emerging ag & natural resources issues from the college of agriculture: departments’...
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Emerging Ag & Natural Emerging Ag & Natural Resources Issues from the Resources Issues from the
College of Agriculture: College of Agriculture: Departments’ PerspectiveDepartments’ Perspective
S.A. ShearerBiosystems and Agricultural Engineering
Strategies and GoalsStrategies and Goals
Strategy 1 Improve the energy efficiency of Kentucky’s homes, buildings, industries, and transportation fleetGoal: Energy efficiency will offset at least 18 percent of Kentucky’s projected 2025 energy demand.
Strategy 2 Increase Kentucky’s use of renewable energyGoal: By 2025, Kentucky’s renewable energy generation will triple to provide the equivalent of 1,000 megawatts of clean energy while continuing to produce safe, abundant and affordable food, feed and fiber.
Strategy 3 Sustainably grow Kentucky’s production of biofuelsGoal: By 2025, Kentucky will derive from biofuels 12 percent of its motor fuels demand, while continuing to produce safe, abundant and affordable food, feed and fiber.
AgendaAgenda
KDA Energy Efficiency ProgramKDA Energy Efficiency Program2008 Farm Bill OpportunitiesGovernor’s Task Force on
Biomass/Biofuels in KY
KDA On-Farm Energy Efficiency KDA On-Farm Energy Efficiency and Production Programand Production Program
GOAP has applied for funding from the ARRA of 2009
Applicants may be eligible for an additional 25% of project cost not to exceed $5,000
Only projects initiated after February 17, 2009 will be eligible
Projects to be considered…◦ Upgrades to all Applicable Farms◦ Energy Efficient Building Components & Renewable Energy
Projects ◦ Professional Fees and Training (i.e., Section 9007 Audits)◦ Biomass Energy Crop Production ◦ Equipment and Infrastructure for On-Farm Energy
Production
AgendaAgenda
KDA Energy Efficiency Program2008 Farm Bill Opportunities2008 Farm Bill OpportunitiesGovernor’s Task Force on
Biomass/Biofuels in KY
2008 Farm Bill – Title IX Energy2008 Farm Bill – Title IX Energy
Continues and expands funding for Federal agency procurement of biobased products, construction and development of advanced biofuel refineries, biomass research and development, and biodiesel education.
New programs encourage renewable energy use by biorefineries, renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements, rural energy self sufficiency, development of next generation feedstocks, and use of forest and woody biomass for energy production.
ADB funded KPF to study poultry house energy use and efficiency◦Increase production efficiency◦Reduce energy cost◦Evaluate cost-effectives of upgrades◦Develop educational workshops
Broiler House Evaluation ProgramBroiler House Evaluation Program
USDA 9007 Potential ImpactUSDA 9007 Potential Impacton Broiler Productionon Broiler Production
Assume 50% of producers upgrade houses and see same benefits of example Farm B.
KY producers may be eligible for up to $3.4M in USDA Section 9007 funding!
With upgrades KY producers may net up to $3.5M annually!
Goal: Help KY producers upgrade houses over five years w/ 85 successful applications per year.
KY farmers produced 152 M bu. of corn in 2008.
Assuming 75% was stored on farm, with 80% of that being dried (5 points), KY farmers dried 91 M bu.
Assuming there are 880 grain dryers in KY, 50% upgraded to reduce energy use by 40% (fuel use reduced from 0.20 to 0.12 gal LPG/bu). KY farmers may be able to save 3.6M gal LPG, or $7.2M per year by upgrading!
Grain Dryer Upgrade ProgramGrain Dryer Upgrade Program
Impact to Grain DryingImpact to Grain Drying
Assume 50% of KY grain producers upgrade dryers (440 total)
KY producers may be eligible for up to $3.4M in USDA Section 9007 funding!
KY producers may net up to $7.2M annually (3.6M gal LPG)!
Goal: Help KY producers upgrade dryers over five years w/ 85 successful applications per year.
AgendaAgenda
KDA Energy Efficiency Program2008 Farm Bill OpportunitiesGovernor’s Task Force on Governor’s Task Force on
Biomass/Biofuels in KYBiomass/Biofuels in KY
Governor’s Task ForceGovernor’s Task Force
White paper authored by Frank Moore (DEDI)Beshear’s Energy Plan – 7 Strategies2006 FRS – KY uses 10% ethnol in 70% of
gasolineBlend could go as high as 20% in next 13
yearsWithout biofuel expansion, KY will import up
to 90% of renewable fuel in 2022A 20% federal mandated RPS will require KY
to develop 2400 MW of renewable generating capacity
OpportunityOpportunity
Governor’s plan call for 12% of transportation fuels to be renewable by 2025 – 90 MGY current leaving 700 MGY gap
For biomass-based (non-food) fuel production we will need 10 MTY
2400 MW of renewable generating may require up to 16 MTY of biomass
Can KY develop/support a 25 MTY biomass industry?
Ground RulesGround Rules
All biomass will be reported on a dry weight basis – corn at 47.3 lb/bu (not 56 lb/bu) dry matter.
Some ag residue must be left on field to protect soil.
Dry weight of plant is about equal to weight of grain.
