Development of sweet sorghum as an energy crop. Volume III. Integration concepts

Technical Report · Fri Dec 12 04:00:00 EST 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7084277· OSTI ID:7084277

Scantland, D. A.; Riddle, W. E.; McClure, T. A.; Woodford, P. G.; Honton, E. J.; Lipinsky, E. S.

For the past 3 years, Battelle's Columbus Division and several co-investigators have conducted interregional investigations related to biomass and sugar production for conversion to alcohol and other fuels. These investigations have emphasized primarily the production of sweet sorghum and sugarcane due to their ability to produce high biomass and readily fermentable sugars' yields which allow a highly favorable energy balance when converted to ethanol. The primary goal of the 1979 research program was to determine the agronomic and economic feasibility of developing sweet sorghum, sweet sorghum hybrids, and sugarcane as energy-producing crops in selected geographic regions of the United States. The objectives of the research include the following: (1) to conduct a prefeasibility analysis of the potential for integrating sugarcane and sugar beet production/processing with sweet sorghum; and (2) to formulate an analytical approach to estimate the economic impact of growing sweet sorghum as an energy crop upon the US agricultural system. This volume is comprised of two separate investigations pertaining to potential integration of sweet sorghum into US agriculture. The first investigation entitled, Economic Potential for Integrating Alcohol Fuels Production from Sweet Sorghum with Other Carbohydrate Crops conducted independently, looks at integration of sweet sorghum from a microeconomic viewpoint, i.e., what would be the effects of combining sweet sorghum with other sugar crops to produce alcohol in terms of plant investment and operating costs.

• Research Organization: Battelle Columbus Labs., OH (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-92
• OSTI ID: 7084277
• Report Number(s): BMI-2054(Vol.3)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
090222 -- Alcohol Fuels-- Preparation from Wastes or Biomass-- (1976-1989)
140504* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Biomass Production & Conversion-- (-1989)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
299003 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Unconventional Sources & Power Generation-- Other-- (-1989)
530100 -- Environmental-Social Aspects of Energy Technologies-- Social & Economic Studies-- (-1989)
AGRICULTURE
ALCOHOLS
BEETS
BIOCONVERSION
BIOMASS CONVERSION PLANTS
BIOMASS PLANTATIONS
CEREALS
ECONOMETRICS
ECONOMIC IMPACT
ECONOMICS
ETHANOL
FERMENTATION
FOOD
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRY
LAND USE
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
PRODUCTION
PROGRAMMING
SORGHUM
VEGETABLES