Development of Sweet Sorghum as a Feedstock Crop Randy Powell, Ph.D. ABFC 2015; New Orleans June...
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Transcript of Development of Sweet Sorghum as a Feedstock Crop Randy Powell, Ph.D. ABFC 2015; New Orleans June...
Development of Sweet Sorghum as a Feedstock Crop Randy Powell, Ph.D.ABFC 2015; New Orleans
June 9-10, 2015
Delta BioRenewables LLC (“DBR”)
• Goal: Re-introduce sweet sorghum as a commercial domestic crop• Scalable/replicable technology demonstration since 2009• Focus on mid-size operations: 5-10,000 acres• Roll mill juice extraction (20-50 ton/hr scale)
Production and R&D FacilityAgricenter International; Memphis, TN
Component Composition Possible Downstream Products
Juice C6 Sugars Fuels, chemicals, spirits, syrup
Bagasse Lignocellulose Feed, cellulosic sugars/fuels, fuel pellets, materials
Seed Starch Specialty feeds, sugar products
Sweet Sorghum as a Feedstock Crop
Processing Learnings (2009-2014)
• Billet harvesting preferred for sugar stability– Forage harvesting gives 25+% higher yield (12% bagasse protein)
• Open-pollinated varieties ~12-16 tpa billet yield (dryland)– Hybrids beginning to exceed 20 tpa
• Cane preparation unnecessary (softer than sugarcane)• 2x Roll milling extracts 50% of sugar (mechanical limit)– 3x Roll milling w/ imbibition extracts ~80% of sugar
• Juice has high levels of suspended solids– Micronutrients beneficial for downstream fermentations
Sweet Sorghum Product Price Tiers
Ethylene GlycolCoca-Cola “Plant Bottle” Butanol, Isobutanol
Gevo (Silsbee, TX), CobaltBP/DuPont, Tetravitae/Eastman
1,3-PropanediolDuPont/Tate & Lyle (Loudon, TN)
Bioisoprene, ButadieneGenencor/Goodyear, Amyris/Michelin
Succinic AcidMyriant (Lake Providence, LA)
BioAmber/Mitsui, DSM/Roquette, BASF/Purac
Leading Chemicals from Sugars
DBR Sweet Sorghum Specialty Products
Bulk juice for food use
Food & fermentation grade syrups
Bagasse pellets & bedding
Billet vs. forage harvesting
*Sarah E. Lingle, et al, Post-harvest Changes in Sweet Sorghum I: Brix and Sugars, BioEnergy Research 5 (2012) pp158-167.
Support and Collaboration