BIOEN2: Bioenergy Crop Production, Handling & Logistics
Dennis Pennington – Michigan State University Extension
Agenda
• Overview of BION2: Bioenergy Crop Production and Harvesting
• Research data from MI
• Handling and logistics
BIOEN2: Bioenergy Crops
2.1 Analyzing the economics of bioenergy crop production• Cost-benefit analysis in farm decision-making• Bioenergy crop budgets• Analyzing potential markets• Federal and state incentive programs for
production of biomass
BIOEN2: Bioenergy Crops
2.2 Bioenergy Crop Production: a crop by crop analysis• Crop production– 19 fact sheets– Crop Comparison Matrix
• Energy Potential Box
BIOEN2: Bioenergy Crops
2.3 Bioenergy Crop Production Sustainability Factors• Landscape diversity• Carbon Offset Markets• Life Cycle Analysis• Sustainable Management
Crop by Crop Analysis
Michigan Data
Switchgrass Agronomy Trial
MiscanthusEstablishment Trial
SwitchgrassVariety Trial Biofuel Productivity Trial
Biofuel Productivity Plot Locations
• 2009 (6)– Antrim, Barry, Cass,
Isabella, Kalamazoo, Saginaw
• 2010 (5)– Alger, Ottawa, Presque
Isle, Clinton, St. Joseph
• 2011 (7)– Wayne, Kent, Muskegon,
Osceola, Otsego, Branch, Lapeer
Funding Partners
Crops
Perennial• Switchgrass• Miscanthus• Indiangrass• Big Bluestem• Little Bluestem• Prairie Cordgrass• Reed Canarygrass
Annual• Forage sorghum• Sweet sorghum• Energy sorghum
– Photoperiod sensitive– Non-PS
• Corn• Canola• Oriental mustard• Sunflower• Soybean• Pennycress
Wildlife damage
Frost damage on switchgrass
Lodging
Sweet sorghum – Clinton CountyAugust 6, 2010
Lodging
Cass CountyNovember 9, 2010
Big Bluestem Indiangrass
Weed Control
Sunflowers (and ragweed!) – Clinton Co.June 1, 2010
Cass County (Edward Lowe Foundation)
2010 2011
Yield1 Ethanol2 Yield1 Ethanol2
Switchgrass 3.57 303.5 7.28 618.8 a
Indiangrass 5.02 426.7 6.97 592.5 ab
Miscanthus 3.77 320.5 6.56 557.6 ab
Big Bluestem 3.07 261.0 3.43 291.6 b
1 tons of dry matter/acre2 tons/acre X 85 gal/ton = gal of ethanol/acre3 Ethanol yield calculated at 2.8 gallons per bushel for corn grain.
Kellogg Biological Station2009 2010 2011
Yield1 Ethanol2 Yield1 Ethanol2 Yield1 Ethanol2
Canola (lbs/a) - - 121.6 - 467.4 -Oriental mustard (lbs/a) - - - - 179.3 -Sweet Sorghum 13.37 1136.5 7.66 651.1 7.32 622.2Energy sorghum (PS) - - 8.53 725.1 7.64 649.4Energy sorghum (non-PS) - - 10.9 924.0 7.55 641.8Switchgrass - - 4.42 375.7 5.31 451.4Miscanthus - - 4.4 373.2 7.80 663.0Indiangrass - - 3.5 300.9 4.60 391.0Big bluestem - - 2.6 221.9 2.51 213.4Little bluestem - - - - 1.48 125.8Reed Canarygrass - - 1.9 163.2 2.53 215.1Forage sorghum 6.63 563.6 4.9 418.2 4.16 353.6Corn grain 108.3 303.24 - - - -Corn stover 3.13 266.1 - - - -
1 tons of dry matter/acre2 tons/acre X 85 gal/ton = gal of ethanol/acre3 Ethanol yield cacluated at 2.8 gallons per bushel for corn grain.
