Biofuels Initiative Frequently Asked Questions
Biofuels Initiative
1. What is the UT Biofuels Initiative?
The UT Biofuels Initiative is a research and business model that proposes to advance in-state production of renewable and sustainable biofuels. The focal point of the Initiative is the construction and operation of a 5 million gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in East Tennessee.
Tennessee's Governor Phil Bredesen committed more than $70 million over five years to the Biofuels Initiative in 2007. The Tennessee State Legislature appropriated the first year of funding (FY 2008) for this project, including $40.7 million for capital costs of biorefinery construction and $8.25 for operating, research, and farmer incentives for switchgrass production. Additional operating funds are expected through FY 2012.
2. Who are partners in the Initiative?
For the Initiative, UT is partnering with private industry leaders in biofuels technology. Scientists from Oak Ridge National Laboratory will also participate in the project.
3. What is the current status of the Initiative?
The University of Tennessee Research Foundation continues to negotiate partnership terms with private partners for forming the Limited Liability Company that will operate the biorefinery.
Based on available seed supply, the goal is to plant 800 acres of switchgrass in spring 2008 for use as a feedstock in the facility. With this in mind, a switchgrass farmer incentive program was rolled out to farmers in Monroe, Loudon, McMinn and Blount counties during the week of January 14 – 18. Contracts for almost 800 acres of switchgrass were awarded on Feb. 15, 2008. Contact your local county Extension office for more information on the farmer incentive program.
Biorefinery
4. What is a biorefinery?
A biorefinery is a facility that uses biomass conversion technologies to convert biomass into fuels, power, and value-added chemicals. The biorefinery concept is similar to that of a petroleum refinery, which uses a single feedstock, oil, to produce multiple fuels and products. The UT Biofuels Initiative is constructing a cellulosic ethanol biorefinery.
5. What is ethanol?
Ethanol is an ethyl alcohol that is produced by the fermentation and distillation of sugars obtained from grains or plants. Ethanol is typically produced in two ways, from corn grains or from plant materials called biomass. The difference between the two is the method in which the sugars are extracted from the materials. The process to extract sugars from biomass is slightly more complex than the corn grain process. However, once the alcohol is distilled, the ethanol produced from both processes is identical.
6. Is ethanol the only thing that can be produced in a biorefinery?
No, a cellulosic biorefinery can produce a host of materials and chemicals by using the residual material from the ethanol process. These materials are called co-products. New high-tech co-products include carbon fibers, new polymers, and new composite materials. Biochemicals produced from this process are often more environmentally friendly than their petroleum-based counterparts.
7. What feedstocks will this biorefinery use?
This biorefinery will utilize switchgrass, a native perennial grass, and woody biomass materials.
8. How much feedstock is required to operate this plant?
The plant will require 170-200 dry tons of biomass per day to make 5 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol each year.
9. Do biorefineries smell?
Many people associate ethanol production with bad odors in the air. Corn grain ethanol plants are known to produce odors that can bother local residents. However, a biorefinery that produces ethanol from cellulosic materials does not have the same odor concerns. In the production of ethanol, odors typically come from three places. One source of odor is from the residual material produced when byproducts are filtered out of the ethanol near the end of the process. This filtered material can produce odors as it begins to break down. Our expectations in biorefinery design call for these materials not to be left on site longer than 72 hours. Research has shown that the materials do not produce odors until after 72 hours. Another source of odors in the biorefinery is the exhaust from the fermentation process. Using technology called scrubbing, the exhaust from the fermenters will be processed through scrubbers that remove any odors, preventing it from being released into the air.
The primary source of odors in a corn ethanol plant is the drying of the residual grain material left after the sugars are fermented and the alcohol is removed. In a corn ethanol plant, these residual grain materials are dried and sold as animal feeds. This drying process emits the most odor of any other part of the process. The UT biorefinery does not use grain and will not produce any animal feed byproducts, eliminating the need for a drying process and any odors that would come from the process.
10. Do biorefineries require a lot of water to produce ethanol?
Yes, biorefineries do require substantial amounts of water to produce ethanol. To make a gallon of gasoline, the process requires 1.5 gallons of water. Corn grain ethanol requires 4 gallons of water per gallon of fuel and cellulosic ethanol requires about 9 gallons of water per gallon of fuel. Cellulosic ethanol production is expected to be refined as it reaches commercial scale and require a similar amount of water as corn grain ethanol production. Some commercial scale (50 million gallons per year and up) facilities have designed a closed system where waste water is treated on site and sent back into the production process, thus significantly reducing the demand for fresh water.
