Bioenergy
“Let there be light”
E = mc2
Our common journey
*Nel mezzo del
cammin di nostra
vita
mi ritrovai per
una selva oscura,
ché la diritta via
era smarrita.
*Inferno: Canto I, ll:1-3
A Universal Voyage “Powered” by Fuel
“Green”



Petrol

Lasciate ogne speranza, voi
ch’intrate’
We need energy, fuel, materials
to live
Why? To maintain our quality of
life and our civilization
However – how do we do this?
In the beginnings – fossil fuels

Petroleum

Natural Gas

Coal
Changes in Atmospheric Concentration
10
8
1750
Methane
World Population Growth 1750-2100
1500
6
1250
4
1000
Developing Countries
2
750
Atmospheric concentration CH4 (ppb)
Billions
CO2, CH4, and N2O– A Thousand Year History
Industrial Countries
1000
1850
1900
1950
2000
2050
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2100
360
Carbon Dioxide
340
320
300
280
260
Nitrous Oxide
310
290
270
250
Source:
IPCC
Third Assessment
Report
(2001)
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
Atmospheric concentration N2O (pbb)
1800
Atmospheric concentration CO2 (ppm)
1750
US Dependence on Foreign Oil
Hanno Petrolio
Saudi Arabia
Iraq
Kuwait
Iran
UAE
Venezuela
Russia
Libya
Mexico
China
Nigeria
U.S.
26%
11%
10%
9%
8%
6%
5%
3%
3%
3%
2%
2%
Consuma Petrolio
U.S.
Japan
China
Germany
Canada
Russia
Brazil
S. Korea
France
India
Mexico
Italia
26%
7%
6%
4%
4%
3%
3%
3%
3%
3%
3%
2%
The U.S. uses more than the next 5 highest
consuming nations combined.
Updated March 2003. Source: International Energy Annual 2001 (EIA), Tables 11.4 and 11.10.
Petroleum as Energy in the USA
Energy Sources
Percent share
Petroleum
40%
Natural Gas
25%
Coal
23%
Nuclear, Hydroelectric,
Geothermal and other
Energy Sources
12%
Total
100%
http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/infosheets/petroleumproducts.htm
Petroleum
Fractions

Civilization  fuel 
rubber  car 
society  Civilization

Fuel gas

Alcohol

Kerosene

Heating oil

Wax

Asphalt

Synthetic rubber
US Energy Consumption
Energy Consumption Quad
Quandary
50% increase in worldwide
energy consumption in next 20
years!
Energy Information Administration, International Outlook 2004, Table A2
Hubbert’s Peak
ACTUAL
PREDICTED
C.J. Campbell, 1999. “The Imminent Peak of World Oil Production”
GDP Per Capita ($000/person)
Future of Global Natural Gas Reserves
100
Baseline consumption: 88.8 EJ/year
75
50
25
current
0
2000
2009
2018
2024
2030
Energy Consumption per Capita ('000 BTU/person)
“Biomass for Renewable Energy and Fuels,” Klass, D.J.; Encyclopedia of Energy, Vol.1 © 2004 Elsevier, Inc.
Carbon Cycle
6.3
Bu
rni
ng
o
GT
fF
os
sil
T
G
3
3.
Fu
n
i
e
els
1.6 GT
Deforestation Activities
In
th
p
s
o
m
t
A
e
re
e
h
as
e
cr
4.6 GT
Absorbed by Vegetation
Mark A. Paisley, “Biomass Energy”, Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical
Technology, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2002)
Purgatorio – Purge

Wean dependence on petroleum

Begin ascent to sustainability

Improve environmental footprint
Intimations of Paradise
“The U.S. is the Saudi Arabia of carbohydrates.”
David Morris, Institute for Local Self Reliance
“Moving from an economy based on geology to one based on
biology.”
USDA
“Changes that will have effects comparable to those of the
Industrial Revolution… are now beginning.”
Phillip Abelson, Science
Photosynthesis  Biomass
chlorophyll
H2O
+
CO2
(CH2O)
light
+
O2
1g fixed
472.8 kJ/mol
absorbed
R
N
N
Mg
N
N
O
O
O
O
O
R = CHO
R = CH3
Chlorophyll a
Chlorophyll b
Biomass



A material source typically a result of
a metabolic process
Biomass can be considered a carbonbased material (biomaterial) that is
the principal component of a life form,
its byproducts, or end-of-life form
Biomass has generally been a food
source, shelter, and fuel (burning)
Biomass Consumption


