BIOFUELS PRODUCTION:
Production of Alcohol and Biodiesel
New Refining Technology That Utilizes A Much Greater Percentage of Biomass for Biofuels
New Refining Technology That Utilizes A Much Greater Percentage of Biomass for Biofuels
Regional Biofuel Refinery in Conjunction with Petroleum Refinery in Port of Itaqui:
1) Production of Biodiesel and Alcohol from Biofuels Expansion in Northeast Brazil
Sustainable BioBrazil is working with various companies interested in investing in biofuels expansion in the State of Maranhao and in other parts of Northeast and North Central Brazil. The State of Maranhao is in the middle of a major effort to encourage investment in biodiesel and alcohol production and is discussing various options for feedstock production, plant location and plant economics with various potential investors. Sustainable BioBrazil is supporting this effort through the development of a major feedstock program for biodiesel and alcohol through planting of oil seed trees and sugar cane on state lands and through assistance to small producers to produce oil seed trees and other oil seed crops.
2) New Refining Technology That Utilizes A Much Greater Percentage of Biomass for Biofuels
Brazil leads the world in the production of alcohol from sugar cane and can greatly expand this production as a result of increasing global demand. Brazil is also starting to take a lead role in the production of biodiesel as a result of mandatory biodiesel blend requirements that will quickly put it into the top 5 biodiesel producers over the next few years. The big question now being asked by the global community is not if Brazil will play a dominant role in biofuels production but how this can be achieved without negatively impacting other key sustainability goals. This is a valid question since the volume of sugar cane, oil or biomass required to meet the production goals is very large. For example, US and Brazilian production of alcohol is about equal and US production is expected to supply 7 billion gallons to the US market in 2008 rising to 15 billion gallons by 2012. To even get close to achieving this goal will require doubling of corn production from current levels in the USA. This is impossible in the current climate of volatilecommodity prices, between soy and corn acresand potential for riots corn costsbecome very high. Furthermore, the US goal is to achieve 35 billion gallons of biofuelsby 2022, with biofuel produced from sources achieving at least a 50% carbon reduction. This will be almost impossible from current processes of producing alcohol from corn in the USA. In Europe, they are in the middle of debatina 10% biofuel goal the impact on s, rainforests, land use change impacts and other issues.
Brazil can easily fill the gaps in the global biofuel market in a sustainable manner, but only if it takes a new look at how to produce biofuels in a way that addresses sustainability concerns. This will require a cohesive strategy that includes an aggressive effort to preserve jungles by setting up biodiversity reserves (addressed below), improve yields of production using a variety of technologies and crop management systems, and by producing both food and fuel from all biomass grown on the farm through effective farm management. This is an interesting strategy for the global promotion of the Brazilian biofuel industry because it allows Brazil to achieve many times the current production of biofuel from utilization more effectively land already in agriculture. Part of the increase comes from shifting agriculture from low value production of cows on grazing land to sugar cane, oil seed trees or other crops and from converting land use change residues into mixed alcohols. Equally important, it involves increasing yields by concentrating on technologies that have large impacts on yields and are seen as limited in their sustainability impact. Yields of oil from soybeans is only 18%, while some native oil seed trees (macauba) can yield up to 4tons of oil/hect. (according to EMBRAPA, Brazilian national research org).
The other principal strategy involves the use of bagasse and biomass to produce traditional and new fuels using more efficient processes and full utilization of all biomass. Conversion of sugar cane into fuel results in the production of only about 13% of the biomass into fuel and requires use of most of the bagasse for steam productions. The net yields of biofuel could be increased substantially with new conversion technologies. Several processes are currently under consideration for primary production of liquids which are then converted to final liquids in a refinery. Options for processes are as follows:
Anaerobic Digestion:
Our preferred technology direction involves the use of new anaerobic technologies that produce a carboxylicacid is then converted to ketones ormixed alcohol a hydro-treating process. The main advantage the technology has over gasification is higher efficiency and much lower capital cost(about $2.50 per installed gallon now but expected to drop to $1 per installed gallon in volume production vs. $5 per installed gallon for gasification). technology involves combining fine grinding of materials with enzymes to break down cellulose, methanol suppressors and a liquids extraction process that results in acid or ketones. This is then dehydrated and used as a feed material conjunction with a hydrogen stream to break carbon chains into either a alcohol stream (alcohol, butanol & methanol)or bio-gasoline. Enough hydrogen is produced from the digestion process to allow for production of bio-gasoline, while mixed alcohol requires the installation of a hydrogen generator (adding to cost). The advantage of mixed alcohol production is much higher conversion efficiency.
