CELLULOSE
include examining the use of pipelines to transport biofuels, identifying and eliminating bottlenecks to transporting biofuels by barge, train or truck, and using Geographic Information System tools to give potential biofuels producers information on infrastructure, demand, feedstock availability, water and other resources. As ethanol makes up more of the U.S. fuel supply, end users will need to be educated on the benefits of using more ethanol and have access to vehicles that can safely use higher level gasolineethanol blends. The DOE and EPA will begin a testing program to look at the impact of midlevel blends such as E15 and E20 on existing vehicles and small motors used in lawn mowers and offroad vehicles. If the testing shows no ill effects, the board would support the approval of those blends. The board is also planning to work with state and local agencies to continue the penetration of E10 blends in the market by resolving obstacles created by local regulations. The final action area is protecting the environment and the safety and health of workers and the public. With ethanol’s 30-year history as a fuel, its risks are relatively well-understood. However, as new biofuels come into production, the risks
associated with using those fuels will have to be evaluated. The board will review existing safety and environmental information available on biofuels and use that information to conduct outreach to the public, industry and others involved in the biofuels economy. The path to reaching the country’s biofuels goal has obstacles which must be overcome quickly. The goal of the National Biofuels Action Plan is having cellulosic ethanol production using second-generation feedstocks being cost competitive by 2012. Feedstock production needs to be evaluated to ensure sustainable practices are used and adequate supplies are available. Harvesting, collection and preprocessing technologies have to be perfected. Research is needed to drive the cost of converting cellulose to ethanol still lower. Distribution bottlenecks will have to be resolved. In addition to all that, the plan states that by 2012 the market for E10 will be saturated. To absorb additional production, higher level blends of fuel will be necessary. The final step in reaching the plan’s goals will depend on the private sector. After the initial research and development phase of the plan, it will be up to industry to build the hundreds
of plants needed to fulfill the 2022 RFS requirements. These new plants will need skilled technicians, builders and managers. Creating the human capital to keep up with growth of biofuels capacity will be the final key to a vigorous and viable biofuels industry. “This plan is a strategic blueprint that shows us the way to meet the president’s goal of meaningful biofuels production by the year 2022,” says Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman. “It also shows how to do it in cost-effective, environmentally responsible ways that utilize a science-based approach to ensure the next generation of biofuels that are made primarily from feedstocks outside the food supply that are produced sustainably.” EP Jerry W. Kram is an Ethanol Producer Magazine staff writer. He can be reached at jkram @bbiinternational.com or (701) 738-4920.
Don’t let your market dry up Our commitment to product quality, energy efficiency and reduced emissions has made GEA Barr-Rosin the partner of choice for thermal drying technology.
GEA Barr-Rosin
Add value to your Ethanol Co-Products •Ring Dryers •Superheated Steam Dryers •Site Surveys and Audits •Biomass Combustion •Rotary Dryers •Energy Integration •Retro-Fits •Fractionated Co-Products
92 Boulevard Prevost Boisbriand, Quebec J7G 2S2 Canada Tel 450-437-5252 Fax 450-437-6740 255 38th Avenue, Suite G St. Charles, IL 60174 USA Tel 630-659-3980 Fax 630-584-4406 E-mail sales.barr-rosin.ca@geagroup.com Website www.barr-rosin.com
ETHANOL PRODUCER MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2008
83