiling.

“We had a number of very good proposals, but these six were considered ‘meritorious’ by a merit review panel made up of bioenergy experts. So I thought it would be best to front-end some more funding now, so that we could all reap the benefits of the President’s vision sooner,” Secretary Bodman said.

Combined with the industry cost share, more than $1.2 billion will be invested in these six biorefineries. Negotiations between the selected companies and DOE will begin immediately to determine final project plans and funding levels. Funding will begin this fiscal year and run through FY 2010. EPAct authorized DOE to solicit and fund proposals for the commercial demonstration of advanced biorefineries that use cellulosic feedstocks to produce ethanol and co-produce bioproducts and electricity.

The following six projects were selected:

1. Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas, LLC of Chesterfield, Missouri, up to $76 million.
The proposed plant will be located in the state of Kansas. The plant will produce 11.4 million gallons of ethanol annually and enough energy to power the facility, with any excess energy being used to power the adjacent corn dry grind mill. The plant will use 700 tons per day of corn stover, wheat straw, milo stubble, switchgrass, and other feedstocks.
Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass investors/participants include: Abengoa Bioenergy R&D, Inc.; Abengoa Engineering and Construction, LLC; Antares Corp.; and Taylor Engineering.

2. ALICO, Inc. of LaBelle, Florida, up to $33 million.
The proposed plant will be in LaBelle (Hendry County), Florida. The plant will produce 13.9 million gallons of ethanol a year and 6,255 kilowatts of electric power, as well as 8.8 tons of hydrogen and 50 tons of ammonia per day. For feedstock, the plant will use 770 tons per day of yard, wood, and vegetative wastes and eventually energycane.
ALICO, Inc. investors/participants include: Bioengineering Resources, Inc. of Fayetteville, Arkansas; Washington Group International of Boise, Idaho; GeoSyntec Consultants of Boca Raton, Florida; BG Katz Companies/JAKS, LLC of Parkland, Florida; and Emmaus Foundation, Inc.

3. BlueFire Ethanol, Inc. of Irvine, California, up to $40 million.
The proposed plant will be in Southern California. The plant will be sited on an existing landfill and produce about 19 million gallons of ethanol a year. As feedstock, the plant would use 700 tons per day of sorted green waste and wood waste from landfills.
BlueFire Ethanol, Inc. investors/participants include: Waste Management, Inc.; JGC Corporation; MECS Inc.; NAES; and PetroDiamond.

4. Broin Companies of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, up to $80 million.
The plant is in Emmetsburg (Palo Alto County), Iowa, and after expansion, it will produce 125 million gallons of ethanol per year, of which roughly 25percent will be cellulosic ethanol. For feedstock in the production of cellulosic ethanol, the plant expects to use 842 tons per day of corn fiber, cobs, and stalks.
Broin Companies participants include: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company; Novozymes North America, Inc.; and DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

5. Iogen Biorefinery Partners, LLC, of Arlington, Virginia, up to $80 million.
The proposed plant will be built in Shelley, Idaho, near Idaho Falls, and will produce 18 million gallons of ethanol annually. The plant will use 700 tons per day of agricultural residues including wheat straw, barley straw, corn stover, switchgrass, and rice straw as feedstocks.
Iogen Biorefinery Partners, LLC investors/partners include: Iogen Energy Corporation; Iogen Corporation; Goldman Sachs; and The Royal Dutch/Shell Group.

6. Range Fuels (formerly Kergy Inc.) of Broomfield, Colorado, up to $76 million.
The proposed plant will be constructed in Soperton (Treutlen County), Georgia. The plant will produce about 40 million gallons of ethanol per year and 9 million gallons per year of methanol. As feedstock, the plant will use 1,200 tons per day of wood residues and wood based energy crops.
Range Fuels investors/participants include: Merrick and Company; PRAJ Industries Ltd.; Western Research Institute; Georgia Forestry Commission; Yeomans Wood and Timber; Truetlen County Development Authority; BioConversion Technology; Khosla Ventures; CH2MHill; Gillis Ag and Timber.

