1. Bioenergy

2. “Let there be light”
Plants
Animals
E = mc2
Humans
Trees

3. 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

4. A Universal Voyage “Powered” by Fuel
“Green”
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?
Petrol

5. In the beginnings – fossil fuels
Petroleum
Natural Gas
Coal

6. Source: National Geographic Society, Millennium in Maps, August 1998.
1750
1800
1850
1900
1950
2000
2050
2100
2150
Projections vary due to assumptions on birth rates 27 25
World population (billions) 20 15 10 5
World Population Growth National Geographic Scenarios
Source: National Geographic Society, Millennium in Maps, August 1998.
. Courtesy of Pamela Terry.

7. Changes in Atmospheric Concentration CO2, CH4, and N2O– A Thousand Year History
Atmospheric concentration CH4 (ppb)
1750
1500
1250
1000
750 10 8 6 4 2
Billions
Developing Countries
Industrial Countries
Methane
World Population Growth
Atmospheric concentration N2O (pbb)
310
290
270
250
360
340
320
300
280
260
Nitrous Oxide
Carbon Dioxide
Atmospheric concentration CO2 (ppm)
Source: IPCC Third Assessment Report (2001)

8. US Dependence on Foreign Oil
Hanno Petrolio
Consuma Petrolio
Saudi Arabia 26%
Iraq 11%
Kuwait %
Iran 9%
UAE 8%
Venezuela 6%
Russia %
Libya %
Mexico 3%
China %
Nigeria %
U.S. 2%
U.S. 26%
Japan 7%
China 6%
Germany 4%
Canada %
Russia 3%
Brazil 3%
S. Korea 3%
France %
India 3%
Mexico 3%
Italia 2%
The U.S. uses more than the next 5 highest
consuming nations combined.
Updated March Source: International Energy Annual 2001 (EIA), Tables 11.4 and

9. 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%

10. Petroleum Fractions
Civilization  fuel  rubber  car  society  Civilization
Fuel gas
Alcohol
Kerosene
Heating oil
Wax
Asphalt
Synthetic rubber

11. US Energy Consumption

12. Energy Consumption Quad Quandary
50% increase in worldwide energy consumption in next 20 years!
Energy Information Administration, International Outlook 2004, Table A2

13. Hubbert’s Peak ACTUAL PREDICTED
C.J. Campbell, “The Imminent Peak of World Oil Production”

14. Future of Global Natural Gas Reserves
Baseline consumption: 88.8 EJ/year
current
“Biomass for Renewable Energy and Fuels,” Klass, D.J.; Encyclopedia of Energy, Vol.1 © 2004 Elsevier, Inc.

15. Mark A. Paisley, “Biomass Energy”, Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (2002)

16. Purgatorio – Purge Wean dependence on petroleum
Begin ascent to sustainability
Improve environmental footprint

17. 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

18. Photosynthesis  Biomass
1g fixed
absorbed
R = CHO Chlorophyll a
R = CH3 Chlorophyll b

19. Biomass A material source typically a result of a metabolic process
Biomass can be considered a carbon-based 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)

20. 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!

21. World Biomass Distribution

22. 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.

23. 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."

24. Energy Use and GDP China Japan France USA UK S. Korea El Salvador
Poland
Mexico
Russia
Bangladesh
China
Energy Information Administration, Internation Energy Annual 2000 Tables E1, B1, B2; GDP per capita is for 2000 in 1995 dollars. May 2002

25. 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 ( x more potent GH gas) *

26. 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

27. Alternate Energy Stories
Marshallton, IA will build $1B to turn switchgrass  fuel (reduce coal):

28. = Bioethanol Provisions from Starch Food vs Fuel 3.5 ton grains/year
@ 7 L/100 km
(20,000 km/year)
0.5 ton starch/person/year

29. 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???

30. Types of Petrochemicals
Aliphatic
(C1-C4 mainly)
Aromatic
Inorganic
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.

31. Commodity Chemicals from Biomass
Most petroleum-based materials have their analogues
DuPont already has technology in place
Cost points control marketability

32. 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

33. Total Production (millions of tons)
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
Inks
Plastics 30
1.8

34. Biomass Chemical Building Blocks
2, 5-Furandicarboxylic Acid
3-Hydroxypropionic Acid
Aspartic Acid
Glucaric Acid
Itaconic Acid
3-Hydroxybutyrolactone
Succinic Acid
Sorbitol
Glycerol
Levulinic Acid
Xylitol
Glutamic Acid

35. 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

36. Organizations to Contact for Information
BERA (Biomass Energy Research Assoc.):
US DoE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy:

37. 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

38. 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
Eco-efficiency, renewables, and industrial ecology
Contamination
(e.g., CO2 , toxic chemicals)
Eco-efficiency of First generation Technologies (info/bio/nano)
Economic Development (e.g., employment, GDP)

39. Biorefinery Cycle

40. The Proposed Integrated Biomass-Production Conversion Site (IBPCS) or Biorefinery Concept

41. Cellulose vs. Starch Year 35 30 25 20 Ethanol (Billions of gal/yr) 15
EXISTENT
EMERGENT
FUTURE 30
Sugar
Fundamental
Corn
Platform
Advances in
Mills
-New Enzymes
Lignocellulose 25
-Pretreatment
Processing
and fermentation
-Fermentation 20
Ethanol (Billions of gal/yr) 15
Cellulose 10 5
Starch
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
Year

42. ALL BIOMASS IS LOCAL Frontera del sistema
Reduces opportunities for agenda-driven manipulation of data
Studies are more relevant to the actual situation faced by investors & innovators
Better application of agricultural & environmental policy instruments
Improves selection of crops & cropping systems for local biorefineries
Illuminates opportunities for system integration & “waste” utilization

43. 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)

44. Net energy and net greenhouse gases for gasoline, six studies, and three cases
A. E. Farrell et al., Science 311, (2006)

45. 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, (2006)

46. Summary & Conclusions
Time is of the essence – 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

47. 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