lecture 3 Flashcards
Impact of the oil crisis in USA and Brazil.
1973 & 1979 Oil Crisis – bioethanol development in
USA and Brazil
use of bioethanol in petrol
Bioethanol often added to petrol to improve efficiency
Lead outlawed and requirements to increase O2 content of fuel to reduce carbon monoxide release
Alternative proved environmentally damaging, e.g. Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE)
bioethanol feedstocks
- sugary crops
- cellulosic crops
- starchy crops
Yeast growth Batch culture phases
- lag phase
- exponential phase
- stationary phase
- death phase
Growth limited by
ethanol concentration
and sugar availability
bioethanol issues
- Increase food prices.
- US in 2007 20% corn harvest used for bioethanol
- Corn prices doubled from 2005 to 2007
- Do they really reduce GHG emissions?
- Compete with food supply chain, are they economically viable?
- Is there social justice in regions producing the bioenergy crops?
- Effects on the environment and biodiversity – changing land use, especially deforestation. Do they meet EU standards on sustainability?
- Land use: Currently 1500 m hectares cultivated. Require additional 200 – 500 m ha by 2020 for food production.
- Additional 56 – 166 m ha to meet biofuel obligation
targets - Brazil – sugar cane 2.5% available agricultural land,
expected to double (mostly Sao Paulo region) - Ensure lost pasture / agriculture does not lead to
deforestation
brazil history bioethanol
In response to fluctuations in oil supply and sugar prices
reduce risk perception of consumers and produces
Investment – US$ ~12 billion from 1975 to 1985
Loan guarantees & fixed prices
Obligations on oil companies – infrastructure & blending
Negotiations – car companies to develop engines (1979)
Mandates – minimum ethanol content in fuels
Taxation – ethanol 65% lower than petrol
BIOETHANOL INDUSTRY BRAZIL
sugar cane-425 mt 2006
- 30% world sugar cane
- 50:50 sugar:bioethnaol
- 730mt expected by 2013
bioethanol production - 18billion litres 2006
- 3.5 bill l exported
- 2013 -20bL 6bL exported
bioethanol plants mostly annexed
Cost reduction and technology development
major cost reduction achieved by better sugar cane varieties
- reduced soil prep,planting maintenance and irrigation
- increased yield -60% since 1975
- 1980’s 3000l/Ha/yr 2005 6500L /ha/yr 20056500L/ha/yr
- industrial saving through economies of scale and chain intergration allowing optimisation
- flexifuel vehicles - 0 to 100%ethanol
- 85%new sales
why is it good
80-90% GHG avoidance
increasing land use for sugar cane on existing agricultural lands
- economy and living conditions better in the sugar regions
- water use (20m^3/t) and automation issues
- bagasse
Agroecologican zoning plan for sugfarcane expansion
brazil is using zoning technology to manage sugarcane expansion
sugarcane for ethanol production occupies 1.5% of brazils arable land
brazil regulations
prohibit
suagrcanse plantation in sensitive biomes such as the amazon rainforest and Pantanal wetlands
sugarcane cultivation on native vegetation
2. authorise
- 64.7 hectares for sugarcane expansion; equivalent to 7.5% of the brqzillian territory (currently 0.9 of the area is used for sugarcane)
can sucsess of brazil be replicated
In sugarcane Brazil outperforms it’s next 6 closest competitorscombined
A 10% replacement of petrol on the global stage would require a 10 fold increase in sugar cane production
Brazil has favourable conditions for large scale production – few other countries have similar conditions
Other countries also do not have an infrastructure for flexifuel vehicles which are essential to the Brazil market
Meeting standards for developed importer countries will be challenging for new exporter countries
New producer countries will need ‘subsidies with teeth’ – no short termism, but a definite time frame of ending, otherwise there will be less of a drive to improve productivity and reduce costs
Social problems may be an issue, particularly related to changing land use, but these tend to be structural within the particular country rather than directly caused or solved by biofuel production
Any developing system must include some diversification, not just relying on one product stream so no buffering against marker volatility. Eg, sugar cane for sugar and bioethanol, also bagasse either for liquid
BIOETHANOL IN THE USA
1930’S GASOHOPL (12% ETHANOL)
1950’S -1970’S ZERO
1970’S OPIL CRISES FUEL TAX SUBSIDIES BANK GUARANTEES PURCHASE AGREEMENTS AND IMPORTANT TARIFFS
- 1984 165 ETHANOL PLANTS =600M GAL
- 1985 OIL PRICE FALLS, US BIOETHANOL COLLAPSES
- 1990 FEDERAL CLEAN AIR ACT, MBTE LATER BANNED;L BIOETHANMOL PRODUCTION DOUBLED 2000-2004
- 2005 RENEWABLE FUELS STANDARD- 7.5 BILL GAL BY 2012
- BIOETHANOL PROIDUCTION TRIPLED SINCE 2000
BIOETHANOL INDUSTRY usa
- 98% BIOETHANOL STARCH FROM CORN KERNALS
- 2005 14% CORN HARVEST
- 20% BY 2007
- 2005-2007 CORN PRICES DOUBOLED
- SINCE 2005 BIG PUSH ON CELLULOSICS
WET MILLING
ADD VALUE TO THE STARCH BY MAKING BIOPETHANOL
