The National Bioenergy CenterThe National Bioenergy Centerand Biomass R&D Overview and Biomass R&D Overview

Dr. Michael A. PachecoDirector of National Bioenergy Center

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

May 20, 2004

National Bioenergy National Bioenergy CenterCenter

Announced by Dept of Energy Secretary Bill Richardson at the Kansas City Board of Trade on October 31, 2000

NREL Role: Coordinate research at DOE labs

Bioenergy Strategic GoalsBioenergy Strategic Goals

U.S Dept of EnergyProtect national and economic security by promoting a diverse supply of reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy

National Bioenergy CenterDevelop biomass-based technologies that will be used bythe U.S. transportation fuel, chemical and power industry

• Reduce our dependence on foreign oil• Create the new domestic bioindustry

Help establish technology for large-scale biorefineriesbased on agricultural residues by 2010

Why Bioenergy?Why Bioenergy?

• Greenhouse warming Natural CO2 cycle is 10X fossil fuels

• National security60% of our petroleum is imported

• SustainabilityPotential to replace petroleum-derived

fuels and chemicals• Rural economic benefit

Biomass Share of U.S. Energy SupplyBiomass Share of U.S. Energy Supply(data for 2002)(data for 2002)

Coal 23%

Petroleum 39%

Renewable 6%

Natural Gas 24%

Nuclear 8%

Wind 2%

Biomass 46%

Hydroelectric 46%

Geothermal 5%

Solar <1%

Source: AEO 2004 tables (released in December 2003) based on US energy consumption. Overall breakdown Table A1 (Total Energy Supply and Disposition), and Renewable breakdown Table A18 (Renewable Energy, Consumption by Section and Source).

The Unique Role of Biomass The Unique Role of Biomass While the growing need for sustainable electric power can be met by other renewables…

Biomass is our only renewable source of carbon-based fuels and chemicals

Concern: Concern: Energy Balance of Corn EthanolEnergy Balance of Corn Ethanol(Btu in EtOH Minus Btu Used)(Btu in EtOH Minus Btu Used)

-40,000

-30,000

-20,000

-10,000

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Net

Ene

rgy

Valu

e (B

tu/g

allo

n)

Ho

Marland and Turhollow

Pimentel Pimentel

Keeney and DeLuca

Lorenz and Morris

Shapouri et al.

Shapouri et al.

Wang et al.

Agri. Canada

Kim and Dale

GraboskiWang

Sources of Variation• Corn yields per acre • Energy required to produce ethanol • Fertilizer usage • Irrigation practices• Accounting for byproducts, e.g. DDG

Source: M. Wang (2003)

Fossil Energy Replacement RatioFossil Energy Replacement Ratio

5.3

1.40.8

0.4

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

CellulosicEthanol

Biorefinery

Corn Ethanol Gasoline Electricity

Source: J. Sheehan & M. Wang (2003)

Fossil Energy Ratio (FER) = Fossil Energy Used

Energy Delivered to Customer

The road to petroleumdisplacement is

is paved withCellulosic Biomass

O

OO

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OHO

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OHO

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Lignin: 15-25%- Complex aromatic structure- Resists biochemical conversion- Requires high temperatures to convert

Hemicellulose: 23-32%- Polymer of 5- and 6-carbon sugars- Easily depolymerization- 5-carbon sugars hard to metabolize

BiomassBiomassChemistry 101Chemistry 101

Cellulose: 38-50%- Polymer of glucose - Susceptible to enzymatic attack- Glucose easy to metabolize

2020 U.S. Biomass Supply Potential2020 U.S. Biomass Supply Potential

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Mill

ions

Dry

Ton

s pe

Yea

r

$20 $30 $40 $50Delivered Price ($/dry ton)

Forest ResiduesUrban WastesAg ResiduesMill ResiduesEnergy Crops

Developing 1 billion ton case for 2050

Feedstock Harvesting Research Feedstock Harvesting Research

• Harvesting technology – partnering with equipment manufacturers• Single pass harvest of grain & residue • Computational modeling• Field trials

INEEL led research

Rapid Analysis Methods for BiomassRapid Analysis Methods for Biomass

Fiber Optic Probes DC light

NIRSample

Measured Composition (wt%)0 10 20 30 40 50

Com

posi

tion

Pred

icte

d w

ith N

IR

0

10

20

30

40

50GlucoseXyloseGalactoseArabanoseMannoseLigninProteinAshSoilAcetylUronic Acid

Predicts biomassfeed performancein biorefinery

Feed qualitymeasurement

in the field

Near Infrared combined with

multivariate methods

NREL led research

Rapid Analysis Methods Help Quantify Rapid Analysis Methods Help Quantify Economic Impact of Feed VariabilityEconomic Impact of Feed Variability

Histogram of Ethanol Selling Price for 735 Stover Compositions

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

$1.00

$1.02

$1.04

$1.06

$1.08

$1.10

$1.12

$1.14

$1.16

$1.18

$1.20

$1.22

$1.24

$1.26

$1.28

$1.30

$1.32

Ethanol $/gal

Num

ber o

f Occ

urre

nces

Mean = $1.14Stdev = $0.06Range = $0.30

Biomass Options: Biomass Options: Blessing and a Curse !

