Energy Crop Resources and Technologies

Global Climate Energy ProgramBiomass Energy Workshop

Standford University April 27, 2004

Lynn Wright, Biomass Consultant wrightll@att.net, 865-376-0037

Formerly with Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Outline

• Brief Energy Crop R&D History• Energy Crop Production Technology• Potential Energy Crop Supplies (Analysis Results)• Lessons Learned from Implementation Efforts• Need for all Biomass Resources • Biomass Supply Vision • Lessons from Agriculture• What If?

ORNL Managed DOE’s Bioenergy Feedstock Research from 1978 to 2002

MolecularGenetics

EnvironmentalStudies

EconomicAnalysis

Project Support

ORNL R,D&D

Crop development withUniversities and USDA

Significant PrivateSector Involvement

~$100 Million DOEInvestment

Minnesota Hybrid Poplar Minnesota Hybrid Poplar Research CooperativeResearch Cooperative

Willow Farmers CoopWillow Farmers Coop

Prairie LandsPrairie LandsBioProductsBioProducts, ,

Inc.Inc.Tree Genetic Tree Genetic Engineering Engineering Research Research CoopCoop

Poplar Poplar Molecular Molecular Genetics CoopGenetics Coop

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

Year

No.

Spe

cies

HerbaceousWoody

> 100 woody species screened25 identified as high potential, 7 selected for developmentPoplars and willows adoptedcommercially

35 herbaceous species screened4 identified as high-potential,Switchgrass selected fordevelopment as model

Energy Crop Species Screening, Model Selection

By late 80’s woody research focused on 7 species and grass screening had begun

Bioenergy Feedstock Experimental and Operational Research Sites in the U.S.

Woody crop management requirements were well established by late 1980’s and switchgrass energy crop

potential was identified.

SwitchgrassWillow coppiceHybrid Poplar Harvested annuallyHarvested at age 5 to 10 Harvested at age 3 or 4

Switchgrass, is produced in 10 year rotations with annual harvest, using conventional agricultural equipment, add N at ~ 10 kg/dry Mg yield/yr

Switchgrass Yield Examples: Actual and Predicted with ALMANAC

10.210.19 yr avg. 1 cut

10.610.59 yr avg. 2 cutTallasee,AL

10.218.01994 2 cut

13.613.61993 1 cut

15.716.71994 2 cut

11.711.81993 2 cutBeeville,TX

13.813.42 yr avg.Meade,NE

12.012.36 yr avg.Blacksburg,VA

ALMANACYield (Mg/ha)

Field Yield (Mg/ha)

ConditionsSITE

Switchgrass can significantly improve soil quality and stability, and increase soil carbon in cropland soils, because of high root to top ratio

Soil carbon gain modeledBased on actual field dataGarten (ORNL)

Poplars are produced for fiber on cropland soils at 3-4m spacing in 6-10 yr rotations, weed control is critical, currently harvested with forestry equipment

Early 2nd yr poplar growth

Weed control effectsFirst hardwoodlinkage map was a poplar hybrid, complete genomenow nearly done.

Perennial Cover- Wind Erosion Control

up to 10H- Water Erosion Control

Removal of AgriculturalChemical from Ground Water

Tree Height (H)

No Annual FeedstockStorage Cost

Low Chemical Input<10kg N/ha/yr (or ~ 75kg/rotation)

No site disturbancefor 5-10 years

Soil Carbon-Amendment~ 1.4 dry Mg/ha/yr

fine root turnover~2.5 dry Mg/ha/yr

biomass accumulationbelow ground

Life HistoryFast-growing perennialsNine native species andnumerous hybrid clones

Cultural PracticesShort rotation forestry

on agricultural land

Productivity Potential10 to 25 dry Mg/ha/yr

Native Range of AllNorth American Populus

ca. 6

0 ft

at a

ge 8

Wildlife Habitat- Winter Cover- Early Spring

oblique root sinker root

Root Depth

5 ft

horizontal roots

ATTRIBUTES OF POPULUS

Very rapid tree growth (~15-25 Mg/ha/year) is obtainable where plenty of sunlight, water and space are availableChallenge is obtaining similar growth at tight spacings or under poorer growing conditions

