Sustainable%20Production%20and%20Distribution%20of%20Bioenergy%20for%20the%20Central%20USA

1
Sustainable Production and Distribution of
Bioenergy for the Central USA

• Agro-ecosystem Approach to Sustainable Biofuels
  Production via the Pyrolysis-Biochar Platform
  (USDA-NIFA AFRI CAP)

2
Oil Prices
Source EIA for history, NYMEX for future
3
Population
2011   2030   2050
(billion) (billion) (billion)
World 6.946 World 8.323 World 9.441

China 1.337 India 1.461 India 1.657
India 1.189 China 1.391 China 1.304
U.S. 0.311 U.S. 0.366 U.S. 0.423
Indonesia 0.246 Indonesia 0.289 Nigeria 0.402
Brazil 0.203 Nigeria 0.264 Indonesia 0.313
Pakistan 0.187 Pakistan 0.243 Pakistan 0.291
Nigeria 0.166 Brazil 0.240 Ethiopia 0.278
Bangladesh 0.159 Bangladesh 0.211 Brazil 0.261
Russia 0.139 Ethiopia 0.162 Bangladesh 0.250
Japan 0.127 Philippines 0.138 Philippines 0.172
Source U.S. Bureau of the Census, International
Data Base
4
Liquid Fuel Usage
2007 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035
(Million Barrels Oil Equivalent per Day) (Percent of 2007 Value) (Percent of 2007 Value) (Percent of 2007 Value) (Percent of 2007 Value) (Percent of 2007 Value)
United States 20.6 98 100 102 104 107
Canada 2.3 96 96 96 100 104
Mexico 2.1 105 110 114 129 138
Europe 15.3 92 88 88 89 90
Japan 5.0 84 86 86 84 82
China 7.6 132 153 178 201 222
India 2.8 114 129 139 154 168
Africa 3.1 113 116 126 135 148
Central and South America 6.0 110 112 117 125 133
World 86.1 103 107 113 121 128
Source Energy Information Administration
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Renewable Fuels Standard
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Agriculture and Food Research Initiative -
Sustainable BioenergyThis AFRI Challenge Area
focuses on the priority to secure America's
energy future. It supports the development of
regional systems for the sustainable production
of bioenergy and biobased products that
contribute significantly to reducing dependence
on foreign oil, have net positive social,
environmental, and rural economic impacts, and
are compatible with existing agricultural
systems. The long-term outcome for this program
is to implement regional systems that materially
deliver liquid transportation biofuels to help
meet the Energy Independence and Security Act
(EISA) of 2007 goal of 36 billion gallons/year of
biofuels by 2022 and reduce the National
dependence on foreign oil.
USDAs Initiative
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The Grand Vision
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Target Land Least Suitable for Corn/Soybean
Production
Sources NRCS
, Purdue University
, and Iowa State University
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Pyrolysis Processing

• Rapid thermal decomposition of organic compounds
  in the absence of oxygen to predominately produce
  liquid product known as bio-oil.

Biochar
Co-product biochar is produced at yields of 12-20
wt biomass.
Fast pyrolysis can be built at small scales
suitable for distributed processing.
Bio-oil is refined like petroleum into synthetic
gasoline and biodiesel.
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CenUSA Team
Led by ISU Agronomy professor Ken Moore
Researchers from Iowa State University, Purdue
University, University of Illinois, University of
Minnesota, University of Nebraska, University of
Wisconsin, University of Vermont, Idaho National
Laboratory and USDA Agricultural Research Service
offices in Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois,
Pennsylvania, and Iowa
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Feedstock Development Progress

• Perennial grass yield trials planted at 13
  locations Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota,
  Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and
  Wisconsin

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Feedstock Development Progress

• Yield trials cover
• 22 switchgrasses
• (7 cultivars and 15 experimental strains),
• 12 big bluestems
• (6 cultivars and 6 experimental strains), and
  
• 12 indiangrasses
• (6 cultivars and 6 experimental strains)

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Sustainable Production Systems

• Seed plots established in Illinois, Iowa,
  Indiana, Minnesota, and Nebraska
• Plots are far enough along to explore nutrient,
  pest, and disease pressures

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Feedstock Logistics

• Preliminary work on bale accumulation shows
  potential for reduced fuel expenditures

15
System Performance

• Preliminary testing has begun with the
  Environmental Policy Impact Climate (EPIC) model
  to explore soil and nutrient movement

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Feedstock Conversion

• Samples have been harvested to create baseline
  for energy analysis

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Markets and Distribution

• Work has started to gather switchgrass trial data
  from previous and ongoing trials
• Establishment and production costs data is being
  gathered to develop decision tools and economic
  models

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Health and Safety

• Major health and safety risks in working with
  biochar have been identified

19
Education

• 11 undergraduate students have worked at CenUSA
  institutions over the past summer on various
  aspects of the project

CenUSA Intern Kirsten Paff
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Extension/Outreach

• Over 3,700 people participated in CenUSA programs
  over the past year (thanks for joining them this
  year)

• Nearly 2,500 Master Gardener volunteers explored
  the impact of biochar in gardens

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A Few Year 2 Targets

• Continue to build perennial grass breeding
  program
• Study biomass handling and drying
• Adapt economic/environmental models to field
  trial data
• Quantify biochar impact on soil quality
• Continue to assess health and safety issues with
  biochar deployment

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Thank you for your time and attention.Any
questions?For more information,
seewww.cenusa.iastate.edu
This project is supported by Agriculture and Food
Research Initiative Competitive Grant No.
2011-68005-30411 from the National Institute of
Food and Agriculture. . . . and justice for all
The U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its
programs and activities on the basis of race,
color, national origin, gender, religion, age,
disability, political beliefs, sexual
orientation, and marital or family status. (Not
all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Many
materials can be made available in alternative
formats for ADA clients. To file a complaint of
discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil
Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC
20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964.