Cellulosic ethanol is an alternative fuel made from a wide variety of non-food plant materials (or feedstocks), including agricultural wastes such as corn stover and cereal straws, industrial plant waste like saw dust and paper pulp, and energy crops grown specifically for fuel production like switchgrass. By using a variety of regional feedstocks for refining cellulosic ethanol, the fuel can be produced in nearly every region of the country. Though it requires a more complex refining process, cellulosic ethanol contains more net energy and results in lower greenhouse emissions than traditional corn-based ethanol. E-85, an ethanol-fuel blend that is 85-percent ethanol, is already available in more than 1,000 fueling stations nationwide and can power millions of flexible fuel vehicles already on the roads.

technorati BIOblog, BIOconversion, bioenergy, biofuels, ethanol, hydrolysis, syngas, cellulosic, gasification, decentralization

Online game is a Climate Challenge

The BBC Weather Centre has a wealth of information on their Climate Change website about global warming - evidence, impacts, adaptation, policies, and links. They recently ran a Climate Change experiment that utilized the spare computing power of a quarter of a million participants - mostly throughout Europe and the eastern U.S. Through this huge distributed processing project, thousands of climate change models could be run and the results computed. Their findings:

• The UK should expect a 4°C rise in temperature by 2080 according to the most likely results of the experiment.
• Heatwaves are on the rise and, by 2080, summer temperatures of 40°C will be common. Winters will also be warmer.
• Summer rainfall is set to decrease and the UK can expect more frequent droughts
• Winters will bring less snow and more rain, especially in the north and west. Storms will be more frequent and more severe.
• Different regions around the world can expect varying levels of warming. New Zealand faces a smaller temperature rise than the UK's 4°C change, while Alaska should prepare for a greater increase

They recently published a free, online serious game that simulates the decision-making process engaged by world leaders in counter-acting the global warming phenomenon. It is important that each stakeholder of the energy/environment dialog recognize the need for coordination of many nations efforts to forestall the effects threatened by interlinked future challenges.

Thanks to our European friends at Biopact for supplying the base information on this story. Monitoring bioenergy stories from their well-researched viewpoint should be a part of the regimen for anyone that is serious about global approaches to solving the energy/environmental challenges before us. A monthly digest of their most relevant stories are published here - see February's digest.


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Why make a game about climate change?

The BBC decided a game might be a good introductory route into climate change and some of the issues this creates for governments around the world. At times it was necessary to strike a compromise between strict scientific accuracy and playability. For this reason, Climate Challenge should not be taken as a serious climate change prediction. Wherever possible, real research has been incorporated into the game.

Apart from the primary goal of creating a fun game, Climate Challenge's producers aimed to:
• give an understanding of some of the causes of climate change, particularly those related to carbon dioxide emissions.
• give players an awareness of some of the policy options available to governments.
• give a sense of the challenges facing international climate change negotiators.

Players must respond to catastrophic events caused by climate change as well as natural and manmade events, which may or may not be linked to climate change. This aspect of the game is meant to give some idea of what could happen as the Earth's climate changes and also introduce the unpredictable nature of some natural events.


technorati BIOenergy BlogRing, BIOconversion, bioenergy, biofuels, legislation, decentralization, security

Wood beats corn stover in U.S. cellulosic ethanol race

We knew it was coming. Vinod Khosla has finally made a bold move to back up industry-wide speculation that cellulosic ethanol would soon emerge as the next phase in ethanol production. The surprise is that wood would be the feedstock of choice given the vast headstart of corn-based biorefineries in the country and the obvious synergy of basing corn stover conversion technologies near sugar fermentation plants.

However, the high energy potential of wood cellulose, the ready available of cheap waste, and the search for a renaissance of forestry-based industries makes the announcement a welcome one to the "nation's woodpile" in the southeastern states.

