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Worldwide Biomass Potential: Technology Characterizations
12/30/2007
A joint EERE-PI project was completed to estimate the worldwide potential to produce and transport ethanol and other biofuels, with an emphasis on the 5 year and 10 year potential for biofuels supply to the United States. The project included four specific tasks: 1) identify the range of countries to be included in the study, 2) assess the resource potential for production of ethanol from sugar and starch-based feedstocks, and biodiesel, 3) assess the resource potential for production of other biofuels, including lignocellulosic ethanol, pyrolysis oil, and renewable diesel, and 4) integrate results into the MARKAL energy policy model. The project team included DOE (Policy and International and the Office of the Biomass Program), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (feedstock supply curves), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (conversion technology characterizations), and Brookhaven National Laboratory (MARKAL analysis).
The NREL portion of this study was primarily concerned with estimating the plant gate price (PGP) of liquid biofuels (corn and wheat dry mill ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and pyrolytic fuel oil) from selected biomass feedstocks for countries included in the study using representative existing and developing technologies. A methodology for comparing costs between countries was developed. Plant sizes studies ranged from 25 MM GPY to 100 MM GPY. The results of the technology characterizations (capital costs, operating costs, plant gate prices) are presented in 2005 U.S. dollars and include estimates of comparative costs in each country.
Authors: Bain, Richard L.
Biofuels: An Important Part of a Low-Carbon Diet
11/1/2007
New rules are being developed that will require fuel providers to account for and reduce the heat-trapping emissions associated with the production and use of transportation fuels. The purpose of this report is to ensure that we "count carbs" accurately, by explaining why we need a comprehensive accounting system for carbon emissions--one that measures global warming emissions over a transportation fuel's entire life cycle. We also need to "make carbs count" by creating performance-based policies that will reward low-carbon transportation fuels for their performance.
Life-Cycle Assessment of Corn-Based Butanol as a Potential Transportation Fuel
11/1/2007
Butanol produced from bio-sources (such as corn) could have attractive properties as a transportation fuel. Production of butanol through a fermentation process called acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) has been the focus of increasing research and development efforts. The purpose of this study is to estimate the potential life-cycle energy and emission effects associated with using bio-butanol as a transportation fuel. The study employs a well-to-wheels analysis tool named the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model developed by Argonne National Laboratory and the Aspen Plus model developed by AspenTech. The study describes the butanol production from corn, including grain processing, fermentation, gas stripping, distillation, and adsorption for products separation. Our study shows that, while the use of corn-based butanol achieves energy benefits and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, the results are affected by the methods used to treat the acetone that is co-produced in butanol plants.
Authors: Wu, M.; Wang, M.; Liu, J.; Huo, H.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report - October 2007
10/1/2007
The October 2007 Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report is a quarterly report keeping you up to date on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue discusses prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between Oct. 2 and Oct 20, 2007, and then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within regions and among regions. The prices collected for this report represent retail, at-the-pump sales prices for each fuel, including Federal and state motor fuel taxes.
Table 1 illustrates that the nationwide average price for regular gasoline has dropped 27 cents to $2.76 per gallon; CNG has dropped 32 cents to $1.77; and ethanol (E85) has dropped 23 cents to $2.40 per gallon.
Authors: Laughlin, M.D.
Clean Cities Annual Metrics Report 2006
7/1/2007
Clean Cities coordinators submit an annual report of their activities and accomplishments for the previous calendar year. Coordinators submit a range of data that characterize the membership, funding, projects, and activities of their coalitions as well as data about sales of alternative fuel blends, deployment of alternative fuel vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, idle reduction initiatives, and fuel economy activities. NREL analyzes the data and translates them into gasoline reduction impacts.
Survey results indicate that about 375 million gallons of gasoline were displaced through Clean Citiew efforts in 2006, 50 percent more than in 2005. Alternative fuel vehicles accounted for 71 percent of the reduction. Biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) used in AFVs displaced 128 million gallons, 34 percent of the total 375 million.
Authors: Bergeron, P.; Putsche, V.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, July 2007
7/1/2007
The July 2007 Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report is a quarterly report keeping you up to date on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue discusses prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between July 3, 2007 and July 13, 2007, and then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within regions and among regions. The prices collected for this report represent retail, at-the-pump sales prices for each fuel, including Federal and state motor fuel taxes.
Table 1 illustrates that all fuel prices except propane and biodiesel have risen but the price increases are well below the increase in the price of regular gasoline. CNG is almost a dollar less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis.
Authors: Laughlin, M.D.
2006 B100 Quality Survey Results: Milestone Report
5/1/2007
In 2006 NREL conducted a nationwide quality survey of pure biodiesel (B100) intended to be used as a blendstock. The study collected random samples throughout the United States and analyzed them for quality against the current and proposed ASTM D6751 fuel quality specifications. The survey revealed the increasing prevalence of B99.9 in the marketplace. As a group, the samples had a failure rate of 59% compared to the specifications. The B100 samples as a subset had an identical failure rate. Most often, the samples failed by exceeding the allowable total glycerin or by not meeting the minimum flash point specification. Several samples failed to meet requirements for multiple properties. The individual failure rtes for total glycerin and flash point were 33% and 30% respectively. The results of this study were not production volume weighted, but do show a significant fuel quality concern for B100 produced and distributed during 2006.