Age 6 Hybrid Poplar In Oregon Age 7 Eucalyptus in Brazil

Willow is produced on cropland at ½ to 1 m spacings, harvested in 3 years, using special harvest equipment,

Species trials – double spaced rows

Willow ready forharvest

Analysis Result Example: Predictions of Potential Energy Crop Production Using 2008 Yield Assumptions

0

2

4

6

8

10

Hec

tare

s of

land

(m

illio

ns)

$33 dMg, Wildlife $44 dMg, ProductionFarmgate price and Scenario

CropCRPIdlePasture

USDA Demand Sector Model (POLYSYS) modified for analysis. Both scenario’s assume 75% of Conservation Reserve Program Subsidies are available to farmers. Switchgrasspredominates as higher profit potential crop for farmers at farmgate.

Areas Supporting Predicted Potential Biomass Production are a Function of Price, Production Restrictions, and Subsidies

Scenario 1: $33/dMg (farmgate) withwildlife restrictions and 75% of CRP land subsidy - 77 million dry Mg of switchgrass and poplars

Scenario 2: $44dMg (farmgate) withno restrictions and 75% of CRP land subsidy - 170 million dry Mg of mostly switchgrass

Lessons learned from operational scale biomass demonstration projects and systems studies

• Crop productivity is only one aspect of commercial viability

• Supply logistics issues often are major barriers– Harvesting requirements– Storage and processing needs– Quality requirements

• Many non-technical and institutional barriers exist – Policy barriers– Business/market development

barriers– Fossil fuel prices– Farmer profitability potential

Biomass Supplies in Context

Slide from Overend (NREL)

Potential Available Lignocellulosic Feedstock Quantities (ORNL, 1999)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

22 (1.4) 33 (2.0) 44 (2.7) 55 (3.4)

Delivered cost $/dry Mg ($/GJ)

Cum

ulat

ive

Qua

ntiti

es(m

illio

n dr

y to

nne)

Urban Wastes Mill Residues Forest Residues Ag Residues Energy Crops

All types of biomass, plus technology advances, are needed to provide significant supplies

Billion ton feedstock vision

• 5% of nation’s power, 20% of transport fuels, and 25% of chemicals by 2030

• Combined target is 30% of current petroleum consumption

• What are the constraints- Annual production must be

sustainable- integrated feedstock supply system

(reliability, quality, and consistency)

- economic profitability for all in the feedstock supply chain

- acceptable life-cycle environmental impact

- net positive social impacts (production and products) Figure 1. Biomass feedstock vision goals. Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Roadmap for Agriculture Biomass Feedstock

Supply in the United States, DOE/NE-ID-11129, November 2003.Figure 1. Biomass feedstock vision goals. Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Roadmap for Agriculture Biomass FeedstockSupply in the United States, DOE/NE-ID-11129, November 2003.

bark

sawdust

black liquor

Process Residues

Bioenergyforest harvest for energy

short rotation woody cropsherbaceous energy crops

forest slash

harvest residuesbagasse

stalks & straws

EnergyServicesheatCHPelectricity

Biomass

pulppaperlumberplywoodcotton

Materials

ConsumersMSW clean fractionyard trimmingsconstr. & demolitionwoodnon-recyclable

organics

Crops, Animals

dung

ProcessResidues

charcoalethanolhydrogen

Biofuels

Food

Fiber

Biomass Flows in the U.S. Economy

From Overend (NREL)

Current land uses, desired products, and environmental preferences limit biomass resource availability

Major US Land Catagories 916 million hectares total

177

234202

303

Permanent PastureArable & CroplandForest & WoodlandAll Others

Forest and Woodland303 million hectares

20431

68TimberlandReservedOther

Arable and Cropland177 million hectares

45

21

26 30

24

31CornWheatSoybeansHayOther CropsOther Misc

Source: Agriculture Statistics, 2003Source: US Forest Service 2002 RPA tables

Land use changes are linked to technology change

1st 10 Generations

2nd 10 Generations

Cos

t ($

/ton

)

