Study Ethanol from Switchgrass: $.55-$.62/gallon
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From: Pewee Valley, KY
Study Ethanol from Switchgrass: $.55-$.62/gallon
http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/scien...nol-15626.html
Discuss.
Scientists Determine Farm Costs of Producing Switchgrass for Ethanol
Submitted by BJS on Thu, 2008-03-06 09:22. Topic:
* energy and environment
Following up on a net-energy study published in the January Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) scientists today reports the on-farm economic costs of producing switchgrass for cellulosic ethanol.
In their PNAS energy-analysis paper, the team reported that switchgrass, when used for cellulosic ethanol, yielded over five times more energy than required to produce the fuel. In this month's edition of the journal BioEnergy Research, the team describes their study's second part, which examined the farm-scale production costs of switchgrass. Richard Perrin of UNL and Ken Vogel, Marty Schmer and Rob Mitchell--all in the ARS Grain, Forage and Bioenergy Research Unit at Lincoln--conducted the studies.
According to Perrin and Vogel, this study is the most comprehensive one completed to date assessing the economic costs of producing switchgrass biomass on commercial fields. The team contracted with 10 farmers in Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota to commercially grow switchgrass for five years, starting in 2000 and 2001. Throughout the study, the farmers recorded all costs for producing switchgrass biomass, from seed and fertilizer expenses to equipment and labor costs. Total baled biomass yields were recorded for each farm.
On average, switchgrass production costs were $60 per ton. Two farmers with previous experience growing switchgrass were able to limit production costs to $39 a ton. They were among a group of five farmers whose production costs were $50 or less per ton. That's something farmers elsewhere could probably achieve as they, too, gain production experience with switchgrass, the researchers suggest. Based on the $50-per-ton figure, and assuming a conversion efficiency of 80 to 90 gallons per ton, the farmgate production cost of cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass would be about $0.55 to $0.62 per gallon.
Perrin and the ARS agronomists expect production costs will also decline as new, "ethanol-friendly" cultivars are developed.
ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.
Submitted by BJS on Thu, 2008-03-06 09:22. Topic:
* energy and environment
Following up on a net-energy study published in the January Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a team of Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) scientists today reports the on-farm economic costs of producing switchgrass for cellulosic ethanol.
In their PNAS energy-analysis paper, the team reported that switchgrass, when used for cellulosic ethanol, yielded over five times more energy than required to produce the fuel. In this month's edition of the journal BioEnergy Research, the team describes their study's second part, which examined the farm-scale production costs of switchgrass. Richard Perrin of UNL and Ken Vogel, Marty Schmer and Rob Mitchell--all in the ARS Grain, Forage and Bioenergy Research Unit at Lincoln--conducted the studies.
According to Perrin and Vogel, this study is the most comprehensive one completed to date assessing the economic costs of producing switchgrass biomass on commercial fields. The team contracted with 10 farmers in Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota to commercially grow switchgrass for five years, starting in 2000 and 2001. Throughout the study, the farmers recorded all costs for producing switchgrass biomass, from seed and fertilizer expenses to equipment and labor costs. Total baled biomass yields were recorded for each farm.
On average, switchgrass production costs were $60 per ton. Two farmers with previous experience growing switchgrass were able to limit production costs to $39 a ton. They were among a group of five farmers whose production costs were $50 or less per ton. That's something farmers elsewhere could probably achieve as they, too, gain production experience with switchgrass, the researchers suggest. Based on the $50-per-ton figure, and assuming a conversion efficiency of 80 to 90 gallons per ton, the farmgate production cost of cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass would be about $0.55 to $0.62 per gallon.
Perrin and the ARS agronomists expect production costs will also decline as new, "ethanol-friendly" cultivars are developed.
ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Fairfax Station, VA. Formally Long Island :(
Good news. With oil being so damn volatile as it is, I hope this really does sound as sweet as is stated and is something we can really use as an alternative fuel. As usual, I am sure there is another side to this story with the disadvantages and drawbacks though such as the amount of space required to harvest the switchgrass...etc.
But anyway, this is a breathe of fresh air to say the least. I cannot wait until we have to stop buying OPEC oil.
But anyway, this is a breathe of fresh air to say the least. I cannot wait until we have to stop buying OPEC oil.
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Posts: 1,817
From: O-Town
Cellulosic ethanol can't get here fast enough. Once that shows up, you really don't have to worry about the mileage lost associated with ethanol. Then, if it was somehow mandated that all car be able to run off E85, you basically have a competition product with gas and they should, in theory, keep each other in check somewhat.
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From: Rock Hill, SC
I'm all for the development of alternative fuels, and ethanol may at some point be viable.
The $.55- $.62 per gallon, is only the cost of producing the switchgrass. It doesn't factor any of the costs of making that switchgrass into ethanol or the distribution or the taxes...
Given that a barrell of oil is selling for over $100 and they get about 28 gallons of gas out of a barrell, the cited switchgrass material costs are still much lower than the current cost of crude oil.
Maybe this will eventually turn into a economical fuel source...
The $.55- $.62 per gallon, is only the cost of producing the switchgrass. It doesn't factor any of the costs of making that switchgrass into ethanol or the distribution or the taxes...
Given that a barrell of oil is selling for over $100 and they get about 28 gallons of gas out of a barrell, the cited switchgrass material costs are still much lower than the current cost of crude oil.
Maybe this will eventually turn into a economical fuel source...
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,400
From: Michigan's left coast
Exactly. The costs to convert the biomass into ethanol are substantial and can't be ignored. All that this study has proven is that we can grow switchgrass cheaply. That's a good start, but the costs of the hydrolysis/fermentation/distillation process are still unclear.
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From: Pewee Valley, KY
I'm all for the development of alternative fuels, and ethanol may at some point be viable.
The $.55- $.62 per gallon, is only the cost of producing the switchgrass. It doesn't factor any of the costs of making that switchgrass into ethanol or the distribution or the taxes...
Given that a barrell of oil is selling for over $100 and they get about 28 gallons of gas out of a barrell, the cited switchgrass material costs are still much lower than the current cost of crude oil.
Maybe this will eventually turn into a economical fuel source...
The $.55- $.62 per gallon, is only the cost of producing the switchgrass. It doesn't factor any of the costs of making that switchgrass into ethanol or the distribution or the taxes...
Given that a barrell of oil is selling for over $100 and they get about 28 gallons of gas out of a barrell, the cited switchgrass material costs are still much lower than the current cost of crude oil.
Maybe this will eventually turn into a economical fuel source...
Based on the $50-per-ton figure, and assuming a conversion efficiency of 80 to 90 gallons per ton, the farmgate production cost of cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass would be about $0.55 to $0.62 per gallon
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 579
From: Rock Hill, SC
Check the math...
$50 per ton of switchgrass
90 gallons of potential ethanol per ton of switchgrass
$50/90 gal = $0.555/gal
This is ONLY the cost of the switchgrass...
The article is written this way to deceive the reader.
I still hope the technology continues to develop and we can eventually work our way off of oil dependency...
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From: Beaumont, TX
Switch grass grows w/ little or no attention. You don't have to buy seed & fertilizer for it. Hence, dirt cheap.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switchgrass
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switchgrass
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From: Okemos, MI
I read somewhere that if we converted every cornfield in the country to switchgrass, it would cover some ridiculously small percentage (like 3%) of our total fuel usage. I'll see if I can find the source and get the real number.