High Plains Journal, KS
03-16-07
Cellulosic ethanol will help meet production demands
"Cellulosic ethanol opens up more farmland to produce biofuels and will help the
country become energy independent by producing our own fuel instead of relying
on other countries to do so," said Robert Brown, director of Iowa State
University's office of biorenewables program.
By Jennifer Bremer
In 10 years, 35 billion gallons of ethanol is expected to be produced, but getting
to that point will take a dramatic increase in corn production. So, what is the
answer?
Dr. Robert Brown says that the answer is cellulosic ethanol--using materials like
corn stover, switchgrass, sawdust, unused seed corn, or distillers grains.
"Right now there are 5 billion gallons of ethanol being produced, but once we get
to the 15 billion gallon level, we will need to look somewhere besides corn to get
to the next level," said Brown, the Director of Iowa State University' s Office of
Biorenewables Program. "That is when we need to go to the cellulosic route
and we may be there in as few as three years."
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-IA, saluted Brown for his work toward the successful
production of cellulosic ethanol. Grassley showed concern that excessive CRP
acres being taken out of that program to raise corn. "If those acres are left in
CRP there may be new programs to harvest grasses off of those acres for the
production of cellulosic ethanol."
Grassley said that with continual new equipment and research being developed
on new production methods means that scientists should be only steps away
from having the enzymes and science needed to produce cellulosic ethanol in
great amounts.
Recent funding from the federal government will help a new cellulosic ethanol
plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa, get started in using the entire corn plant to produce
ethanol.
The Renewable Fuels Association, a trade group, said creation of ethanol from
plant material will move the nation toward a more diverse energy future.
"While corn will remain a key component of our ethanol industry, the kind of
production necessary to greatly reduce gasoline consumption in this country can
only be realized from the addition of cellulosic material as a feedstock," said RFA
President Bob Dinneen in a statement.
The Emmetsburg project is expected to produce 11 percent more ethanol from a
bushel of corn and 27 percent more from an acre of corn, while consuming 24
percent less water and using 83 percent fewer fossil fuels than what is needed to
operate a corn to ethanol plant.
Two processes
Brown said there are basically two methods used in producing cellulosic ethanol.
The biochemical process is similar to the current process used to process corn.
The thermochemical process treats the biomass with heat. He said that this
process is well developed in the petroleum industry and biomass can be used in
the same process.
Iowa State's biorenewables program is mostly studying the thermochemical
process. The cylindrical reactor at the university is a gasifier that converts
biomass to a gaseous mixture known as syngas that can be used for process
heat, power generation or transportation fuels synthesis according to Brown.
The reactor operates at high temperatures in the absence of air to convert
biomass to gas. A bioreactor ferments the syngas into biofuels and other
biobased products.
While the Emmetsburg plant plans on using corn stover--the remainder of the
corn plant after harvesting--other biomass that can be used for ethanol including
switchgrass, sawdust and distillers grains.
The end by-product from the thermochemical process is charcoal. Brown said
that this by-product can be returned to the field as fertilizer, which makes an
extra $50 to $100 of revenue to the farmer.
"There are a lot of nutrients in charcoal including potassium and phosphorus,
which have a fertilizer value and recycling nutrients," he said.
Challenges push for solutions
While cellulosic ethanol has many advantages, there are also some challenges.
Brown said that farmers might have to use different tillage practices if the residue
is harvested from the land as well. He also warns of the impact that removing
residue may have on soil erosion.
Another challenge is the ongoing research with using the proper technology,
microbiology, biology and agronomy and finding the best process for producing
cellulosic ethanol.
"For every problem or challenge named we can find a solution," Brown said. "We
are continually looking for the best process."
Storage of the biomass is a challenge as well. He said that it is yet to be
determined if the biomass will need to be stored dry or if it will be able to be
ensiled to expand the storage time.
Currently the main challenge that the cellulosic ethanol industry faces is that
there is a giant initial capital investment since there are more steps in the
process and more equipment needed to start the plant.
"The investment can be four to five times the amount needed to build a grain
ethanol plant," explained Brown. "But in the end the advantages may be greater
because we can get more energy off the field and better environmental
performance.
"Cellulosic ethanol opens up more farmland to produce biofuels and will help the
country become energy independent by producing our own fuel instead of relying
on other countries to do so," he said.
The future for cellulosic ethanol
Brown said he doesn't know for sure how soon the cellulosic ethanol will become
commercially viable on a large scale. He hopes that will happen within the next
five years as they are finding better processes to make the industry more
profitable.
When the day comes that biomasses are used as commonly as corn he said that
grain ethanol plant investors don't need to worry about those plants closing
because it will be important for the plants to work together to produce the amount
of ethanol needed to run the country.
Brown expects to see more cellulosic ethanol plants to be built near existing
grain ethanol plants so the two would be able to utilize the use of transportation,
utilities and other facilities.
"This is definitely a time for dreamers. Who would have thought that we would
add to the agriculture industry with fuel production at this level," he concluded.
Jennifer Bremer can be reached by phone at 641-938-2342 or by e-mail at
jbremermaj@hotmail.com.