In 1990: 84.3 quad demand in US - 2%
biomass; rest of world – 6.7%
In 2000: 98.8 quad demand (15% ); US - 2%
biomass; rest of world – 10.5%

Sweden: 17.5%

Finland: 20.4%

Brazil: 23.4%

Third world numbers even higher!
World Biomass Distribution
CO2 IN ATMOSPHERE
COMBUSTION
COMBUSTION
HYDROCARBONS
BIOMASS
FOSSILIZATION
& RECOVERY
CONSUMPTION
WASTE
DISPOSAL
SYNFUELS
HARVESTING
FEEDS, FOOD
PRODUCTS
CONVERSION
CONSUMPTION
DISPOSAL
WASTE
Global Energy Potential


Total biomass energy available now represents
100 times world’s annual energy consumption
Worlds standing terrestrial biomass
• Forests have 80-90% total biomass carbon
• Marine biomass C next most abundant, but high
turnover

Capture efficiency of sunlight generally low;
Hawaii sugarcane is one of highest = 2.24%
(186W/m2 for 74.9 t/ha-year)*
*Berguson, W. et al (1990) “Energy from Biomass and Wastes XIII; Donald L. Klass, Ed.
Cornell ecologist's study finds that producing ethanol and
biodiesel from corn and other crops is not worth the energy
"There is just no energy benefit to using plant biomass for liquid
fuel," says David Pimentel, professor of ecology and agriculture
at Cornell. "These strategies are not sustainable."
GDP Per Capita ($000/person)
Energy Use and GDP
Japan
60
50
France
40
USA
UK
30
20
S. Korea
El Salvador
Poland
10
Russia
Bangladesh ChinaMexico
0
5
20
35
90
100
250
240
242
244
243
500
Energy Consumption per Capita ('000 BTU/person)
Energy Information Administration, Internation Energy Annual 2000 Tables E1, B1, B2; GDP per capita is for 2000 in 1995 dollars. May 2002
Biofuels in Europe



EU targets to raise the proportion of
sustainable sources to 20% by 2020
and all member states are expected
to comply
EU legislation promoting biodiesel*
may not make a difference for
reducing GH gases – want 5.75% of
all transport fuels by 2010 (now =
2%)
Petroleum diesel – 85% GH gas
emitted during burning while for
rapeseed oil 2/3 during farming; in
fact, NO2 (200-300x more potent
GH gas)
*http://www.scenta.co.uk/Nature/1698084/bad-news-for-biodiesel.htm
Dutch consider biofuels criteria


Production of biomass cannot contribute to
deforestation
deplete reservoirs of carbon captured in the
earth

compete with food crops

degrade soil or water supplies

upset biodiversity

displace local populations
Alternate Energy Stories

Marshallton, IA will build $1B to turn
switchgrass  fuel (reduce coal):
http://www.nacbe.com/articles/power_pla
nt_biomass.html
Bioethanol Provisions from Starch
Food vs Fuel
=
0.5 ton starch/person/year
3.5 ton grains/year
@ 7 L/100 km
(20,000 km/year)
An impossibility
We will need 4.5 billion tons of grain in
2050
Complete soil errosion
Transportation needs dictate continued
search for energy supplies
Where will we go to get it???
Types of Petrochemicals
Aliphatic
Aromatic
Inorganic
(C1-C4 mainly)
methyl alcohol,
ethyl alcohol,
isopropyl alcohol,
butadiene,
formaldehyde,
ethylene glycol,
acetone,
acetic acid,
acetic anhydride,
ethylchloride,
ethylene dichloride
Benzene, Toluene,
Xylene,
phenol
styrene-derived
sulfur,
ammonia
and its derivatives (nitric
acid, ammonium nitrate,
ammonium sulfate,
urea),
carbon black.
Commodity Chemicals from Biomass
O

*
*
n
O
O
O
TULAPILIN A
POLYTULAPILIN

O
*
*
DuPont already
has technology
in place
n
O
O
O
METHYL METHACRYLATE
Most petroleumbased materials
have their
analogues
POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE)

