U.S. Energy and Agriculture Depts. provide $8.3 million for energy crops research
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman today announced that the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Energy have jointly selected 11 projects for awards totaling US$8.3 million for biobased fuels research that will accelerate the development of alternative fuel resources. The research aims to take the U.S. beyond its reliance on corn as a biofuel feedstock.
The awards continue a commitment begun in 2006 to conduct fundamental research in biomass genomics that will provide the scientific foundation to facilitate and accelerate the use of woody plant tissue for bioenergy and biofuels (earlier post). The program was announced at last year's Advancing Renewable Energy: An American Rural Renaissance, a conference jointly hosted by the two agencies in St. Louis, MO. The awards are part of a greater research portfolio that will help meet President Bush's goal to reduce gasoline consumption by 20 percent in ten years (amongst this is a DOE fund of US$200 million for biorefineries).
The awards will be made through the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER) in DOE's Office of Science (SC), and USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) National Research Initiative (NRI). In this second year of the program, new research projects on cordgrass, rice, switchgrass, sorghum, poplar, and perennial grasses join the portfolio of research on poplar, alfalfa, sorghum, and wheat.
Starting in 2007, DOE will provide US$5.5 million in funding for seven projects, while USDA will award more than US$1.5 million to fund three projects; one project will receive US$1.3 million in joint funding from both agencies. Initial funding will support research projects for up to three years.
Awards have been selected for bioenergy projects of the following universities and research centers:
biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: ethanol :: biodiesel :: biomass :: energy crops :: sorghum :: switchgrass :: bioenergy :: biotechnology :: genomics ::
"These research projects build upon DOE's strategic investments in genomics and biotechnology and strengthen our commitment to developing a robust bioenergy future vital to America's energy and economic security," Bodman said.
More information on the awared projects can be found here.
Article continues
The awards continue a commitment begun in 2006 to conduct fundamental research in biomass genomics that will provide the scientific foundation to facilitate and accelerate the use of woody plant tissue for bioenergy and biofuels (earlier post). The program was announced at last year's Advancing Renewable Energy: An American Rural Renaissance, a conference jointly hosted by the two agencies in St. Louis, MO. The awards are part of a greater research portfolio that will help meet President Bush's goal to reduce gasoline consumption by 20 percent in ten years (amongst this is a DOE fund of US$200 million for biorefineries).
The awards will be made through the Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER) in DOE's Office of Science (SC), and USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) National Research Initiative (NRI). In this second year of the program, new research projects on cordgrass, rice, switchgrass, sorghum, poplar, and perennial grasses join the portfolio of research on poplar, alfalfa, sorghum, and wheat.
Starting in 2007, DOE will provide US$5.5 million in funding for seven projects, while USDA will award more than US$1.5 million to fund three projects; one project will receive US$1.3 million in joint funding from both agencies. Initial funding will support research projects for up to three years.
Awards have been selected for bioenergy projects of the following universities and research centers:
biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: ethanol :: biodiesel :: biomass :: energy crops :: sorghum :: switchgrass :: bioenergy :: biotechnology :: genomics ::
- University of Minnesota, $715,000
- South Dakota State University, $420,000
- Mississippi State University, $1,300,000
- University of Georgia, $400,000
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, $1,200,000
- University of Florida, $750,000
- University of Delaware, $600,000
- USDA-ARS Western Regional Research Center (Albany, CA), $600,000
- USDA-ARS Western Regional Research Center (Albany, CA), $600,000
- USDA-ARS (Cornell University), $700,000
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, $1,040,000
"These research projects build upon DOE's strategic investments in genomics and biotechnology and strengthen our commitment to developing a robust bioenergy future vital to America's energy and economic security," Bodman said.
More information on the awared projects can be found here.