Biomass energy content - 7,500 Btu/lb; Coal - 12,000 Btu/lb.
Biopower vs. BiofuelBiopower vs. Biofuel
Electricity generated using biomass is by direct combustion using conventional boilers:◦Boilers burn waste wood products◦Coal-fired power plants also add biomass to their
coal-burning process (i.e., co-firing) to reduce the emissions
Biomass can also be gasified prior to combustion:◦Gases generally burn cleaner and more efficiently◦Biomass can be used combined-cycle gas turbines
(used in the latest natural gas power plants)◦Modular biomass gasification systems provide
electricity for isolated communities
Biopower vs. BiofuelBiopower vs. Biofuel
Cellulosic ethanol is a biofuel produced from lignocellulose (structural material comprising much of the plant)◦Ethanol from lignocellulose has the advantage of
abundant and diverse raw material◦Greater processing to make the sugar available to
microorganisms for fermentationPyrolysis is the basis of several methods that
are being developed for producing fuel from biomass◦Bio-oil, resembling light crude oil,can be produced
by hydrous pyrolysis from many kinds of feedstock
PerspectivePerspective
Kentucky consumes 44 MTY of coal.Kentucky has a land area of 25.4 M acres.If we were to replace coal (12,000 Btu/lb)
with biomass (7,500 Btu/lb), we would need to harvest 2.8 T/ac of biomass every year from every acre in Kentucky.
Cropland
Woodland Rangeland CRP TotalHarvested Pastured Other
West 2,899,629 734,671 493,870 1,101,705 471,144 348,264 6,049,284
Central 1,848,973 1,600,940 281,417 1,357,147 967,817 49,987 6,106,281
East 230,380 241,339 76,741 652,758 174,718 5,471 1,381,410
Total 4,978,983 2,576,950 852,031 3,111,610 1,613,678 403,724 13,536,975
Table 1. Available land resources (ac)on Kentucky farms1.
1 http://www.nass.usda.gov/Census/Create_Census_US.jsp
Federal State Local Private2 Sum
West 186,112 71,999 13,116 1,426,166 1,697,392
Central 127,511 28,041 16,764 2,093,424 2,265,742
East 550,161 89,187 26,979 4,069,145 4,735,474
Sum 863,783 189,228 56,861 7,588,737 8,698,609
Table 2. Potential forest resources (ac) in Kentucky1.
1 http://fiatools.fs.fed.us/fido/index.html- US Forest Service. 2Forest land not included in woodland category for farms.
Year Acres Yield (bu/ac) Yield (T/ac) MTY
Corn 2009 1,130,000 146 - 3.90
Beans 2009 1,430,000 44 - 1.63
Small Grain 2008 460,000 71 - 0.85
Hay 2009 2,640,000 - 1.95 5.16
Total 11.54
Scenario 1: Existing ag production harvested for
energy biomass.
Year AcresYield
(bu/ac)Yield (T/ac) MTY
Corn 2009 1,130,000 146 1.73 1.95Beans 2009 1,430,000 44 - -Small Grain 2008 460,000 71 0.92 0.42Hay 2009 2,640,000 - - -
Total 2.37
Scenario 2: One-half of ag residues harvested for energy
biomass.
Year Acres Yield (T/ac) MTY
Wood Waste 2005 11,810,000 0.18 2.09
Scenario 3: One-half of wood waste processed for energy
biomass.
Year Acres Yield (T/ac) MTY
Switchgrass 2005 683,000 6.0 4.10
Scenario 4: 10% of hay, pasture and range land sown
to switchgrass.
Year Acres Yield (T/ac) MTY
Miscanthus 2005 683,000 10.0 6.83
Scenario 5: 10% of hay, pasture and range land planted to miscanthus.
Year Acres Yield (T/ac/yr) MTYDedicated
Woody Biomass Crops 2005 590,000 4.46 2.63
Scenario 6: 5% of forests and woodlands (farm) planted to
dedicated woody biomass crops.
Year Acres Yield (T/ac/yr) MTYDedicated
Woody Biomass Crops 2005 315,000 2.23 0.702
Scenario 6: 50% of reclaimed mine lands planted to dedicated woody
biomass crops.
Production PotentialProduction Potential
Scenario 1 (convert food to fuel) is not plausible.
Scenarios 2, 3, 4 or 5, 6 and 7 are possible and will result in 11.9 MTY to 14.6 MTY of production per year.
Can we reach 25 MTY? Will depend on the value of biomass and competing land use. KY does have the natural resources base!
LogisticsLogistics
Kentucky has:◦Excellent barge transportation – Ohio River◦Excellent rail – Coal Industry◦Well developed highway system◦New law - 10% weight variance
Problem:◦Moving a low bulk and low energy density
material
LogisticsLogistics
Solution◦Must densify biomass to a minimum of 14 lb/ft3
to overload a tractor-trailer.◦Round bales are not dense enough to transport
cost-effectively (7-8 lb/ft3) plus void space.◦Large rectangular bales are better (10-12
lb/ft3).◦Need a better solution….
LogisticsLogistics
For co-firing, utilities want biomass that:◦handles like coal…◦stores like coal…◦burns like coal, and…◦costs about the same as coal.