12-13 foot tallProduced seed head10.87 tons DM per acreKBS
14-15 foot tallNo seed head8.53 tons DM per acreKBS
Energy SorghumHigh Biomass Sorghum Photoperiod Sensitive Sorghum
Ottawa County (GVSU)
2010 2011 Yield1 Ethanol2 Yield1 Ethanol2
Switchgrass 1.9 161.5 6.48 550.8
Miscanthus 2.88 244.8 8.96 761.6
Sweet Sorghum 6.7 572.1 - -
Corn grain 68.0 190.4 - -
Corn stover 3.6 303.5 - -
1 tons of dry matter/acre2 tons/acre X 85 gal/ton = gal of ethanol/acre3 Ethanol yield cacluated at 2.8 gallons per bushel for corn grain.
Ottawa County (GVSU)
Miscanthus Establishment
• Purpose: compare transplants started in greenhouse to planting bare rhizomes in non-irrigated soil
• Treatments:– m-root = bare root planted directly in soil– m-trans = live plant grown for 8 weeks in
greenhouse
In partnership with and funded by the Energy Biosciences Institute at the University of Illinois.
Miscanthus transplants
2009 2010 20110
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
m-rootm-trans
Perc
ent M
orta
lity
Miscanthus Establishment
Miscanthus Establishment
2009 20100
10
20
30
40
50
60
18.6
35.637.1
49.1
m-rootm-trans
Tille
rs p
er P
lant
Miscanthus Establishment
2009 2010 2011 Total0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
20.0
25.0
1.53
3.98
8.33
13.84
3.72
6.52
10.19
20.43
m-rootm-trans
Yiel
d (D
ry M
atter
Ton
s pe
r Acr
e)
Switchgrass Variety Trial (KBS)
Yield (tons DM/acre) Ecotype Year 1 Year 2 Year 3Alamo L a 3.59 3.87Blackwell U a 4.51 4.67Cave-in-Rock U a 4.22 4.48Dakota U a 1.71 1.81EG 1101 L 1.44 2.42 -EG 1102 L 2.18 4.08 -EG 2101 U 0.94 2.41 -Kanlow L a 2.62 4.40NE28 L a 2.53 2.47Shelter U 0.90 2.12 -Southlow U a 2.44 3.46Trailblazer U a 2.25 2.30
a In varieties established in 2009, yield data was not collected due to the fact that mowing was needed for weed control.L=lowland ecotype (typically out produces upland, grown in southern states)U=upland ecotype (better overwinter survival in northern states like Michigan)
Handling & Logistics
Photo by J.E Doll, MSU
Biomass Feedstock Sources
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
Total
Agricultural
Forest
Million Dry Tons Per Year
• Logging residues• Excess timber (fuel treatments)• Fuel wood• Processing residues• Pulping liquors
Forest
• Crop residues• Grains• Perennial Grasses• Woody crops• Food processing waste• Municipal solid waste
Agricultural
Source: Biomass as Feedstock for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply, U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture, April 2005.
Amount needed to reach U.S. bioenergy goals
DensityPhysical1000 lbs/(36” x 48” x 96”) = 10.42 lb/ft3
Physical56 lbs/1.24 ft3 = 45.16 lb/ft3
Energy
Energy
125,000 acres
115,000 acres
Biomass Field DayVonore, TNOctober 2011
Two Material Handling Systems: Bales
Two Material Handling Systems: Bulk
So which system is better?
Bales• More dense• Easier for farmer to handle• Cheaper at the farm end
Bulk• Less dense - requires
packing equip for transportation
• Saves de-twine, de-bale and chop operations at biorefinery
• Cheaper at biorefinery
Other issues
• Year round supply – can’t deliver all at harvest• Storage on farm– Covered bales– Bunker silo
• Equipment cost – baler is much cheaper
Cellulosic Ethanol
• How close is it?• 3-5 years?• Poet Ethanol– Reduced energy use, enzyme costs, raw material
requirements and capital expenses (Dec. 09)$4.13
$2. 35Photo by Dr. Cole Gustafson, NDSU
Cellulosic Ethanol
• How close is it?• 3-5 years?• Genera Energy• $1.65 cash costs + $0.30 capital costs
$2. 00
http://fyi.uwex.edu/biotrainingcenter/
Questions?
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