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Energy Crop Resources andTechnologies

Global Climate Energy Program

Biomass Energy Workshop

Standford University April 27, 2004

Lynn Wright, Biomass Consultant

[email protected] , 865-376-0037

Formerly with Oak Ridge National Laboratory


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Outline

• Brief Energy Crop R&D History

• Energy Crop Production Technology• Potential Energy Crop Supplies (Analysis Results)

• Lessons Learned from Implementation Efforts

• Need for all Biomass Resources

• Biomass Supply Vision

• Lessons from Agriculture

• What If?


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ORNL Managed DOE’s Bioenergy Feedstock Research from

1978 to 2002

Molecular

Genetics

EnvironmentalStudies

Economic Analysis

Project

Support

ORNLR,D&D

Crop development withUniversities and USDA

Significant PrivateSector Involvement

~$100 Mil lion DOEInvestment

Minnesota Hybrid PoplarMinnesota Hybrid Poplar

Research CooperativeResearch Cooperative

Willow Farmers CoopWillow Farmers Coop

Prairie LandsPrairie LandsBioProductsBioProducts,,

Inc.Inc.Tree GeneticTree Genetic

EngineeringEngineering

ResearchResearchCoopCoop

PoplarPoplar

MolecularMolecular

Genetics CoopGenetics Coop


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0

510

15

20

25

30

1 9

7 9

1 9

8 1

1 9

8 3

1 9

8 5

1 9

8 7

1 9

8 9

1 9

9 1

1 9

9 3

1 9

9 5

1 9

9 7

1 9

9 9

2 0

0 1

Year

N

o .

S p e c i e s

HerbaceousWoody

> 100 woody species screened

25 identified as high potential,7 selected for development

Poplars and willows adopted

commercially

35 herbaceous species screened

4 identified as high-potential,

Switchgrass selected for

development as model

Energy Crop Species Screening, Model Selection


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By late 80’s woody research focused on 7 species and

grass screening had begun


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Bioenergy Feedstock Experimental and

Operational Research Sites in the U.S.


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Woody crop management requirements were well

established by late 1980’s and switchgrass energy croppotential was identified.

SwitchgrassWillow coppiceHybrid Poplar

Harvested annuallyHarvested at age 5 to 10 Harvested at age 3 or 4


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Switchgrass, is produced in 10 year rotations with

annual harvest, using conventional agriculturalequipment, add N at ~ 10 kg/dry Mg yield/yr


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Switchgrass Yield Examples: Actual and Predicted with ALMANAC

10.210.19 yr avg. 1 cut

10.610.59 yr avg. 2 cutTallasee,AL

10.218.01994 2 cut

13.613.61993 1 cut

15.716.71994 2 cut

11.711.81993 2 cutBeeville,TX

13.813.42 yr avg.Meade,NE

12.012.36 yr avg.Blacksburg,VA

ALMANAC

Yield (Mg/ha)

Field

Yield (Mg/ha)ConditionsSITE


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Poplars are produced for f iber on cropland soils at 3-

4m spacing in 6-10 yr rotations, weed control iscrit ical, currently harvested with forestry equipment

Early 2nd yr poplar growth

Weed control effects

First hardwoodlinkage map wasa poplar hybrid,complete genome

now nearly done.


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Perennial Cover - Wind Erosion Control

up to 10H- Water Erosion Control

Removal of Agricultural

Chemical from Ground Water

Tree Height (H)

No Annual Feedstock

Storage Cost

Low Chemical Input


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Very rapid tree growth (~15-25 Mg/ha/year) is obtainable whereplenty of sunlight, water and space are available

Challenge is obtaining similar growth at tight spacings orunder poorer growing conditions

Age 6 Hybrid Poplar In Oregon Age 7 Eucalyptus in Brazil


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Willow is produced on cropland at ½ to 1 m spacings,

harvested in 3 years, using special harvest equipment,

Species trials –double spaced rows

Willow ready for harvest


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Analysis Result Example: Predictions of Potential Energy

Crop Production Using 2008 Yield Assumptions

0

2

4

6

8

10

H e

c t a r e s o f l a n d

( m i l l i o n s )

$33 dMg, Wildlife $44 dMg, Production

Farmgate price and Scenario

Crop

CRP

Idle

Pasture

USDA Demand Sector Model (POLYSYS) modified for analysis. Both scenario’s assume75% of Conservation Reserve Program Subsidies are available to farmers. Switchgrasspredominates as higher profit potential crop for farmers at farmgate.