Pyrolysis Oil:
One option for gasification of biomass involves much simpler pyrolysis oil systems that use a lower temperature process to extract gases and that results in an oil that can be substituted for crude oil in the refining process. The advantage is lower capital cost versus traditional biomass to liquid systems, which tend to have a capital cost that is way beyond the range of current ethanol and biodiesel plant costs. One advantage of pyrolysis is a by-product, bio-char, which can be used as a soil amendment and is supposed to have a significant impact on improving yields of sugar cane production.
3) Regional Biofuel Refinery in Conjunction with Petroleum Refinery in Bacabeira, MA:
The Secretary of Mines and Energy and Petrobras recently signed a loan agreement with Mirubeni to borrow $20 billion US dollars to build a large petroleum refinery in Bacabeira, Maranhao just . The discovery of large amounts of crude oil offshore means Brazil will be building set of 5 refinin Brazil. , Maranhaohas recently been chosen as a petroleum refinery location because it is only deep water port in the country able to receive large deep draft ships commonly used in the petroleum trade. location of a major refinery project in Maranhao opens up the opportunity to set up refining capacity for turning liquids produced from biomass into finished transportation fuels. This is because most 2ndgeneration biofuel technologies require the use of hydrotreating to get fuels to meet specifications. Hydrogen is available at a refinery site at a low cost and provides an ideal location for bio-refining.
Maranhao is also ideal as a location for capacity because of the greatly expanded investment now occurring to produce sugar cane for alcohol and various oil seed crops for biodiesel. This will result in a large amount of biomass can beprocessinto a fuel. The availability of a good rail network and its expansion into Tocantins means a large amount of liquids (carboxylic acid, ketones, pyrolysisoil)can be shipped to the refinery site.
1) Production of Biodiesel and Alcohol from Biofuels Expansion in Northeast Brazil
Sustainable BioBrazil is working with various companies interested in investing in biofuels expansion in the State of Maranhao and in other parts of Northeast and North Central Brazil. The State of Maranhao is in the middle of a major effort to encourage investment in biodiesel and alcohol production and is discussing various options for feedstock production, plant location and plant economics with various potential investors. Sustainable BioBrazil is supporting this effort through the development of a major feedstock program for biodiesel and alcohol through planting of oil seed trees and sugar cane on state lands and through assistance to small producers to produce oil seed trees and other oil seed crops.
2) New Refining Technology That Utilizes A Much Greater Percentage of Biomass for Biofuels
Brazil leads the world in the production of alcohol from sugar cane and can greatly expand this production as a result of increasing global demand. Brazil is also starting to take a lead role in the production of biodiesel as a result of mandatory biodiesel blend requirements that will quickly put it into the top 5 biodiesel producers over the next few years. The big question now being asked by the global community is not if Brazil will play a dominant role in biofuels production but how this can be achieved without negatively impacting other key sustainability goals. This is a valid question since the volume of sugar cane, oil or biomass required to meet the production goals is very large. For example, US and Brazilian production of alcohol is about equal and US production is expected to supply 7 billion gallons to the US market in 2008 rising to 15 billion gallons by 2012. To even get close to achieving this goal will require doubling of corn production from current levels in the USA. This is impossible in the current climate of volatilecommodity prices, between soy and corn acresand potential for riots corn costsbecome very high. Furthermore, the US goal is to achieve 35 billion gallons of biofuelsby 2022, with biofuel produced from sources achieving at least a 50% carbon reduction. This will be almost impossible from current processes of producing alcohol from corn in the USA. In Europe, they are in the middle of debatina 10% biofuel goal the impact on s, rainforests, land use change impacts and other issues.
