NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
US Progress in the Commercialization of Advanced
Biofuels/Cellulosic Ethanol
James D. (Jim) McMillan, Ph.D.
Advanced Biofuels Conference
Gothenburg, Sweden
18 May 2017
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Outline
•Introduction to IEA Bioenergy Task 39
•Current Liquid Biofuels Situation in USA • Energy landscape, drivers and production levels
•Emerging Technologies & New Initiatives
•Summary and Outlook
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IEA Bioenergy Task 39 – Objectives
Facilitate commercialization of conventional and advanced liquid biofuels
An international collaboration between participating countries
Analyze policy, markets and sustainable biofuel implementation
Focus on Technical and Policy issues
Catalyze cooperative research and development
Ensure information dissemination & outreach with stakeholders
POLICY, MARKETS, SUSTAINABILITY &
IMPLEMENTATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMMERCIALIZATION
Catalyze Cooperative
Research
State of Technology &
Trends Analysis
Policy, Market and
Deployment Analysis
Biofuel Deployment
and Information Sharing
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IEA Bioenergy Task 39 Liquid biofuels focus 14 member countries 2016-2018 http://task39.ieabioenergy.com/
European Commission - Luisa Marelli*, Jacopo Giuntoli
Denmark - Claus Felby*, Henning Jorgensen, Michael Persson, Anders Kristoffersen
Germany - Franziska Mueller-Langer*, Nicolaus Dahmen
The Netherlands - Timo Gerlagh*, Christian Koolloos
South Korea - Jin Suk Lee*, Kyu Young Kang, Seonghun Park
Canada - Jack Saddler*, Warren Mabee, Stan Blade
United States – Jim McMillan*
Australia - Les Edye*, Steve Rogers
Austria - Dina Bacovsky*
Japan - Satoshi Aramaki*, Shiro Saka
South Africa - Emile van Zyl*, Bernard Prior
Sweden – Tomas Ekbom*, Leif Jonsson
New Zealand - Ian Suckling*
Brazil - Paulo Barbosa*, Antonio Bonomi, Eduardo Platte
* National Team Leader / Lead country representative
Liquid Biofuels in USA
Energy landscape, drivers and production levels
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Transport Fuel is a Big Part of U.S. Energy Mix
Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 2016. (https://flowcharts.llnl.gov)
U.S. Energy Use in 2015 (97.5 Quads) (Quadrillion Btu)
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Promote use of domestic and
renewable (sustainable)
energy resources
Create a new bio-industry, foster science & engineering, and create new
jobs
Reduce carbon emissions from energy and fuel production and
consumption
Reduce
dependence on non-
renewable petroleum
supplies
The use of renewable biomass as as a feedstock for producing fuels and chemicals supports United States national priorities
Biofuels Support National Priorities
8 | Bioenergy Technologies Office
The Challenge and Opportunity in the USA
Biofuels could displace 30% of liquid transportation fuels by 2030
THE OPPORTUNITY
More than 1 billion tons of biomass could be sustainably produced in the U.S.
1 Billion tons of biomass could displace 30% of U.S. petroleum use by 2030 and reduce annual GHG emissions by 400 million tons
THE CHALLENGE
More than $1 billion is spent every three days on U.S. crude oil imports
Transportation sector accounts for 67% of petroleum consumption and 26% of GHG emissions in the U.S.
