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The trajectory of biofuels

The trajectory of biofuels. Chris Somerville Energy Biosciences Institute. The Energy Biosciences Institute. $350M committed over 10 years Research mandate to explore the application of modern biological knowledge to the energy sector Cellulosic fuels

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The trajectory of biofuels

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  1. The trajectory of biofuels Chris Somerville Energy Biosciences Institute

  2. The Energy Biosciences Institute • $350M committed over 10 years • Research mandate to explore the application of modern biological knowledge to the energy sector • Cellulosic fuels • Petroleum microbiology (eg., corrosion, souring, reservoir flow, remediation…) • Bio-based chemicals BP

  3. Combustion of biomass can provide low-GHG energy Sunlight CO2 CO2 Tilling Land conversion Fertilizer Transportation Processing “Combustion” Photosynthesis Biomass Work It depends on how the biomass is produced and processed

  4. Net Energy Yield of Biofuels Wang et al., Env. Res. Lett7, 045905

  5. The Long-term trend in food prices http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7284196.stm

  6. Other crops Nonarable 6.9% 34.4% Forest & Savannah 30.5% Cereal 4.6% Pasture & Range 23.7% Land Usage AMBIO 23,198 (Total Land surface 13,000 M Ha)

  7. Brazil ethanol production 1948-2008(0.6% of land in Brazil) • <9 MHa in Sugarcane • > 200 Mha in cattle • Legislation enacted to • allow expansion of sugarcane • to ~64 Mha • Conversion of residues to liquid fuel will expand production per Ha • Expanded infrastructure and efficiency improvements will decrease costs Courtesy of Carlos H de Brito Cruz The São Paulo Research Foundation, FAPESP http://www.fapesp.br

  8. More than 1.5 billion acres of degraded or abandoned land is available for cellulosic crops Cai, Zhang, Wang Environ Sci Technol 45,334 Campbell et al., Env. Sci. Technol. (2008) 42,5791

  9. Miscanthus gigantaeus: An energy crop Yield of 26.5 tons/acre observed by Young & colleagues in Illinois, without irrigation Courtesy of Steve Long et al

  10. Private forests are extensive Alig & Butler (2004)USDA Forest Service PNW-GTR-613

  11. Desert plants can greatly expand the availability of land for biomass production(Agave in Madagascar) Borland et al. (2009) J. Exp. Bot. doi:10.1093/jxb/erp118

  12. Summary of Syngas-Liquids Processes Richard Bain, NREL

  13. Ethanol Production Schemes Cellulose Process Corn Process Sugar Cane Process Ethanol SugarCane Sugar Ferment-ation Distillation Drying Co-Product Recovery Animal Feed Chemicals Starch Conversion (Cook or Enzymatic Hydrolysis) CornKernels Cellulose Conversion Hydrolysis Cellulose Cellulose Pretreatment • Miscanthus • Switchgrass • Forest Residues • Ag Residues • Wood Chips Slide Courtesy of Bruce Dale

  14. Batch processes have many inefficiencies Unused capital Sugar inhibition Catalyst Loss Cell Loss Wastewater Solids Boiler Fuel accumulation Sugar concentration Time Fuel, lignin inhibition

  15. An ideal process optima Fuel Removal Sugar concentration Fuel accumulation Time

  16. Sources of biodiesel Triacylglycerol Electron micrograph of a cell in an oilseed cotyledon CRC Report AVFL-17

  17. An example of hybrid fuels Fermentation Sugars H H H 2 2 2 Toste et al, Nature 2012

  18. Direct conversion of sugar to alkanes Huber et al., Science 308,1446

  19. Concluding comments Biofuels can have significant net GHG benefits There is significant underutilized land available for expanded biomass production We will see a gradual transition from feed crops to cellulosic biofuels (and sugarcane) There are many opportunities to fundamentally improve the efficiency of production and diversification of biofuels Drop-in and “hybrid” fuels will expand the types of fuels and extend supply

  20. Outreach and communications • No advocacy • Professional support for public planning and regulation • Three publications to facilitate dissemination • Several institute-sponsored weekly seminars, support for departmental seminars, conferences, workshops • Collaborative agreements with other major institutes internationally • Biannual week-long discussions, retreat, Bio101, intro to EBI…

  21. www.energybiosciencesinstitute.org

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