- Economics of Switchgrass Feedstock Production for the Emerging Cellulosic Biofuel Industry

2014 ◽  
pp. 409-433
Keyword(s):  
Cellulosic Biofuel ◽  
Biofuel Industry ◽  
Feedstock Production

scholarly journals The value of native, warm-season perennial grasses grown for pasture or biofuel in the southern Great Plains, USA

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 550 ◽  
Author(s):  
James K. Rogers ◽  
Bryan Nichols ◽  
Jon T. Biermacher ◽  
Jagadeesh Mosali
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Panicum Virgatum ◽  
Total Yield ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Bodyweight Gain ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Biofuel Feedstock ◽  
Cellulosic Biofuel ◽  
Feedstock Production ◽  
High Yields

The Renewable Fuel Standard under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 mandated the production of 60.5 GL (1 GL = 1 × 109 L) of cellulosic biofuel by 2022. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) has been identified as a primary feedstock because it is a perennial adapted to a wide environmental range and produces high yields. Development of the cellulosic biofuel industry has been slow, one reason being a lack of available feedstock driven by lack of a developed market. Rather than considering it only as a dedicated biofuel feedstock, we examined switchgrass potential for both grazing and biofuel feedstock. In a series of experiments testing dry matter yield, grazing preference and animal bodyweight gain, switchgrass (cv. Alamo) was found to produce greater total yield (17.7 kg ha–1) than 15 other warm-season perennial grasses, was the most preferred by stocker cattle in a grazing preference study, and produced good average daily gains in a grazing study (0.84–1.05 kg head–1). These results demonstrate the potential of switchgrass for both grazing and biofuel feedstock. However, the feedstock price would need to increase above US$83 Mg–1 before the economics of dedicated switchgrass feedstock production would surpass that of a combination of switchgrass grazing and feedstock production.

scholarly journals EFFECT OF PRODUCTION PARAMETERS ON THE ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF A BIOFUEL ENTERPRISE

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-362
Author(s):  
SAMUEL D. ZAPATA ◽  
LUIS A. RIBERA ◽  
MARCO A. PALMA
Keyword(s):  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Financial Model ◽  
Production Parameters ◽  
Simulation Techniques ◽  
Biofuel Industry ◽  
Feedstock Production ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn order to guarantee the success of the nascent cellulose-based biofuel industry, it is crucial to identify the most economically relevant components of the biofuel production path. To this aim, an original stochastic financial model is developed to estimate the impact that different feedstock production and biofuel conversion parameters have on the probability of economic success. Estimation of the model was carried out using Monte Carlo simulation techniques along with parametric maximum likelihood estimation procedures. Results indicate that operational efficiency strategies should concentrate on improving feedstock yields and extending the feedstock growing season.

scholarly journals Cellulosic biofuel production using emulsified simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (eSSF) with conventional and thermotolerant yeasts

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon M. Hoffman ◽  
Maria Alvarez ◽  
Gilad Alfassi ◽  
Dmitry M. Rein ◽  
Sergio Garcia-Echauri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Simultaneous Saccharification And Fermentation ◽  
Agricultural Waste ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Cellulosic Biofuels ◽  
Processing Times ◽  
Cellulosic Biofuel ◽  
Thermotolerant Yeasts ◽  
Rapid Hydrolysis ◽  
Dedicated Energy Crops ◽  
Simultaneous Saccharification

Abstract Background Future expansion of corn-derived ethanol raises concerns of sustainability and competition with the food industry. Therefore, cellulosic biofuels derived from agricultural waste and dedicated energy crops are necessary. To date, slow and incomplete saccharification as well as high enzyme costs have hindered the economic viability of cellulosic biofuels, and while approaches like simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) and the use of thermotolerant microorganisms can enhance production, further improvements are needed. Cellulosic emulsions have been shown to enhance saccharification by increasing enzyme contact with cellulose fibers. In this study, we use these emulsions to develop an emulsified SSF (eSSF) process for rapid and efficient cellulosic biofuel production and make a direct three-way comparison of ethanol production between S. cerevisiae, O. polymorpha, and K. marxianus in glucose and cellulosic media at different temperatures. Results In this work, we show that cellulosic emulsions hydrolyze rapidly at temperatures tolerable to yeast, reaching up to 40-fold higher conversion in the first hour compared to microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). To evaluate suitable conditions for the eSSF process, we explored the upper temperature limits for the thermotolerant yeasts Kluyveromyces marxianus and Ogataea polymorpha, as well as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and observed robust fermentation at up to 46, 50, and 42 °C for each yeast, respectively. We show that the eSSF process reaches high ethanol titers in short processing times, and produces close to theoretical yields at temperatures as low as 30 °C. Finally, we demonstrate the transferability of the eSSF technology to other products by producing the advanced biofuel isobutanol in a light-controlled eSSF using optogenetic regulators, resulting in up to fourfold higher titers relative to MCC SSF. Conclusions The eSSF process addresses the main challenges of cellulosic biofuel production by increasing saccharification rate at temperatures tolerable to yeast. The rapid hydrolysis of these emulsions at low temperatures permits fermentation using non-thermotolerant yeasts, short processing times, low enzyme loads, and makes it possible to extend the process to chemicals other than ethanol, such as isobutanol. This transferability establishes the eSSF process as a platform for the sustainable production of biofuels and chemicals as a whole.

Fuelling rural development? The impact of biofuel feedstock production in southern Africa on household income and expenditures

2021 ◽  
Vol 76 ◽  
pp. 102053
Author(s):  
S. Mudombi ◽  
C. Ochieng ◽  
F.X. Johnson ◽  
G. von Maltitz ◽  
D. Luhanga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Development ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Biofuel Feedstock ◽  
Feedstock Production ◽  
The Impact
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