Study Outlines Strategy to Use Biomass
to Replace 30% U.S. Petroleum Consumption
Relief from soaring prices at the gas pump could come in the form of corncobs,
cornstalks, switchgrass and other types of biomass, according to a joint
feasibility study for the departments of Agriculture and Energy.
The recently completed Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) report outlines a
national strategy in which 1 billion dry tons of biomass--any organic matter
that is available on a renewable or recurring basis--would displace 30 percent
of the nation's petroleum consumption for transportation. Supplying more than 3
percent of the nation's energy, biomass already has surpassed hydropower as the
largest domestic source of renewable energy, and researchers believe much
potential remains.
"Our report answers several key questions," said Bob Perlack, a member
of ORNL's Environmental Sciences Division and a co-author of the report.
"We wanted to know how large a role biomass could play, whether the United
States has the land resources and whether such a plan would be economically
viable."
Looking at just forestland and agricultural land, the two largest potential
biomass sources, the study found potential exceeding 1.3 billion dry tons per
year. That amount is enough to produce biofuels to meet more than one-third of
the current demand for transportation fuels, according to the report.
Such an amount, which would represent a six-fold increase in production from the
amount of biomass produced today, could be achieved with only relatively modest
changes in land use and agricultural and forestry practices.
"One of the main points of the report is that the United States can produce
nearly 1 billion dry tons of biomass annually from agricultural lands and still
continue to meet food, feed and export demands," said Robin Graham, leader
for Ecosystem and Plant Sciences in ORNL's Environmental Sciences Division.
The benefits of an increased focus on biomass include increased energy security
as the U.S. would become less dependent on foreign oil, a potential 10 percent
reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and an improved rural economic picture.
Current production of ethanol is about 3.4 billion gallons per year, but that
total could reach 80 billion gallons or more under the scenario outlined in the
report. Such an increase in ethanol production would see transportation fuels
from biomass increase from 0.5 percent of U.S. consumption in 2001 to 4 percent
in 2010, 10 percent in 2020 and 20 percent in 2030. In fact, depending on
several factors, biomass could supply 15 percent of the nation's energy by 2030.
Meanwhile, biomass consumption in the industrial sector would increase at an
annual rate of 2 percent through 2030, while biomass consumption by electric
utilities would double every 10 years through 2030. During the same time,
production of chemicals and materials from bio-based products would increase
from about 12.5 billion pounds, or 5 percent of the current production of target
U.S. chemical commodities in 2001, to 12 percent in 2010, 18 percent in 2020 and
25 percent in 2030.
Nearly half of the 2,263 million acres that comprise the land base of the U.S.
has potential for growing biomass. About 33 percent of the land area is
classified as forest; 26 percent as grassland; 20 percent as cropland; 13
percent as urban areas, swamps and deserts; and 8 percent as special uses such
as public facilities.
The report, titled "Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts
Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply," was
sponsored by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renwable Energy, Office of
Biomass Program. The complete report is available at http://feedstockreview.ornl.gov/pdf/billion_ton_vision.pdf
.
Published 05/26/2005
©
2005 Greenmedia Publishing Ltd.