Cellulosic ethanol: status and innovation

Lynd, Lee R.; Liang, Xiaoyu; Biddy, Mary J.; Allee, Andrew; Cai, Hao; Foust, Thomas; Himmel, Michael E.; Laser, Mark S.; Wang, Michael; Wyman, Charles E.

doi:10.1016/j.copbio.2017.03.008

Cellulosic ethanol: status and innovation

Journal Article · Thu May 18 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Current Opinion in Biotechnology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2017.03.008· OSTI ID:1364156

Lynd, Lee R. ^[1]; Liang, Xiaoyu ^[1]; Biddy, Mary J. ^[2]; Allee, Andrew ^[1]; Cai, Hao ^[3]; Foust, Thomas ^[2]; Himmel, Michael E. ^[2]; Laser, Mark S. ^[1]; Wang, Michael ^[3]; Wyman, Charles E. ^[4]

Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH (United States)
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)
Univ. of California, Riverside, CA (United States)

Although the purchase price of cellulosic feedstocks is competitive with petroleum on an energy basis, the cost of lignocellulose conversion to ethanol using today's technology is high. Cost reductions can be pursued via either in-paradigm or new-paradigm innovation. Here, as an example of new-paradigm innovation, consolidated bioprocessing using thermophilic bacteria combined with milling during fermentation (cotreatment) is analyzed. Acknowledging the nascent state of this approach, our analysis indicates potential for radically improved cost competitiveness and feasibility at smaller scale compared to current technology, arising from (a) R&D-driven advances (consolidated bioprocessing with cotreatment in lieu of thermochemical pretreatment and added fungal cellulase), and (b) configurational changes (fuel pellet coproduction instead of electricity, gas boiler(s) in lieu of a solid fuel boiler).

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357; AC05-00OR22725; AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1364156

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1416774
OSTI ID: 1393924

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA--5100-68702

Journal Information:: Current Opinion in Biotechnology, Journal Name: Current Opinion in Biotechnology Journal Issue: C Vol. 45; ISSN 0958-1669

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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