Authors: Alleman, T.L.; McCormick, R.L.; Deutch, S.
Thermochemical Ethanol via Indirect Gasification and Mixed Alcohol Synthese of Lignocellulosic Biomass
4/30/2007
This work addresses a policy initiative by the Federal Administration to apply United States Department of Energy (DOE) research to broadening the country?s domestic production of economic, flexible, and secure sources of energy fuels. President Bush stated in his 2006 State of the Union Address: ?America is addicted to oil.? To reduce the Nation?s future demand for oil, the President has proposed the Advanced Energy Initiative which outlines significant newinvestments and policies to change the way we fuel our vehicles and change the way we power our homes and businesses. The specific goal for biomass in the Advanced Energy Initiative is to foster the breakthrough technologies needed to make cellulosic ethanol cost-competitive with corn-based ethanol by 2012.
Authors: Phillips, Steve;Aden, Andy;Jechura, John;Dayton, David (NREL);Eggeman, Tim (Neoterics, International, Inc.)
Fact Sheet: Sequestering Greenhouse Gases from Landfills, Animal Waste, Sewage, and Other Sources Via Biomethane Production
3/21/2007
Biogas, a mixture of methane and other gases produced from the decomposition of organic materials, is produced naturally in landfills and from processing of animal waste, sewage, crop waste, and cellulosic and non-cellulosic crops. If biomethane made from recovered biogas were used in vehicles, it is estimated that it would reduce greenhouse gases by 500 million metric tons of CO2 per year, or the emissions equivalent of removing 90 million light-duty gasoline vehicles from the roads.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, March 2007
3/1/2007
The March 2007 Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report is a quarterly report keeping you up to date on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue discusses prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders between February 21, 2007 and March 2, 2007, and then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within regions and among regions. The prices collected for this report represent retail, at-the-pump sales prices for each fuel, including Federal and state motor fuel taxes.
Table 1 illustrates that alternative fuel prices relative to conventional fuels vary, with some (propane and biodiesel) higher and some (E85 and CNG) lower. CNG is about 36 cents less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about 20 cents less per gallon than gasoline.
Authors: Laughlin, M.D.
Tackling Climate Change in the U.S.: Potential Carbon Emissions Reductions from Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by 2030
1/1/2007
Energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies have the potential to provide most, if not all, of the U.S. carbon emissions reductions that will be needed to help limit the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide to 450 to 500 ppm. The document includes a section on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. This section focuses on plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technology, which adds additional battery capacity and charging capability to current hybrid electric vehicle technology. Plug-in vehicles thereby make possible substantial vehicle operation on energy derived from the electrical grid rather than from gasoline.
Authors: Kutscher, C., Editor; Lilienthal,P.; Brown, H.
The Long-Run Impact of Corn-Based Ethanol on the Grain, Oilseed, and Livestock Sectors: A Preliminary Assessment
11/1/2006
The ongoing growth of corn-based ethanol production raises some fundamental questions about the impact of continued growth on U.S. and world agricultural markets. Estimates of the long-run potential for ethanol production can be made by calculating the corn price at which the incentive to expand ethanol production disappears. Under current ethanol tax policy, if the prices of crude oil, natural gas, and distillers grains stay at current levels, then the break-even corn price is $4.05 per bushel.At this price, corn-based ethanol production would reach 31.5 billion gallons per year, or about 20% of projected U.S. fuel consumption in 2015. Supporting this level of production would require 95.6 million acres of corn to be planted. Total corn production would be approximately 15.6 billion bushels, compared to 11.0 billion bushels today. Most of the additional corn acres come from reduced soybean acreage. Corn exports and production of pork and poultry would all be reduced in response to higher corn prices and increased utilization of corn by ethanol plants. These results are not to be viewed as a prediction of what will eventually happen. Rather, they indicate a logical end point to the current incentives to invest in corn-based ethanol plants.
Authors: Elobeid, A.; Tokgoz, S.; Hayes, D.J.; Babcock, B.A.; Hart, C.E.
100,000 Mile Evaluation of Transit Buses Operated on Biodiesel Blends (B20)
10/1/2006
Report evaluates the emissions, fuel economy, and maintenance of five 40-foot transit buses operated on B20 compared to four buses operated on petroleum diesel.
Authors: Proc, K.; Barnitt, R.; Hayes, R.; Ratcliff, M.; McCormick, R.; Ha, L.; Fang, H.
Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report, October 2006
10/1/2006
The October 2006 Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report is a quarterly report keeping you up to date on the prices of alternative fuels in the U.S. and their relation to gasoline and diesel prices. This issue discusses prices that were gathered from Clean Cities coordinators and stakeholders in September and October 2006, and then averaged in order to determine regional price trends by fuel and variability in fuel price within regions and among regions. The prices collected for this report represent retail, at-the-pump sales prices for each fuel, including Federal and state motor fuel taxes.
Table 1 illustrates that alternative fuel prices relative to conventional fuels vary, with some (propane and biodiesel) higher and some (E85 and CNG) lower. CNG is about 45 cents less than gasoline on an energy-equivalent basis, while E85 is about 11 cents less per gallon than gasoline.
Authors: Laughlin, M.D.
