[Terrapreta] [Gasification] new studies on GHG footprint ofbiofuels darkens the picture

[Greg and April]

Based on what production method(s)?

One of the biggest problems when trying to prove that ethanol is a energy looser, is the fact that alot of the numbers out there are based on 40 yr old technology and production methods formulated to guarantee that it will be a loosing proposition.

Pimentel, one of ethanol's biggest opponents, is basing allot of his 'data' on information that was collected in the late 60's and early 70's and has been passing it off as if it was collected within the last few years.    What's worse, there are plenty of people that have been using his numbers in studies done in the last few yrs, without the slightest clue just how out dated they are, or bothering to find out where those numbers are coming from.


As we have seen in other places, co-production significantly raises efficiency, and lowers production cost.    It's flat out stupid to burn natural gas just to make heat to distil ethanol, but if that heat is re-used to heat homes, barns or businesses the cost of production goes down by the same amount that it would cost to heat those things in the first place.


I know of one person that generates his own electricity and then uses the heat from the engine that turns the generator, to heat his barn and house - add in the fact that he is burning waste vegetable oil in the process, and it's a win - win - win situation.    The waste vegetable oil doesn't end up in a landfill, and he get's heat and light from it.

Here is another situation that uses waste from one process to provide the source material for several others:

http://media.exn.ca/exnmedia/exn20021001_1033517073.wmv?MSWMExt=.asf 

Greg H.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Richard Haard 
  To: terra pretta group 
  Cc: Discussion of biomass pyrolysis gasification 
  Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 21:51
  Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] [Gasification] new studies on GHG footprint ofbiofuels darkens the picture


  Also not a big money maker

  Yesterday Robert Rapier posted this essay on the economics of corn/ethanol on oil drum. It seems with current feedstock prices and a production ratio of 2.7 lbs of corn per gallon of ethanol producers are only making 15 cents per gallon over cost. Even if efficiency claims are as high as 2.8 it make me wonder if it all worth it since we use 150 billion gallons of gasoline and 60 billion gallons of diesel yearly yet if we replaced 15 % of this fuel demand with 100% of our corn crop we would be starving as well as the animals we feed for meat and the people in other countries who depend on our corn exports. 

  His summary

  Times are tough for ethanol producers. They are in the same boat right now as refiners - enduring very poor margins. This is what the economics roughly look like at $5 per bushel of corn and $8/MMBTU of natural gas. To produce 1 gallon of ethanol today requires:

    a.. $1.85 of corn
    b.. $0.33 of energy
    c.. $0.14 of enzymes, yeast, etc.
    d.. $0.23 of labor, maintenance, and various miscellaneous expenses
  There is a DDGS credit per gallon of ethanol of $0.55. Thus, the total cost to produce a gallon of ethanol today is $1.85 + $0.33 + $0.14 + $0.23 - $0.55, or exactly $2/gallon of ethanol. For reference, the February contract for ethanol in the Midwest as of this writing is $2.15. And $2/gallon is merely cost of production. It doesn't take into account any return on investment.



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