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Areas Supporting Predicted Potential Biomass Production are

a Function of Price, Production Restrictions, and Subsidies

Scenario 1: $33/dMg (farmgate) with

wildlife restrictions and 75% of CRP land

subsidy - 77 million dry Mg ofswitchgrass and poplars

Scenario 2: $44dMg (farmgate) with

no restrictions and 75% of CRP landsubsidy - 170 million dry Mg of

mostly switchgrass


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Lessons learned from operational scale biomass

demonstration projects and systems studies

• Crop productivity is only oneaspect of commercial viability

• Supply logist ics issues often aremajor barriers – Harvesting requirements

– Storage and processing needs

– Quality requirements• Many non-technical and

institutional barriers exist – Policy barriers

– Business/market developmentbarriers

– Fossil fuel prices

– Farmer profi tability potential


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Biomass Supplies in Context

Slide from Overend (NREL)


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Potential Available Lignocellulosic FeedstockQuantities (ORNL, 1999)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

22 (1.4) 33 (2.0) 44 (2.7) 55 (3.4)

Delivered cost $/dry Mg ($/GJ)

C u m u l a t i v e Q u

a n t i t i e

( m i l l i o n d r y t o n n e )

Urban Wastes Mill Residues Forest Residues Ag Residues Energy Crops

All types of biomass, plus technology advances, are needed to provide significant supplies


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Billion ton feedstock vision

• 5% of nation’s power, 20% oftransport fuels, and 25% ofchemicals by 2030

• Combined target is 30% of currentpetroleum consumption

• What are the constraints

- Annual production must besustainable

- integrated feedstock supply system(reliability, quality, andconsistency)

- economic profitability for all in thefeedstock supply chain

- acceptable life-cycle environmentalimpact

- net positive social impacts(production and products)

Figure 1. Biomass feedstock vision goals. Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Roadmap for Agriculture Biomass Feedstock Supply in the United States, DOE/NE-ID-11129, November 2003.Figure 1. Biomass feedstock vision goals. Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Roadmap for Agriculture Biomass Feedstock Supply in the United States, DOE/NE-ID-11129, November 2003.


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bark

sawdust

black liquor

Process Residues

Bioenergy

forest harvest for energy

short rotation woody cropsherbaceous energy crops

forest slash

harvest residues

bagasse

stalks & straws

EnergyServicesheatCHP

electricity

Biomass

pulppaper lumber plywood

cotton

Materials

ConsumersMSW clean fractionyard trimmingsconstr. & demolitionwoodnon-recyclable

organics

Crops, Animals

dung

Process

Residues

charcoalethanol

hydrogen

Biofuels

Food

Fiber

Biomass Flows in the U.S. Economy

From Overend (NREL)


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Current land uses, desired products, and environmental

preferences limit biomass resource availabil ityMajor US Land Catagories 916 million hectares total

177

234202

303

Permanent Pasture

Arable & Cropland

Forest & Woodland

All Others

Forest and Woodland303 million hectares

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68Timberland

Reserved

Other

Arable and Cropland177 million hectares

45

21

26 30

24

31

Corn

Wheat

Soybeans

Hay

Other Crops

Other Misc

Source: Agriculture Statistics, 2003Source: US Forest Service 2002 RPA tables


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1st 10 Generations

2nd 10 Generations C o s t

( $ / t o n )

Yield (ton/ac/yr)

Current conventional approach

Rapid domestication approach

The functional relationship between yield and cost ofThe functional relationship between yield and cost ofgrowing trees could be radically changed with rapidgrowing trees could be radically changed with rapid

domestication approachdomestication approach


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Possible cost reduction from woody cropdomestication