See the Range Fuels, Inc. press release at the BIOstock Blog.

technorati BIOblog, BIOstock, biomass, cellulosic, Khosla, forestry

Corn Sugar Fermentation - Educational Videos

There are not too many videos available online that can be used to educate the lay audience on the processes under discussion by this Blog. However, there are videos available that explain the processes involved in conventional sugar fermentation.

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., has compiled a series of brief WMV files that provide an overview of the processes involved in sugar fermentation.

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a DuPont company, is the world's leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics to farmers worldwide.

With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer develops, produces and markets a full line of top-quality seeds and forage and grain additives and provides services to customers in nearly 70 countries.

----------------
Tour an Ethanol Plant

Tour an Ethanol Plant
Watch:
1. Dry Milling
(WMV | 01:02 | 1.64 MB)
2. Liquefaction
(WMV | 00:20 | 1.64 MB)
3. Saccharification
(WMV | 00:15 | 1.64 MB)
4. Fermentation
(WMV | 00:43 | 1.64 MB)
5. Batch Fermentation
(WMV | 00:20 | 1.64 MB)
6. Distillation
(WMV | 01:11 | 1.64 MB)
7. Molecular Sieve
(WMV | 00:34 | 1.64 MB)
8. Distillers Grain
(WMV | 01:19 | 1.64 MB)


technorati BIOblog, BIOconversion, bioenergy, biofuels, ethanol

Banking big on Renewable Energy

It is not always easy to be a cheerleader or evangelist for a new technology paradigm. You have to be ready to accept rejection by the saviest skeptics - particularly the big banks.

People promoting expensive biomass conversion technologies and waste management reforms have felt their share of skepticism. They have come to realize that if public demand is waning, the banks will be unenthusiastic about risking their funds.

That's why 2006 was such an important year. It started in November, 2005 when one of the world's biggest and most forward looking banks, Goldman Sachs, announced that it would invest over $1 Billion in alternative energy - solar, wind, and biofuels. It turns out they exceeded that number by half.

Not wanting to be outdone, other banks appear to be re-evaluating their conservative opinions about environmental markets. This bodes well for a sustained effort to shift to renewable fuels and infrastructure. Where the banks go, the politicians are sure to follow.

----------------
For Goldman Sachs, Long-Term Greed Means Going Green
by Christopher Wright on The Katoomba Group's Ecosystem Marketplace

In November 2005 Goldman Sachs surprised many people in the financial sector when it announced an ambitious new environmental policy framework. The slew of green measures included commitments to consider the environmental and social impacts of investments, encourage the development of environmental markets, and reduce the investment bank's overall climate footprint.

"Goldman Sachs really pushed the envelope with [its] policy framework," says Jon Sohn, a senior associate at the World Resources Institute. "They are sending a message that valuing the environment can go hand in hand with wealth creation."

Due to strong demand and opportunity, it exceeded its original pledge to invest $1 billion in alternative energy by 50 percent.

Reflecting its appetite for innovation, Goldman also purchased a minority stake in Iogen Corporation, which is attempting to pioneer the conversion of agriculture materials like straw, corn stalks, and switchgrass into ethanol.

A notable finding of Goldman Sachs' research is that the impact of pressures from NGOs and SRI funds, or single pollution incidences, impacts shareholder value much less than government regulation. Accordingly, the investment bank has strongly come out in favor of regulation that creates long-term value for greenhouse gas emissions reductions and new technologies. Voluntary action, it reasons, is insufficient.

"We are not advocating for any specific federal regulatory policy," says Shah. "Rather, we want to inform decision-makers of good market-principles that they should think about."

Chapple agrees with this approach: "The best input into policy that investment banks can provide is to conduct and present research to government and stakeholders that identifies the obstacles they face in expanding their investments into alternative energy and clean technologies," she says. In turn, government should set clear policy targets and stick to them, thereby providing regulatory certainty for investors.

Based on its financial standing and reputation, Goldman Sachs is a bellwether for investors. When it speaks, Wall Street listens. So given its endorsement of the sustainability agenda, are we seeing the contours of a green arms race in the financial industry?

