Lecture 19 Flashcards
Bioenergy value chain
- Organism
- Cultivation
- Harvest
- Transport
- Processing
- Distribution
Organism
New and existing species and varieties/lines are assessed and developed
Bottom line of organism
Initially, this component of the value chain can be expensive, but over time it can be reduced
Cultivation
The organism must be grown in a fashion that maximizes yield per area
In cultivation, inputs should be maximized/minimized
Minimized
Cultivation: typical inputs that require energy/resources
- Planting/inoculation
- Nutrients
- Water
- Weeds/competition control
Bottom line of cultivation
Low input organisms are required to keep the cost of cultivation low
Harvest
Collect the bioresource
Focus of efficient harvesting techniques
Minimizing energy use
The more machinery/labor required for harvest, the more ____ required
Energy/money
Bottom line of harvest
Can be optimized but it is unlikely to be removed altogether
Transport
Requirements may be minimal for some processes prior to processing, but some processes require significant transport
Bottom line of transport
Should be minimized; moving material requires an enormous input of energy
Is processing expensive
Yes. Significant R&D and capital required
Why should pretreatment be minimized
Each step is costly
The value of the product is directly linked to _____
The success of the process
Bottom line of processing
Biochemistry/engineering/economics/marketing merge at this point - effective management and risk assessment is critical
What is required for distribution
Infrastructure; “drop-in” fuel infrastructure is less of a challenge
If the product is sold to consumers, the market price of your product will have a critical ______
Lower limit
Distribution is linked to ____
Demand
Bottom line of distribution
The market price of the product will make or break the entire chain
How to reduce the cost of bioenergy production
Savings at any step of the bioenergy value chain