Brazil can easily fill the gaps in the global biofuel market in a sustainable manner, but only if it takes a new look at how to produce biofuels in a way that addresses sustainability concerns. This will require a cohesive strategy that includes an aggressive effort to preserve jungles by setting up biodiversity reserves (addressed below), improve yields of production using a variety of technologies and crop management systems, and by producing both food and fuel from all biomass grown on the farm through effective farm management. This is an interesting strategy for the global promotion of the Brazilian biofuel industry because it allows Brazil to achieve many times the current production of biofuel from utilization more effectively land already in agriculture. Part of the increase comes from shifting agriculture from low value production of cows on grazing land to sugar cane, oil seed trees or other crops and from converting land use change residues into mixed alcohols. Equally important, it involves increasing yields by concentrating on technologies that have large impacts on yields and are seen as limited in their sustainability impact. Yields of oil from soybeans is only 18%, while some native oil seed trees (macauba) can yield up to 4tons of oil/hect. (according to EMBRAPA, Brazilian national research org).
The other principal strategy involves the use of bagasse and biomass to produce traditional and new fuels using more efficient processes and full utilization of all biomass. Conversion of sugar cane into fuel results in the production of only about 13% of the biomass into fuel and requires use of most of the bagasse for steam productions. The net yields of biofuel could be increased substantially with new conversion technologies. Several processes are currently under consideration for primary production of liquids which are then converted to final liquids in a refinery. Options for processes are as follows:
Anaerobic Digestion:
Our preferred technology direction involves the use of new anaerobic technologies that produce a carboxylicacid is then converted to ketones ormixed alcohol a hydro-treating process. The main advantage the technology has over gasification is higher efficiency and much lower capital cost(about $2.50 per installed gallon now but expected to drop to $1 per installed gallon in volume production vs. $5 per installed gallon for gasification). technology involves combining fine grinding of materials with enzymes to break down cellulose, methanol suppressors and a liquids extraction process that results in acid or ketones. This is then dehydrated and used as a feed material conjunction with a hydrogen stream to break carbon chains into either a alcohol stream (alcohol, butanol & methanol)or bio-gasoline. Enough hydrogen is produced from the digestion process to allow for production of bio-gasoline, while mixed alcohol requires the installation of a hydrogen generator (adding to cost). The advantage of mixed alcohol production is much higher conversion efficiency.
Pyrolysis Oil:
One option for gasification of biomass involves much simpler pyrolysis oil systems that use a lower temperature process to extract gases and that results in an oil that can be substituted for crude oil in the refining process. The advantage is lower capital cost versus traditional biomass to liquid systems, which tend to have a capital cost that is way beyond the range of current ethanol and biodiesel plant costs. One advantage of pyrolysis is a by-product, bio-char, which can be used as a soil amendment and is supposed to have a significant impact on improving yields of sugar cane production.
3) Regional Biofuel Refinery in Conjunction with Petroleum Refinery in Bacabeira, MA:
The Secretary of Mines and Energy and Petrobras recently signed a loan agreement with Mirubeni to borrow $20 billion US dollars to build a large petroleum refinery in Bacabeira, Maranhao just . The discovery of large amounts of crude oil offshore means Brazil will be building set of 5 refinin Brazil. , Maranhaohas recently been chosen as a petroleum refinery location because it is only deep water port in the country able to receive large deep draft ships commonly used in the petroleum trade. location of a major refinery project in Maranhao opens up the opportunity to set up refining capacity for turning liquids produced from biomass into finished transportation fuels. This is because most 2ndgeneration biofuel technologies require the use of hydrotreating to get fuels to meet specifications. Hydrogen is available at a refinery site at a low cost and provides an ideal location for bio-refining.
Maranhao is also ideal as a location for capacity because of the greatly expanded investment now occurring to produce sugar cane for alcohol and various oil seed crops for biodiesel. This will result in a large amount of biomass can beprocessinto a fuel. The availability of a good rail network and its expansion into Tocantins means a large amount of liquids (carboxylic acid, ketones, pyrolysisoil)can be shipped to the refinery site.