• 8’ x 8’ or 10’ x 10’spacing

• $0.21 / cutting

• 8-12 Mg / ha / yr • 8-10 year rotation

• $14-20/Mg harvest cost

$50-60 / Mg

• 4’ x 8’ or 6’ x 6’ spacing

• $0.12 / cutt ing

• 25-30 Mg / ha / yr • 5-6 year rotation

• $8 /Mg harvest cost

$20-$25 / Mg

Typical assumptions

In 2000

Domesticated crop

concepts


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Estimating Future Switchgrass Yields (Mg/ha)

Current range - - - field-scale9-22

POLYSYS average US at $44/Mg ($53.8 delivered)

“ “ at $30.3/Mg ($37.3 delivered)

9.4

11.1

Current regional small plot average15

Typical best small plot each year for each of 3 regions in SE/SC22

***Projected field-scale yield in 20 y ***15-22

Best small plot –single year 34

Maximum single plant –unwatered nursery47

ALMANAC theoretical51.6


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Simulated qnnual yield of corn grain and Switchgrass using ALMANACindicate Switchgrass not as sensitive to land quality as corn.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00 9.00 10.00

Ac tual Corn Grain Yields (Mg/ha/y)

S i m u l a t e d C o r n a n d S w i t c h g r a s s

Y i e l d

( M

g / h a / y )

CornSim

SWGSim

Corn Grain

Switchgrass

Source:Kiniry, Ugarte,McLaughlin,2004 analysis


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What if?

• All major crops were harvested for multiple uses (with sufficientresidues left on soil for sustainability)?

• Protein for animals and cellulose for ethanol could be efficiently

derived from the same crop (eg. alfalfa and/or switchgrass)?• Average switchgrass yields could be doubled.

• Switchgrass were a nitrogen fixer?

• Harvest techniques for grasses or alfalfa could efficiently separateleafy parts (protein source) from stems (lignin and cellulose source)?

• Poplars could be domesticated and yields doubled or tr ipled?

• Poplars could be more cheaply and quickly harvested?

• Grass, tree and grain crops were more drought tolerant?• Conversion technologies were more efficient and capable of using

multiple biomass sources to reduce storage problems.


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Future land uses and product mixes could differ

Arable and Cropland, current

177 million hectares

45

21

26 30

24

31

Corn

Wheat

SoybeansHay

Other Crops

Other Misc

Currently most corn and wheat stalks areleft on the ground

Corn grain and soybeans are major sources of animal protein

“Other Misc” includes land that is idled or inConservation or Environmental ReservePrograms

In hypothetical scenario below :

Human consumption of meat not changedMost crops partitioned for food & energy or fiber and energy.Protein for animal production derived

mostly from switchgrassand alfalfaMost annual crops grown under no-till conditions

All “other misc” land used for crop productione.g. perennials to preserve conservation values

Arable and Cropland, hypothetical 177 million hectares

26

12

20

2020

60

19

Corn

Wheat

Soybeans

Hay (alfalfa)

Other Crops

Grass Crops

Wood Crops


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Managing our lands for energy, food and fiber


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Acknowledgements & References

• For feedstock research recommendations – especially for agricul turalresidues, see “ Roadmap for Agriculture Biomass Feedstock Supplyin the United States”

• at www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/publications.asp• Information and ideas were derived from many sources

– Jerry Tuskan – Oak Ridge National Laboratory

– Marie Walsh – formerly ORNL, now University of Tennessee

– Robert Perlack – Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Ralph Overend – National Renewable Energy Laboratory

– Sandy McLaughlin/Daniel Ugarte – University of Tennessee

– Jim Kiniry – USDA Grassland, Soil and Water Research Lab

– Lee Lynd & collaborators (Renewable Biomass Alternative Energy Future Study)

– USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service – Trends in U.S. Agriculture

– USDA US Forest Service – Forest Facts and Historical Trends

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