Hydrolysis

GasificationHigh heat, low oxygenDigestionBacteriaPyrolysisCatalysis, heat, pressureExtractionMechanical, chemicalSeparationMechanical, chemical

Blessing and a Curse !

Sugars and LigninAcids, enzymes

Biofuels

Biobased chemicals

Biobased materials

Heat/Power

Synthesis GasFeedstock production, collection, handling & preparation

Biogas

BioOil

Carbon-RichChains

Plant Products

Reducing the Cost of Reducing the Cost of ““Conversion Platforms”Conversion Platforms”

Drives Biomass R&D at NRELDrives Biomass R&D at NREL

“Bio-chemical”Conversion

Residues

BiochemicalIntermediates

“Thermo-chemical”Conversion

By-products

FuelsChemicals & Materials

Combined Heat & PowerBiomass

ChemicalIntermediates

NREL Technology for Future BiorefineriesNREL Technology for Future Biorefineries

An integrated biorefinery will make use of:

– Thermochemical conversion technology

– Biochemical conversion technology

– Existing technology

NREL’s Thermochemical User FacilityNREL’s Thermochemical User Facility• Simulates thermochemical

conversion processes– Pyrolysis– Combustion– Gasification

• Fully integrated• Accommodates testing of

close-coupled biomass conversion with upgrading

• Various size scales– 0.1 kg/h bench-scale

reactors to 20 kg/h

NREL led research

NREL Technology for Future BiorefineriesNREL Technology for Future Biorefineries

An integrated biorefinery will make use of:

– Thermochemical conversion technology

– Biochemical conversion technology

– Existing technologyAvailable today

Dilute Acid PretreatmentDilute Acid PretreatmentOf Lignocellulosic Biomass Of Lignocellulosic Biomass

Untreated Corn Stover

1 ton/day Sunds Continuous Pretreatment Reactor

Pretreated Corn Stover at 35% solids loadingNREL led research

NREL’s Enzymatic Hydrolysis ResearchNREL’s Enzymatic Hydrolysis Research3-year Partnerships with Genencor & Novozymes

– Focus on enzyme biochemistry, cost, and specific activity– Investigate enzyme - substrate surface interaction– 10-fold reduction in cost of enzyme production

E1 from A. cellulotiticus

-1

+1

+2

-2

cellodextrin

Y82

CBH1 from T. reesei

Combined Biorefinery Elements Combined Biorefinery Elements

LigninResidue

Fermentation of Sugars

Glucose

C5 Sugar(s)

C5/C6 Sugars• Ethanol• Liquid Fuels• Chemicals

StarchHydrolysisStarch

FermentableSugars

ProductRecovery

CelluloseHydrolysis

Pre-treatment

LignocellulosicBiomass

• Heat & Power• Fuels & Chemicals

Pyrolysis OilSyn Gas

Thermo-chemicalConversion

NREL’s Role: NREL’s Role: Support theSupport the Development of Development of New Industrial Biorefinery ConceptsNew Industrial Biorefinery Concepts

ConversionConversionProcessesProcesses

USESUSESFuels:– Ethanol– Renewable Diesel

Power:– Electricity– Heat

Chemicals– Plastics– Solvents– Chemical Intermediates– Phenolics– Adhesives– Furfural– Fatty acids– Acetic Acid– Carbon black– Paints– Dyes, Pigments, and Ink– Detergents– Etc.

Food and Feed

- Enzymatic Fermentation- Gas/liquid Fermentation- Acid Hydrolysis/Fermentation- Gasification- Combustion- Co-firing

– Trees – Grasses– Agricultural Crops– Agricultural Residues– Animal Wastes– Municipal Solid Waste

BiomassBiomassFeedstockFeedstock

Life Cycle Assessment

Illustration courtesy of ORNL

Potential Benefits of Cellulosic Ethanol Potential Benefits of Cellulosic Ethanol

J. Sheehan, 2003

Opportunities other than EthanolOpportunities other than Ethanol

• Sugar-derived chemicals• Lignin derivatives (BTX, phenols, etc.)• Biodiesel & chemicals from vegetable oils• Pyrolysis oils from biomass

– Oxygen rich “cracked stocks”– Exploring options for refining/upgrading

• Gasification of biomass– Fischer-Tropsch liquids– Hydrogen– Chemicals

Summarizing The Biomass Summarizing The Biomass Value PropositionValue Proposition

• Only sustainable source of hydrocarbon-based fuels, petrochemicals, and plastics

• Huge U.S. and worldwide potential biomass resource base– potential to displace over 50% of U.S. gasoline and

diesel consumption with domestic resources• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions• Reinvigorate and diversify rural economy• New technology advances critical to business

opportunity

Upcoming DOE SolicitationUpcoming DOE Solicitationfor University R&D in Biomassfor University R&D in Biomass

• 30-40 awards expected– Nominally, 3 year awards at $120K/yr

• Limited to university biomass/bioenergy R&D– Research that compliments DOE’s MYTP

• OBP seeks academic work to complement research being funded at DOE Labs– Collaboration with DOE labs strongly encouraged– Access to DOE facilities will be made available to

students, post-Doc’s and faculty• RFP planned for Summer 2004

The National Bioenergy Center The National Bioenergy Center is led by NREL is led by NREL

and funded by theand funded by theOffice of Biomass Program Office of Biomass Program

within thewithin theU.S. Department of EnergyU.S. Department of Energy