Well, perhaps. Last October Morgan Stanley tripled Goldman's $1bn commitment, announcing plans to invest roughly $3bn in carbon credits and energy projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during the next five years. In the long run, however, only effective and stable federal regulation can put a robust price on carbon.

Market analysts have called the U.S carbon market a "hibernating giant." With Goldman Sachs leading the way, the conservative wing of Wall Street seems to have woken up. And so the question is: when will lawmakers on Capitol Hill follow suit?


technorati BIOblog, BIOconversion, bioenergy, biofuels, ethanol, hydrolysis, cellulosic, legislation, investment

BP invests in UC Berkeley/UIUC Biosciences Institute

It's only been three months since Californians voted down Prop 87 - The Clean Alternative Energy Initiative. We may never know what research and advancements would have resulted from the plan's taxation of California oil producers (mostly Chevron).

However, it now appears that we will see what BP's (aka British Petroleum or Beyond Petroleum) corporate investment in similar research will accomplish. Even though the $500 million represents about 1/8th the total sought by Prop 87, it will, in all likelihood, be more efficiently applied to solving the problems. If nothing else the major stakeholders in the bid winning collaboration - UC Berkeley, the University of Illinois/Urbana Champaign and the Lawrence Berkeley Lab had to compete for the opportunity. They also received the backing of the State government who made substantial tax concessions to make the offer more attractive.

Undoubtedly, this is good news for venture capitalists in Silicon Valley who are poised to read business implications into every innovation developed from the research. The Biosciences Institute is a great "seed" enterprise that will impact the rate of learning and deployment of important advances in bioenergy. Kudos to all parties involved.

Competition is key to stimulating advancements faster and more efficiently. Maybe Chevron, who stood to lose $3-4 Billion if Prop 87 had passed, will pick up the gauntlet and invest in a similar research collaboration elsewhere. Now that the formula has been set, there is more than one state interested in being home to biofuel development.

Here are some excerpts from BP's press release...

----------------
BP Selects Strategic Partners For Energy Biosciences Institute
University of California Berkeley, the University of Illinois and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab join research effort

BP today announced it has selected the University of California Berkeley and its partners the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to join in a $500 million research program that will explore how bioscience can be used to increase energy production and reduce the impact of energy consumption on the environment.

The Energy Biosciences Institute will perform ground-breaking research aimed at the production of new and cleaner energy, initially focusing on renewable biofuels for road transport. The EBI will also pursue bioscience-based research in three other key areas; the conversion of heavy hydrocarbons to clean fuels, improved recovery from existing oil and gas reservoirs, and carbon sequestration.

“The proposal from UC Berkeley and its partners was selected in large part because these institutions have excellent track records of delivering ‘Big Science’ – large and complex developments predicated on both scientific breakthroughs and engineering applications that can be deployed in the real world,” said BP Group Chief Executive John Browne. “This program will further both basic and applied biological research relevant to energy. In short, it will create the discipline of Energy Biosciences. The Institute will be unique in both its scale and its partnership between BP, academia and others in the private sector.”

Said U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman. "As we continue to promote alternative energy as a means to strengthen our nation's energy security, it is important that private industry join in support of research to advance President Bush's goal of making clean energy sources, like bioenergy and biofuels, commercially available."

"I can’t tell you how excited I am that BP has chosen UC Berkeley and California for its new $500 Million Energy Biosciences Institute," said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "I’m proud that the private sector has recognized California’s leadership and commitment to clean energy. This is a perfect complement to our new low-carbon fuel standard which will cut carbon emissions 10 percent from our cars by the year 2020, and with research facilities like the Energy Biosciences Institute, California will continue to be a leader in the Cleantech industry."

technorati BIOblog, BIOconversion, bioenergy, biofuels, ethanol, research, sequestration

Biopact: February 2007 Digest

Biopact Blog writes many stories that are relevant to the study of BIOstock, BIOconversion, BIOoutput, and BIOwaste.