Article continues
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Case-study reveals template for successful biofuel production
The study titled Meeting the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation - A Biofuels Case Study from Seed to Forecourt [*.pdf], identified areas as critical to the chain, including standardising farming practice, breeding specific varieties for biofuels, ensuring continuity of supply, and providing carbon reporting throughout the chain. The study looked at three biofuels for transport: biodiesel, bioethanol and biogas.
Value Chain Analysis brings together a team representing all aspects of a supply chain in order to ‘map’ the chain. By ‘walking through’ the chain together, the team is able to identify processes that add value and those that don’t (map, click to enlarge). It is also able to identify problems and areas, and, therefore, to suggest ways in which the chain might be improved. This activity is organised by the Cereals Industry Forum, and was facilitated by Cardiff Business School.
Because of the complexity of the supply chain in this case it was split into two groups – upstream and downstream. The detailed mapping of the upstream chain showed that the total lead-time from basic seed to crusher is about 920 days, out of which 365 days is in multiplication of basic seed, 365 growing on the farm and 180 days on average in central silo. The total mileage from fertiliser manufacturing plant through the distributive chain to the farm and then as crop to the crusher is about 250 miles.
For the downstream chain it showed that the total lead-time from the crusher to the vehicle tank is more than 60 days (excluding time in the tank-farm due to data not available). The total transport in the downstream is about 60 miles (excluding miles traveled in pipelines).
The critical factors for success identified by the team were:
- The need to standardise and transfer best farming practices more widely: it was shown that improved choice of varieties, reduced fertiliser loss, and reduced harvest loss could make a significant difference to improving the quality of output and the profitability for growers.
- Breeding specific varieties for biofuels: currently, there are no oilseed varieties specifically for biofuels production. High yield and oil content are key to the success of the whole sector and have a big impact on profitability of biofuels crop production as well as the whole supply chain.
- Continuity of supply into the crusher with crop storage adjacent to the crusher: key to sustainability of this chain is the continuity of supply of high quality locally-grown crops into the crusher. The crusher connects the upstream and downstream chains and efficiency of the upstream supply is crucial in terms of competitiveness of the whole industry.
- Carbon reporting from seed to tank: the carbon footprint and the environmental impact of the end-to-end supply chain (seed to tank) must be constantly monitored to ensure that the promised carbon reduction is met.
The upstream group involved fertiliser producer Terra; seed breeder Monsanto; agri-chemicals supplier Agrovista; buying group Farmway; grower John Hutchinson, grain trader GrainCo; and crusher, North East Biofuels. The downstream group included Simon Storage, which provides tank farms for the rape oil and the biodiesel; the Biofuels Corporation, which processed the rape oil to produce biodiesel; PetroPlus, which blends the biodiesel; and JET, which sells the biodiesel:energy :: sustainability :: ethanol :: biodiesel :: biogas :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: carbon balance :: energy balance :: logistics :: byproducts :: value chain ::
John Reynolds, Chairman of North East Biofuels said: “The VCA project was a very valuable exercise and I firmly believe it is a great help as a pointer and a base against which our supply chain members can measure improvements in the coming years. These improvements will be very necessary in a competitive world, where the consumer will demand cost competitiveness at the pump and a product which helps to combat Global Warming.”
Iain Grime, Business Development Manager from PetroPlus said: “The VCA is a valuable project which helps supply chain stakeholders to build better and longer-term relationships. The VCA project looked at opportunities for improving operations and also the logistics in the supply chain. This sector is very mature and the logistical opportunities are limited. However, one of the key findings was the need for transparent and rigorous carbon reporting along the life-cycle of biofuels. This includes all aspects of delivery from grain to fully blended biofuels to the retail outlet.”
More information:
Biofuel Review: Template for successful biofuels production developed - June 7, 2007.
Home Grown Cereals Authority / North East Biofuels: Reducing carbon in a biofuel supply chain A biodiesel case study - 2007, s.d. (June 2007).
Cereals Industry Forum: Meeting the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation: A Biofuels Case Study from Seed to Forecourt - April 2007.
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