Sandia Labs/GM Biofuels Systems Study: 90 Billion Gallons of ethanol could be produced by 2030

[JohnWxy]

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2009/02/sandia-labsgm-b.html

The “90-Billion Gallon Biofuel Deployment Study" used a new tool developed by Sandia—the Biofuels Deployment Model (BDM)—to determine that 90 billion gallons of ethanol can be produced per year in the US: 15 billion gallons per year from corn ethanol, with the balance from cellulosic ethanol.

~~
~~

The study examined four sources of biofuels: agricultural residue, such as corn stover and wheat straw; forest residue; dedicated energy crops, including switchgrass; and short rotation woody crops, such as willow and poplar trees. Sandia’s analysis included land use, water availability, energy used to produce cellulosic biomass, transportation of feedstocks and other potential leverage points for the development and use of cellulosic biofuels. In conducting its research, Sandia utilized models that examined current and future technologies for development of ethanol.

In the study, conversion technologies are linked with specific feedstocks. For each new plant constructed, the BDM selected a feedstock/conversion pair resulting in the lowest cost of ethanol.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is amazing is they considered 90 Billion gallons of ethanol equivalent to 60 billiono gallons of gasolline (using the heat content of ethanol compared to gasoline as the basis of this estimate). THey did not even consider that because of ethanol's much higher octane rating that it can be used at higher compression ratios than gasoline and thus deliver greater efficiencies than gasoline (check out the MIT designed ethanol direct injection engine which achieves 25% to 30% greater mileage than a gasoline only powered car. And this engine will use only 5% ethanol and 95% gasoline. Ford plans to begin selling this engine next year.

So 90 Bil x 1.3 = 120 Billion gallons of gasoline in terms of miles driven. They are expecting 180 Billion gallons to be the fuel requirement in 2030 so actually the ethanol could replace 2/3rds of that volume of gasoline using the technology Ford is going to start selling next year! 180 Bil - 120 Bil = 60 Billion gallons gas needed to meet projected transportation needs. that's a lot better than buying 180 billion gallons of gas.

[DainBramaged]

1. Well, who will foot the bill to convert non-flex fuel vehicles?

And can it be sold for $.99 profitability at the pump? Because with the dramatic reduction in fuel millage, it better be half the price of gasoline to make it viable.

[msongs]

2. time to dump the internal combustion engine COMPLETELY - not give oil companies another fuel

to control use to jack the public.

Msongs