Biomass resources can help mitigate petroleum dependence and GHG emissions
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Renewable Fuel Standard Volumetric Targets
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Source: https://www.epa.gov/renewable-fuel-standard-program/program-overview-renewable-fuel-standard-program
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RFS Life Cycle Emissions Reduction Levels
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Advanced and cellulosic biofuels much achieve better emissions reductions than “conventional” renewable biofuels
Source: https://www.epa.gov/renewable-fuel-standard-program/program-overview-renewable-fuel-standard-program
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US Commercial Ethanol Production Plants
Source: Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), 2016: http://www.ethanolrfa.org/resources/biorefinery-locations/
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Thermochem
Cellulosic Biofuels Technology Routes Biochem, Thermochem & Hybrid Approaches
Product Recovery/
Purification, Storage &
Distribution
Feedstock Supply
Logistics, Preparation & Handling
Syngas Fermentation
Aqueous Phase
Reforming
Biomass Sugars Hydrolysate
Conditioning / Detoxification
Pretreatment & Enzymatic Hydrolysis/
Saccharification
Biomass Sugar
Fermentation
Biochem
Syngas Cleanup &
Conditioning/ Tar Reforming
Thermochemical Synthesis Gas Production/ Gasification
Syngas Catalytic
Upgrading/ Product
Synthesis
Gasification
Bio-oil Stabilization
Pyrolysis Bio-oil
Upgrading To Fuel
Pyrolysis
Hybrid
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Commercial CE Plants (partial list)
COMPANY LOCATIONCELLULOSICFEEDSTOCK
TECHNOLOGYPLATFORM
SIZE(MGY)
Abengoa Hugoton,Kansas,USAAg.residues,energycrops
Biochem 23
Chemtex Crescentino,ItalyWheatstraw,
ArundodonaxBiochem 20
DuPont Nevada,Iowa,USA Cornstover Biochem 25
Enerkem*Edmonton,Alberta,Canada
Municipalsolidwaste
Thermochem 10
Fiberight Blairstown,Iowa,USAMunicipalsolidwaste
Biochem 6
GranBioSãoMigueldosCampos,Alagoas,Brazil
Sugarcanebagasse
Biochem 20
IneosBioVeraBeach,Florida,USA
Municipalsolidwaste
TC-BCHybrid 8
POET-DSM Emmetsburg,Iowa,USA Cornstover Biochem 20
QuadCountyCornProcessors
Glava,Iowa,USA Cornkernelfiber Biochem 2
Raízen(Iogen)Piracicaba,SãoPaulo,Brazil
Sugarcanebagasse
Biochem 10
Total 144113
*Markettargetisethanolalbeitneartermfocusismethanol;MeOHàEtOHinprogress.
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Ethanol Production 2010-2016
14
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
162010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
D3Ethan
ol(Cellu
losic)
MillionGallons
D6Ethan
ol(CornStarch)
BillionGallons
Source: https://www.epa.gov/fuels-registration-reporting-and-compliance-help/public-data-renewable-fuel-standard
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Biodiesel/Renewable Diesel 2010-2016
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
D6Biodiesel(Conven
onalFAME)
D4Biodiesel(AdvancedFAME)
D4Renewab
leDiesel(HEFA)
MillionGallons
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Annual production levels constrained by feedstock availability/supply. Need alternative feedstocks to enable
major growth
Source: https://www.epa.gov/fuels-registration-reporting-and-compliance-help/public-data-renewable-fuel-standard
Emerging Technologies & New Initiatives
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Starch Hydrolysis
Dry Mill Fermentors
Cellulose Hydrolysis
Corn Stover
Dried Distillers Grains & Solubles (DDGs, DDGS)
Bio-CHP Other Biomass
Heat & Power for Processes
Pre- Treatment
Fermentors
Lignin Residue
Wet Mill Still
Ethanol
Food, Feed &
Industrial Products
Corn Dextrose
CO2 (Product or Sequestration)
Evolution of Corn Ethanol Biorefineries
Fermentors
Corn Still
Still
Source: Diagram courtesy of Charles Abbas, ADM (2017). (Modified)
Corn Fiber or DDGs
Anaerobic Digestion (Biogas)
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Corn Fiber Cellulosic Ethanol (CE) Opportunity
• Depending upon approach, increase dry mill yields by 5-10% o Variations span just adding cellulase to installing new pretreatment,
enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation reactors
o Potential in USA to produce an additional 1-1.5 billion gallons CE
• Leveraging current mill infrastructure can greatly lower capital investment compared to building standalone CE plant o On the order of 10% versus 200% or more of dry mill cost, respectively
• Potential to create low fiber, high protein DDG(S) coproduct o May be suitable feed for monogastrics (not just ruminants),
commanding higher price and expanding possible feed markets
• Route to incrementally de-risk CE production, gain producer knowledge and acceptance of CE technology
• Being pursued by leading producers including ADM and ICM
Sources: Charles Abbas (ADM) and Brandon Emme (ICM) (personal communications, 39th SBFC, and patent literature)
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Emerging Technologies & New Initiatives
• Current RD&D focused on “drop-in” infrastructure compatible biofuels; higher ethanol blends also in the mix
• Science and process technology are improving, but economics remain challenging given market conditions
•Highlight developments: • Pyrolysis oil coprocessing in
petroleum refineries (Ensyn)
• Gasification + Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (Fulcrum)
• Combined optimization of advanced fuels and advanced engines (USDOE’s Co-optima initiative)
Schematic of Petrobras’ demo-scale FCC unit. Source: A.R. Pinho et al. Fuel 188 (2017)
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Refinery Co-processing Pathway Advancing
Source: A.R. Pinho et al. Fuel 188 (2017) 462–473
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Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines
• better fuels. better vehicles. sooner.