Rather than summarize and reprint excerpts from this excellent source of information, a breakdown of each month's most relevant titles is provided in one updated article...

BIOstock...
• Eyes in the sky: ESA images forests in 3-D to analyse biomass
• Net energy of biofuels made from crops grown in the North comes at a high cost - study
• Green giant Russia to produce 1 billion tons of biomass for exports
• China to develop energy forests the size of England
• Valencia to make ethanol from orange peels
• Florida grants US$ 1 million to study cellulosic ethanol from sugarcane bagasse

BIOconversion...
• BP selects Berkeley and partners for US$500 million energy biosciences institute
• Can you tackle global warming? Play the Climate Challenge game to find out
• U.S. to import biofuels from Brazil, Panama
• DuPont outlines commercialisation strategies for biobutanol, cellulosic ethanol
• Quick comparison of renewable energy and fossil fuel prices

BIOoutput...
• Scientists propose cold storage of CO2
• MIT scientists look at saline aquifers for CO2 storage
• The bioeconomy at work: methane storage tanks for cars made from corn cobs
• Going negative: carbon-burial test will monitor leaks
• Capturing carbon with "synthetic trees" or with the real thing?
• Climate change heating up China faster than rest of the world - report
• Fuel Cell Energy signs 10-year manufacturing & distribution agreement for its biofuel capable fuel cells in South Korea
• EU opens public consultation on carbon capture and storage
• EU seeks to force transport CO2 rules on trade partners

January 2007 Digest

The Renewable Industrial Revolution

After more than 150 years, the Industrial Revolution is overdue for a major retooling. No longer can we heedlessly combust biomass and fossil resources without consideration for the carbon emissions and potential energy that "floats out the smokestack." But what can possibly replace the status quo paradigm that we have based so much of our energy, industry, transportation, and lifestyle liberties upon?

This BIO "BlogRing" - BIOstock Blog, BIOconversion Blog, BIOoutput Blog, and the new BIOwaste Blog - is intended to help identify the multi-faceted pieces of emerging biomass technologies. - is intended to help identify the multi-faceted pieces of emerging biomass technologies. Like a Rubik's cube, the parts are inextricably linked together, but currently in disarray. By addressing each facet independently, challenging issues will become clear. By shifting perspective, new collaborative solutions can be synthesized. Not just one solution but many, because the ultimate solution for any market will depend upon the resources, ecology, and stakeholders of that market.

Here are their most significant developments of January 2007, organized by blog...

BIOstock Blog--------------
• Utilizing Pine Beetle Wood Waste as BIOstock
• Japanese wood-to-ethanol facility uses Arkenol process
• CHINA: Choosing wood over corn for biofuels production
• Low heat gasification converts woody biostock to energy
• 25x'25 Vision of BIOstock Supply
• Food vs. Fuel: Over-reliance on Corn Raises Ag Prices
• Celunol produces Ethanol from Wood using Bacteria
• BIOethanol converted from pulping liquor
• Food vs. Fuel? U.S. Farmers Can Produce Both
• Black Liquor Gasification Technology Attracts Volvo Investment

BIOconversion Blog--------------
• Biomass: Year-in-Review
• Biomass Power Generation using Gasification
• ALT Energy Stocks: The Future of Ethanol
• FLORIDA: Cultivating a Bioconversion Industry
• Low heat gasification technique to convert biostock to energy
• Europe's "New Industrial Revolution"
• Celunol launches commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in Japan
• Cellulose Ethanol Market Potential Report
• ACORE: President Bush on Renewable Energy in 2007
• Apollo Alliance pursues 'green-collar' jobs
• Ethanol and Net Energy - EROI
• The Renewable Path to Energy Security