Cost points
control
marketability
Biomass Products
Biomass Resource
Uses
Corn
Solvents, pharmaceuticals, adhesives, starch,
resins, binders, polymers, cleaners, ethanol
Vegetable Oils
Surfactants in soaps and detergents,
pharmaceuticals (inactive ingredients), inks,
paints, resins, cosmetics, fatty acids, lubricants,
biodiesel
Wood
Paper, building materials, cellulose for fibers and
polymers, resins, binders, adhesives, coatings,
paints, inks, road and roofing pitch
Products from Hydrocarbons vs.
Carbohydrates
Product
Total Production
(millions of tons)
% Derived from Plants
Adhesives
5.0
40
Surfactants
3.5
35
Acetic Acid
2.3
17.5
Plasticizers
0.8
15
Detergents
12.6
11
Dyes
4.5
6
Wall Paints
7.8
3.5
Inks
3.5
3.5
Plastics
30
1.8
Biomass Chemical Building Blocks
NH2
O
O
O
OH
O
OH
O
O
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
O
O
3-Hydroxypropionic Acid
Aspartic Acid
Glucaric Acid
O
O
O
OH
OH
OH
OH
O
OH
O
Itaconic Acid
OH
OH
Succinic Acid
Me
3-Hydroxybutyrolactone
O
OH
OH
OH
OH
Sorbitol
O
OH
OH
O
OH
OH
OH
CH2
2, 5-Furandicarboxylic Acid
OH
O
OH
OH
OH
OH
OH
O
Glycerol
Levulinic Acid
Xylitol
NH2
Glutamic Acid
Governmental Involvement




US Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 – 2.7% O2
in gasoline
Pending legislation to phase out MTBEs and
establish renewables E mandate
BBI and Bills such as Title IX of Farm Bill
intended to triple use of ethanol from biomass by
2012
Funding given to BBI seen in USDA & DOE
research & development solicitations
Organizations to Contact for Information



BERA (Biomass Energy Research Assoc.):
http://www.bera1.org/consultants.html
US DoE Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy: http://www.eere.energy.gov/
http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/
The Biorefinery:
Materials & Energy
THE NEW INDUSTRY.
A solution to the problems we discussed. It is
the same as the petrochemical/energy
economy except it is based on the conversion
of biomass as opposed to petroleum
We need to combine smart growth
with environmental impact
Historically, there has been a direct relationship
among economic development, energy use, and
environmental impact
Conventional
Technology
Contamination
(e.g., CO2 , toxic
chemicals)
Eco-efficiency of First
generation Technologies
(info/bio/nano)
Economic Development
(e.g., employment, GDP)
Biorefinery Cycle
The Proposed Integrated Biomass-Production
Conversion Site (IBPCS) or Biorefinery Concept
•Engineered lumber
•Fillers in plastics
•Fillers in cement
Structural
Materials
Agricultural
Based Biomass
Chemical
Conversion
Biomass
Byproducts
SynGas
Biotechnology
Forest
Based Biomass
•Alcohols
•Chemicals
•Polymers
•Hydrocarbons
•Hydrogen
•Drugs
Pulp & Paper
Mill
Black
Liquor
Thermochemical
Conversion
•SynFuel
•Power
Cellulose vs. Starch
35
Ethanol (Billions of gal/yr)
30
25
EXISTENT
Corn
Mills
EMERGENT
Sugar
Platform
-New Enzymes
-Pretreatment
-Fermentation
FUTURE
Fundamental
Advances in
Lignocellulose
Processing
and fermentation
20
Cellulose
15
10
5
Starch
0
2000
2005
2010
2015
Year
2020
2025
ALL BIOMASS IS LOCAL
Frontera del sistema
Ethanol, Energy and Environment
- Comparison with cellulose Farrell et al., Ethanol can contribute to energy and environmental goals, Science 506 (2006)
Koonin et al, Getting serious about biofuels, Science Jan, 435 (2006)
Ragauskas, Path forward for biofuels and biomaterials, Science 484 (2006)
Net energy and net greenhouse gases for gasoline, six studies, and three cases
A. E. Farrell et al., Science 311,
506 -508 (2006)
Alternative metrics for evaluating ethanol
Intensity of primary energy inputs (MJ) per MJ of fuel and of net greenhouse gas
emissions (kg CO2-equivalent) per MJ of fuel
primary energy inputs
(MJ) per MJ of fuel
kg CO2-equivalent
per MJ of fuel
A. E. Farrell et al., Science 311, 506 -508 (2006)
Summary & Conclusions




Time is of the essence – 20-50 years for NG and
oil production to peak and dry up
Need local economies & state/federal incentives
for energy coops to flourish
Environmental guidelines, changes in energy
consumption paradigm need to be effected now
Increased governmental funding and policy
changes
Summary & Conclusions

Wood can supply 175% of our transportation needs

Bioethanol from wood eliminates soil erosion

Wood is not a food

Wood helps to control green house gas emissions



There is a 1.6 economic return for bioethanol produced
from wood versus starch
Cellulose is a more promising economic and
environmental answer
CO2 Emmisions : 1/10 of gasoline and 1/8 of ethanol