11. Does it take more energy to produce ethanol than you get out of it?
Net energy value (NEV) is the term most used to describe the energy of ethanol. The NEV is the amount of ethanol energy produced minus the amount of energy used in the process to make ethanol. Overall, research has shown that the NEV of ethanol is positive. Some research, however, contends that the balance is negative. As technology has developed, the overall average NEV across all studies has been increasingly positive.
Another way to look at the energy balance is to look at the fossil energy ratio. The fossil energy ratio is the ratio between the amount of fossil energy used to create ethanol. For example, producing one unit of gasoline energy requires the input of 1.25 units of fossil energy. The fossil energy ratio here would be 0.8, indicating that it takes more energy to make gasoline than we get out of it. Corn grain ethanol has a fossil energy ratio of about 1.6, biodiesel has a ration of 3, and cellulosic ethanol has a ratio that ranges from 5 to 10, depending upon the source of biomass. This means that the production of cellulosic ethanol produces at least five times the amount of energy required to produce it.
12. How much cellulosic ethanol is being produced in the US today?
Very little cellulosic ethanol is being produced today. Virtually all of the 7.5 billion gallons of ethanol produced each year in the US come from corn grain sources. Cellulosic technology is a known technology (Henry Ford commented on it in 1925) but has only recently been refined sufficiently enough to make production of ethanol an economically sound process.
Using Ethanol
13. Can I use ethanol in my car or truck now?
Currently, our vehicle engines can burn only a small percentage of ethanol in their fuel. Typically, a normal vehicle can run on fuel of up to 10% ethanol with no problems. Ethanol is relatively caustic to standard rubber seals, gaskets, and hoses in the engine. Any concentration of ethanol above 10% will cause deterioration of the seals, gaskets, and hoses that can cause leakage. Automakers now produce vehicles that are called "flex fuel" vehicles. These vehicles have different seals, gaskets, and hoses that are designed for use with ethanol and do not deteriorate. If you have or purchase one of these vehicles, you can use up to 85% ethanol. At commercial stations, the highest concentration you can now purchase is 85% ethanol or E85.
14. Does ethanol get less mileage than gasoline?
Yes, a gallon ethanol has 2/3 the energy content than that of gasoline. To travel the same distance provided by a gallon of gasoline, it would take 1.03 gallons of E10 and 1.33 gallons of E85. In today’s engines, automobiles using E85 typically see a mileage decrease of 10-20%, depending upon the vehicle.
15. Does ethanol reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Yes, ethanol does significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to gasoline. An E85 blend of corn based ethanol reduces GHG emissions by 10-20% per mile. An E85 blend of cellulosic ethanol reduces GHG emissions by at least 60% per mile. The largest percent reduction in specific components of GHGs is in carbon monoxide and sulfates.
Bioenergy Crops
16. What is switchgrass?
Switchgrass is a perennial warm-season grass that is native to Tennessee. It has a life span of 10-20 years once established, making it an attractive crop for producers. It is a clumping grass that can reach 10 feet in height and has a similarly extensive root system. This root system makes it an excellent soil stabilization plant. Switchgrass is adapted to a wide range of soils and can do well on marginal lands. Base yields are 6 dry tons per acre, with many sites reaching 8-12 dry tons per acre.
17. Does growing switchgrass require as many inputs as corn?
No, switchgrass requires less intensive management than corn. Herbicide usage is typically limited to the first year of growth. After the first year, the stand of switchgrass becomes thick enough to out-compete any weeds. Fertilizer needs are also lower. Annual applications of nitrogen are recommended at 60lbs per acre beginning in the spring of the second year. Phosphorous and potassium are only recommended if soil tests indicate low levels of P and/or K, annual applications of P205 (40lbs/acre) and K20 (80lbs/acre). Irrigation is not needed for switchgrass.
18. Is there currently a market for switchgrass?
No, a market for switchgrass does not exist. The demonstration plant being built in east Tennessee will provide a market for switchgrass in that area only. Farmers in the area are eligible to participate in an incentive program to grow switchgrass. For more information on the incentive program for producing switchgrass, contact your local county Extension office for more information on the farmer incentive program.