BIOoutput Blog-----------------
• FAQ: BIOoutput Blog
• "Living with Ed" Begley, Jr. in Studio City
• CALIFORNIA: Governor Targets Fuel Emissions
• Electric cars - a boost for biofuels?
• CHINA: Pollution threatens 2008 Olympics
• BioButanol from Cellulosic Bioconversion
• From Food to Fuel to Fashion

NEW! BIOwaste Blog-----------------
• FAQ: BIOwaste Blog
• Spinning “Gold” Out of Trash
• Southern California Emerging Waste Technologies Forum
• The Benefits of Conversion Technologies
• Recycling’s “China Syndrome”
• Plasma Gasification and Incineration Compared
• CANADA: Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Options
• CHINA: Pollution threatens 2008 Olympics
• Using Algae to Recycle Flue Gas into Biofuels
• U.S. D.O.E.: Strategies for Reducing Greenhouse Gases
• CALIFORNIA: Air Resources Board tackles Global Warming
• Impact of Global Growth on Carbon Emissions
• Enforcing California's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Limits
• BIOwaste Energy as Explained on the Energy Kid's Page
• Expanded Recycling - a Key to Cutting Fossil Fuels and Global Warming
• Mayors seek $4B to fight Energy & Environmental Challenges
• MIT/PNNL Plasma Arc Waste-to-ethanol Solution

Each month we provide a similar breakdown of article titles from our favorite "companion" site - Biopact Blog. This list is kept current and is accessible in the right hand column of each of the three blogs.

Please forward a link to this digest to anyone you know who would be interested in keeping track of change that will affect us all. They can add their name to the mailing list on the BioConversion Blog.


technorati digest, biofuels, conversion, bioenergy, cellulosic, feedstock, ethanol

The Renewable Path to Energy Security

Mixing environmental concern with American "can-do" attitude, the Worldwatch Insitute and Center for American Progress have teamed up to provide a free, online 40-page that provides chapters titled:
• a vision for a more secure and prosperous America
• building a new energy economy
• a cleaner, healthier America
• resources and technology
• American energy policy agenda

As their press release announces:

The American Energy Initiative is a joint project of the Worldwatch Institute and the Center for American Progress focused on educating and inspiring the public and policymakers on the importance of renewable energy to the economic, environmental and national security of the United States. The report, American Energy: The Renewable Path to Energy Security, demonstrates the potential of renewable energy and energy efficiency and presents a practical policy agenda for achieving them.

The chapters on Biofuels and Biopower are particularly relevant to the interests of frequent visitors to this blog. There is a blind eye, however, to urban waste as a biomass feedstock. This misses a major opportunity to effect industrial and urban change in our society.

Rather than quote excerpts, here are a few harvested charts and snippets to encourage you to download and read the report:

----------------------------
American Energy: The Renewable Path to Energy Security
by the Worldwatch Institute and the Center for American Progress

The time is ripe for a strong national commitment to enacting new policies at the federal, state, and local levels that will allow the United States to become a world leader in building a 21st century energy system.Meeting that challenge will require concerted action by governments, businesses, and citizens across our nation.

“Renewable energy is one of the great stories of recent years, and it’s going to be a bigger story in the years to come.”
—George W. Bush, President of the United States

“This field of greentech could be the largest economic opportunity of the 21st century.”
—John Doerr, venture capitalist for Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

“The Stone Age did not end for lack of stones, and the Oil Age will end long before the world runs out of oil.”
—Sheikh Yamani, former Oil Minister of Saudi Arabia

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
—Alan Kay, pioneer of personal computing

technorati BIOblog, BIOconversion, bioenergy, biofuels, ethanol, cellulosic, legislation, security

Ethanol and Net Energy - EROI

Energy return on investment (EROI) is the ratio of the energy delivered by a process to the energy used directly and indirectly in that process.

Many of the arguments against ethanol concern the hotly debated Energy Rate of Investment (EROI) of the fuel. Does it take more (mostly fossil fuel) energy to produce ethanol than the final fermented product contains?

