BIOENERGY

OUTLINE Introduction Why Bioenergy? Cellulosic Ethanol Technology Challenges Industrial tour Importance in my research Summary

IntroductionSoutheast:

• Favorable climate• Multiple feedstocks• Existing infrastructure

The University of GeorgiaConference Center

Why Bioenergy?

Reduce the dependence on imported oil (US imports 10 million barrels per day).

Reduce the release of greenhouse gases (Bioethanol reduces accumulation of carbon dioxide by 90% compared to reformulated gasoline).

Why Bioenergy?

Petroleum represents a 40% of the source energy used in USA.

Cellulosic biomass is an inexpensive resource.

When added to gasoline, increases octane and provides oxygen, increases combustion reducing the gas pollution.

Cellulosic Ethanol Technology

Biomass-Residue Harvesting-Energy Crops

Sugar Platform-Enzymatic Hydrolysis-Lignin Products

Products:Fuel, Chemicals, Materials,Heat and Power

Thermochemical Platform-Pyrolysis-Gasification

Biorefineries

Sugar and ligninIntermediates

Gas and LiquidIntermediates

Source:Bioenergy Conference 2008

B3I (Biofuels, Biopower, Biomaterials Initiative )

Source: Joy Doran Peterson

Cellulose biomass processing

Source: Joy Doran Peterson

Future in cellulose biomass processing

Source: Joy Doran Peterson

Cellulosic plants

Challenges

Identify the best conversion

Technologies

Development of public-private sector

partnerships

Ethanol Today ethanol is made primarily from

starch based sources like corn and sorghum.

Ethanol production has a 34% energy gain (1 gallon of ethanol contains more energy that is required to produce it). Gasoline has an energy loss of 19.5%.

Ethanol and Corn Prices

Source: USDA (United States Department of agriculture)

Challenges

Develop fuels and chemicals by forestry and agricultural residues.

Cost reductions technology advances (>100 gallons per ton of dry cellulosic biomass).

Important cost contributors (feedstock costs represent 70-80% of the final product cost).

Challenges

Pretreatment (less chemicals and energy). In 2025 farms will provide 25% of the total

energy consumed in USA. Georgia is projected to produce 100 million

of biodiesel and 400 million of ethanol by 2012.

To produce 36 billion gallons of ethanol in 2022.

Industrial Tour

FIRST UNITED ETHANOL

100 Million gallon corn ethanol facility

Timber processing100% Southern Yellow Pine

Products for: laminating, painting, moulding, shaping and wrapping

Steam Boilers Hot Water Boilers 

Wood and Waste Fired Boilers

BioMass Boilers

Goal: reduce or eliminate energy and waste disponsal costs

PAULOWNIA TREE

PLYWOOD OPERATION

Production: 40 tons per acre per year

Importance in my research

Pretreatment represents about 20% of the total production cost.

Pretreatment disrupts the naturally resistant carbohydrate-lignin shield that limits the accessibility of enzymes to cellulose and hemicellulose.

The chemical pretreatment offers high yields and low costs economic success.

Summary

Pretreatment is the key to obtain low costs.

Achieve high yield of sugar from biomass with low cost.

More study is needed to make a commercial process.

It is important to integrate the process.

Summary

The Souhteast can be a national leader in biofuel production due its high feedstocks resources.

Develop effective policies to accelerate commercialization, improve knowledge of cellulosic conversion and identify new technology.

THANKS