Crosscutting project tackling fuel and engine innovation to co-optimize performance, maximize transport efficiency.
Advancing R&D to: • Bring affordable, scalable advanced
biofuels and advanced engine solutions to market more quickly
• Improve fuel economy 15%–20% beyond targets of BAU R&D efforts
• Reduce petroleum use, achieve massive cost savings annually via improved fuel economy
• Dramatically decrease transport sector pollutants and GHG emissions
Co-Optimization of Fuels and Engines
Draws on collaborative expertise of two DOE research offices, nine national
laboratories, and numerous industry and academic partners.
http://energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/co-optimization-fuels-engines
Summary and Outlook
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Commercialization Status
Cellulosic Ethanol oAbengoa, DuPont, INEOS Bio and POET-DSM CE plant
start ups ongoing; total production levels remain below design capacity but progress being made oDuPont seeks to license to China and Macedonia; no
licenses yet but agreements in place to enable this o Technology robustness and economic viability remain to be fully
demonstrated for ag. residue and woody feedstocks
o Corn ethanol dry mills beginning to implement production of CE from corn fiber (cellulosic fraction of DDGs)
FAME and Renewable Diesel oVO, FOG-based FAME and HEFA production growing
however volumes constrained by feedstock supply
Other advanced routes also progressing but performance info proprietary, not public o Syngas fermentation (e.g., LanzaTech)
oGasification + Fisher-Tropsch (e.g., Fulcrum)
o Pyrolysis + Refinery Coprocessing (e.g., Ensyn)
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Outlook • Terrestrial and aquatic biomass remains our only
renewable source of carbon; it can also be carbon neutral or carbon sequestering.
• CE technologies progress shows power of sustained, focused R&D, with multiple feedstock x conversion process options now being commercialized o Sugar platform approaches dominate but hybrid and
thermochemical gasification routes also progressing
o Economics challenged by low oil price & policy uncertainty
o Market success needed to re-frame biofuels’ image and demonstrate that advanced biofuels “can be done right”
• Commercialization of drop-in hydrocarbon biofuels at earlier stage, with TC routes predominating
• Supportive policies like U.S.’s RFS2 and CARB LCFS are key to expanding advanced biofuels deployment - Needed to ensure a market and foster investment
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More Information • National Renewable Energy Laboratory www.nrel.gov
• USDOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) http://www1.eere.energy.gov/bioenergy/
• USDOE BETO Peer Reviews (2011, 2013, 2015) www.energy.gov/eere/bioenergy/2015-project-peer-review
• USDOE-USDA Biomass R&D Initiative www.biomassboard.gov
• Alternative Fuels Data Center www.afdc.doe.gov
• US EPA RFS Information (including RIN data) https://www.epa.gov/renewable-fuel-standard-program
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Funding: US DOE EERE BioEnergy Technologies Office (BETO)
Acknowledgments
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Thanks for Your Attention! Questions?