Most experts agree that ethanol made from corn has a lower EROI than that made from sugarcane because sugarcane has more energy in it than corn and the energy to cultivate and harvest the crop takes less energy. They also agree that cellulosic ethanol, made from agricultural and forestry waste, would have a much higher EROI because the cellulosic feedstock does not include accounting for cultivation energy expense. However, the conversion process could be higher than sugar fermentation so it is hard to come up with real numbers.

Interestingly, while determining EROI is a fairly straightforward process of accounting for inputs and outputs, there are social factors that come into play when evaluating fuels and they are highly variable. The social cost we place on carbon emissions, for example, would impact the refining and infrastructure costs of the fuel. Can we put a price on disposal of uranium wastes or other process residues like pet-coke (which may grow as time goes along)? Should we factor in the hidden costs of oil or feedstock for a process?

Increasingly, it seems, EROI is becoming more of a fuzzy math affected by assessment of non-scientific military, employment, trade, and political variables.

Changing structure of final energy sold to consumers in the United States by energy form. Solids consist of fuelwood and other biomass and coal. Liquids consist of petroleum products. Grids consist of electricity, gas, and district heat.
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The costs of energy transition may make the usefulness of one low-EROI fuel more attractive than one with a higher EROI. Is it realistic to expect to convert to a hydrogen-based energy economy when one considers that the historical trends of energy form do not even include compressed gas or fuel cells (see chart above)?

There is an excellent online reference called the encyclopedia of earth that helps define EROI in laymen's terms. Many of the topics come from the Environmental Protection Agency which is a pretty credible endorsement for the site.

The entry on EROI is fairly lengthy but I have listed the ten principles here:

----------------
Ten fundamental principles of net energy

The decline in cost for ethanol fuel produced from sugarcane in Brazil.

EROI is a tool of net energy analysis, a methodology that seeks to compare the amount of energy delivered to society by a technology to the total energy required to find, extract, process, deliver, and otherwise upgrade that energy to a socially useful form. Net energy analysis was developed in response to the emergence of energy as an important economic, technological and geopolitical force following the energy price increases of 1973-74 and 1980-81. Interest in net energy analysis was rekindled in recent years following another round of energy price increases, growing concern about energy's role in climate change, and the debate surrounding the remaining lifetime of conventional fossil fuels, especially crude oil.

The principles
1. Net energy and energy surplus are important driving forces in ecology and economic systems
2. The size and rate of delivery of surplus energy is just as important as EROI
3. The unprecedented expansion of the human population, the global economy, and per capita living standards of the last 200 years was powered by high EROI, high energy surplus fossil fuels
4. The principal economic impact of a shift to a lower EROI energy system is the increased opportunity cost of energy delivery
5. Energy quality matters
6. Market imperfections that distort prices and cost also affect EROI
7. The methodologies to perform net energy analysis are well established
8. The relation between “peak oil” and the EROI for world oil production is unknown
9. Technological change affects EROI just as it affects price and cost
10. Alternatives to the dominant energy and power systems show a wide range in EROI

On the power generation side, coal, and hydropower have the highest EROI among conventional power systems, although the latter has very limited potential for further expansion in most regions of the world. Nuclear power appears to have a lower EROI, but there are very few credible studies that are thorough and unbiased. We do not know what the EROI will be from the new generation of nuclear reactors that would be built if demand for them returns.

Wind has a very favorable EROI in the right conditions, while solar thermal and photovoltaic systems have lower EROIs compared to coal and hydropower. As outlined above, a key issue is the size of the surplus that can realistically be delivered by those renewable power technologies.

A final point for consideration: Carbon may trump EROI. The growing concern that climate change may impose swift and large costs on society may drive the next major energy transition. It is plausible that carbon intensity, as opposed to net energy, may be the principal attribute of future energy systems that determines the timing and pace of their adoption. Society may choose to forgo the benefits of a larger energy surplus to reduce its exposure to climate-related risks.

For more information, click HERE


technorati BIOblog, BIOconversion, bioenergy, biofuels, ethanol, cellulosic