Yield (ton/ac/yr)

Current conventional approach

Rapid domestication approach

The functional relationship between yield and cost of The functional relationship between yield and cost of growing trees could be radically changed with rapid growing trees could be radically changed with rapid domestication approachdomestication approach

Possible cost reduction from woody crop domestication

• 8’ x 8’ or 10’ x 10’ spacing

• $0.21 / cutting• 8-12 Mg / ha / yr• 8-10 year rotation• $14-20/Mg harvest cost

$50-60 / Mg

• 4’ x 8’ or 6’ x 6’ spacing

• $0.12 / cutting• 25-30 Mg / ha / yr• 5-6 year rotation• $8 /Mg harvest cost

$20-$25 / Mg

Typical assumptionsIn 2000

Domesticated cropconcepts

Estimating Future Switchgrass Yields (Mg/ha)

Current range - - - field-scale9-22

POLYSYS average US at $44/Mg ($53.8 delivered)“ “ at $30.3/Mg ($37.3 delivered)

9.411.1

Current regional small plot average15

Typical best small plot each year for each of 3 regions in SE/SC22

***Projected field-scale yield in 20 y ***15-22

Best small plot –single year34

Maximum single plant –unwatered nursery47

ALMANAC theoretical51.6

Simulated qnnual yield of corn grain and Switchgrass using ALMANACindicate Switchgrass not as sensitive to land quality as corn.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00 9.00 10.00

Actual Corn Grain Yields (Mg/ha/y)

Sim

ulat

ed C

orn

and

Switc

hgra

ss Y

ield

s(M

g/ha

/y)

CornSimSWGSim

Corn Grain

Switchgrass

Source:Kiniry, Ugarte,McLaughlin, 2004 analysis

What if?

• All major crops were harvested for multiple uses (with sufficient residues left on soil for sustainability)?

• Protein for animals and cellulose for ethanol could be efficiently derived from the same crop (eg. alfalfa and/or switchgrass)?

• Average switchgrass yields could be doubled. • Switchgrass were a nitrogen fixer?• Harvest techniques for grasses or alfalfa could efficiently separate

leafy parts (protein source) from stems (lignin and cellulose source)?• Poplars could be domesticated and yields doubled or tripled? • Poplars could be more cheaply and quickly harvested?• Grass, tree and grain crops were more drought tolerant?• Conversion technologies were more efficient and capable of using

multiple biomass sources to reduce storage problems.

Future land uses and product mixes could differArable and Cropland, current

177 million hectares

45

21

26 30

24

31CornWheatSoybeansHayOther CropsOther Misc

Currently most corn and wheat stalks areleft on the ground

Corn grain and soybeans are major sources ofanimal protein

“Other Misc” includes land that is idled or inConservation or Environmental ReservePrograms

In hypothetical scenario below :

Human consumption of meat not changedMost crops partitioned for food & energy orfiber and energy.

Protein for animal production derivedmostly from switchgrass and alfalfa Most annual crops grown under no-till conditionsAll “other misc” land used for crop production

e.g. perennials to preserve conservation values

Arable and Cropland, hypothetical 177 million hectares

26

12

202020

60

19

CornWheatSoybeansHay (alfalfa)Other CropsGrass CropsWood Crops

Managing our lands for energy, food and fiber

Acknowledgements & References

• For feedstock research recommendations – especially for agricultural residues, see “Roadmap for Agriculture Biomass Feedstock Supplyin the United States”

• at www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/publications.asp• Information and ideas were derived from many sources

– Jerry Tuskan – Oak Ridge National Laboratory– Marie Walsh – formerly ORNL, now University of Tennessee– Robert Perlack – Oak Ridge National Laboratory– Ralph Overend – National Renewable Energy Laboratory– Sandy McLaughlin/Daniel Ugarte – University of Tennessee– Jim Kiniry – USDA Grassland, Soil and Water Research Lab– Lee Lynd & collaborators (Renewable Biomass Alternative Energy Future Study)– USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service – Trends in U.S. Agriculture– USDA US Forest Service – Forest Facts and Historical Trends