Energy Sources: Biofuels

Biofuels: An energy source profile

• Percent of World energy biofuels contribute/percent of US energy biofuels contribute:

• "biofuel provides around 3% of the world’s fuel for transport. (In Brazil, biofuel provides 23% of all transport fuel, compared with 4% in the United States and 3% in the European Union)."(1)

• How do biofuels work?

• "Ethanol is another name for ethyl alcohol, or “grain alcohol” (CH3CH2OH). The alcohol in a glass of wine, beer, or liquor is ethanol. Fuel ethanol is “denatured” by the addition of 2-5% gasoline, which makes it undrinkable. In the U.S. today fuel ethanol is mostly made from the starch in corn kernels; in Brazil it is made from the juice in sugar cane. Commercial production of ethanol from cellulose (plant fiber) is expected within the next few years...Ethanol is a high-octane premium fuel. It improves engine performance and prevents “knock.” A blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline, or E10, is approved for use in every vehicle sold in the U.S.; about one-third of America’s gasoline contains some ethanol. In the past, this blend has been called gasohol.

• Ethanol can also be used as a substitute for gasoline. In the U.S. it is sold in blends of up to 85% (E85). Gasoline, the remaining 15%, is needed to help the fuel ignite in cold weather. In very cold weather, higher proportions of gasoline may be needed. Ethanol at these higher blends should not be used in conventional vehicles but only in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs), which are designed to run on any combination of ethanol and gasoline up to E85" (2)

• Where are biofuels most commonly harvested/found?

• "U.S. ethanol production is predominately concentrated in the Midwest because of its proximity to corn production. Plants outside the Midwest typically receive corn by rail and are located near large markets for ethanol.
  Today, U.S. ethanol is primarily produced from starch-based crops, such as corn. Cellulosic ethanol production volumes are very small by comparison. Several commercial cellulosic ethanol production plants are under construction, and intensive research and development is rapidly advancing the state of cellulosic ethanol technology." (3)
• 2012 World Fuel Ethanol Production:

                   Continent                             Millions of Gallons 

                   North & Central America      13,768

                   South America                       5,800 

                   Brazil                                     5,577 

                   Europe                                   1,139 

                   Asia                                        952 

                   China                                      555 

                   Canada                                   449 

                   Australia                                 71 

                   Africa                                     42 

                   

                                Source: RFA, F.O. Lichts (4)

• What are the positives to biofuels?

• offers an alternative to oil consumption for gasoline in cars and thus reduces dependance on foreign oil suppliers
• produced from a renewable resource
• lower emissions from cars using ethanol
• resistant to "engine knock"

• What are the negatives to biofuels?

• takes up land space, fuel, and water to produce corn to convert to ethanol
• uses a crop that could feed people and converts it to fuel
• increases cost of corn
• lower MPG in cars that use ethanol, "FFVs operating on E85 usually experience a 25–30% drop in miles per gallon due to ethanol’s lower energy content." (5)
• costly to produce/process

• What does the future hold for biofuels?

• "Importantly, companies today are involved in technological innovations such as fractionation, low heat fermentation, methane capture from landfills and biomass gasification that reduce the amount of fossil energy needed to produce ethanol and distillers grains. The use of pre-treated or "gray water" and other efficiencies are reducing the need for fresh water in ethanol production.  A host of new technologies allow ethanol producers to capture additional value by adding corn oil, recoverable carbon dioxide, corn syrup, bio-based chemicals, and other co-products to their traditional output of feed and fuel."(6)

• "The U.S. average blend increased slowly from 0.3% in 1995 to 0.5% in 2001. From 2002 onward, in response to increased government incentives for ethanol production and use, the average blend increased rapidly, reaching an estimated 8.7% in 2010. Tentative projections indicate the national average blend may increase to about 9.5% this year. Most of that will be in the form of E-10, which is acceptable for all gasoline-powered cars and light trucks. The E-85 market is an alternative outlet for ethanol, but as we indicated in a 2010 article, it is limited in size by:

• The small percentage of the nation's auto fleet that is made up of flex-fuel vehicles, 
• The limited number of retail gas stations that offer E-85, and
• Lack of price competitiveness of E-85 in many areas of the U.S., when reduced fuel mileage is taken into account. 

• The number of flex-fuel vehicles is expected to increase substantially in the next several years since most major manufacturers are committed to making production of these vehicles a much larger percentage of their total production. However, it is not clear how quickly the number of E-85 stations may increase" (7)

• How much biofuel is found in central oregon?

• "AltFuelPrices.com found 4 public Biodiesel stations in Bend, OR. A map is shown below. We also found that there are 5 public Biodiesel stations within 25 miles of Bend and there are 5 public Biodiesel stations within 50 miles of Bend. Click here to show a map of these stations.There are also 16 different public alternative fuel stations near Bend, OR (such as CNG, E85 Ethanol, Biodiesel, Propane, LNG, or Electric Charging Stations). Click here to show a map of these stations." (8)
• "BEND, Ore. (AP) — Central Oregon businesses say they're willing to spend a little more to ensure their distribution systems are environmentally friendly. That effort begins with using biodiesel, a kind of processed vegetable oil that various businesses, from coffee shops to tree removal companies, are putting to use, the Bend Bulletin reports. Daniel Brewster of Cascade Couriers says when he expanded from a bicycle, he found an electric van too expensive, so he went the biodiesel route. Biodiesel is more expensive, and in chilly weather some kinds turn to gel, stopping vehicles cold. But its production continues to grow. The number of gallons of biodiesel used in the United States shot up 4,600 percent from 2000 to 2009, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. And by 2025, supply in the country will increase six-fold over the amount available in 2009, which was approximately 20,000 barrels per day, the agency predicted. Jeff Rola, president of Go Bio Co. in Bend, has in the past three years found profit in supplying a company with used vegetable oil, which gets converted into biodiesel." (9)

1. http://www.iea.org/aboutus/faqs/renewableenergy/
2. http://www.energyfuturecoalition.org/biofuels/fact_ethanol.htm
3. http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/ethanol_production.html
4. http://ethanolrfa.org/pages/World-Fuel-Ethanol-Production
5. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ethanol.shtml
6. http://www.ethanolrfa.org/pages/how-ethanol-is-made
7. http://www.agmrc.org/renewable_energy/energy/trends-in-u-s-gasoline-and-ethanol-use-and-petroleum-production-and-imports/

8. http://www.altfuelprices.com/stations/BD/Oregon/Bend/

9. http://www.kval.com/news/business/Biodiesel-users-see-benefits-in-Central-Oregon-137032828.html