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Title: Supply and value chain analysis of mixed biomass feedstock supply system for lignocellulosic sugar production

Abstract

Abstract The sustainable supply of high‐quality, low‐cost biomass feedstock to cellulosic biorefineries is still a challenge. Utilizing corn stover as the single feedstock to a biorefinery also poses a source of risk to seasonal feedstock availability, affordability, and sustainability. Implementing a year‐round feedstock switching strategy or utilizing an optimal mixture of corn stover, miscanthus, and switchgrass is demonstrated to diminish these concerns while reducing the cost of sugar production by as much as 3.8% and 13.6%, respectively, when compared to a baseline sugar price of 441.9 $ metric ton −1 (t) attributed to a fixed corn stover feedstock basis. This study determines that a mixing ratio of corn stover, miscanthus, and switchgrass of 36%, 50%, and 14%, respectively, minimizes the selling price of sugar. If miscanthus is sufficiently available in the future, its fraction could be further increased to 70% by reducing the fraction of corn stover. We find that the mixed feedstock considered in this study reduces the nutrient replacement and feedstock transportation costs and improves the quality of feedstock (determined by total carbohydrates and ash) relative to corn stover alone. Results suggest that a high‐quality feedstock with a high carbohydrate content is an important metric for consideration, beyondmore » strictly the feedstock cost, to reduce the selling price of sugar and its uncertainties. In the future this may be supported by the increased availability of higher carbohydrate feedstocks such as miscanthus. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Joint BioEnergy Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA USA; Biological Systems and Engineering DivisionLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley CA USA
  2. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden CO USA
  3. Department of Mechanical EngineeringColorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center (CEMAC)
OSTI Identifier:
1500076
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1494845
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5100-72895
Journal ID: ISSN 1932-104X
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 13; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 1932-104X
Publisher:
Wiley
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
09 BIOMASS FUELS; mixed biomass feedstock; transportation; storage; biomass blending; biochemical conversion; fermentable sugars; supply chain analysis

Citation Formats

Baral, Nawa Raj, Davis, Ryan, and Bradley, Thomas H. Supply and value chain analysis of mixed biomass feedstock supply system for lignocellulosic sugar production. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1002/bbb.1975.
Baral, Nawa Raj, Davis, Ryan, & Bradley, Thomas H. Supply and value chain analysis of mixed biomass feedstock supply system for lignocellulosic sugar production. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.1975
Baral, Nawa Raj, Davis, Ryan, and Bradley, Thomas H. Thu . "Supply and value chain analysis of mixed biomass feedstock supply system for lignocellulosic sugar production". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.1975. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1500076.
@article{osti_1500076,
title = {Supply and value chain analysis of mixed biomass feedstock supply system for lignocellulosic sugar production},
author = {Baral, Nawa Raj and Davis, Ryan and Bradley, Thomas H.},
abstractNote = {Abstract The sustainable supply of high‐quality, low‐cost biomass feedstock to cellulosic biorefineries is still a challenge. Utilizing corn stover as the single feedstock to a biorefinery also poses a source of risk to seasonal feedstock availability, affordability, and sustainability. Implementing a year‐round feedstock switching strategy or utilizing an optimal mixture of corn stover, miscanthus, and switchgrass is demonstrated to diminish these concerns while reducing the cost of sugar production by as much as 3.8% and 13.6%, respectively, when compared to a baseline sugar price of 441.9 $ metric ton −1 (t) attributed to a fixed corn stover feedstock basis. This study determines that a mixing ratio of corn stover, miscanthus, and switchgrass of 36%, 50%, and 14%, respectively, minimizes the selling price of sugar. If miscanthus is sufficiently available in the future, its fraction could be further increased to 70% by reducing the fraction of corn stover. We find that the mixed feedstock considered in this study reduces the nutrient replacement and feedstock transportation costs and improves the quality of feedstock (determined by total carbohydrates and ash) relative to corn stover alone. Results suggest that a high‐quality feedstock with a high carbohydrate content is an important metric for consideration, beyond strictly the feedstock cost, to reduce the selling price of sugar and its uncertainties. In the future this may be supported by the increased availability of higher carbohydrate feedstocks such as miscanthus. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.},
doi = {10.1002/bbb.1975},
journal = {Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining},
number = 3,
volume = 13,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Feb 14 00:00:00 EST 2019},
month = {Thu Feb 14 00:00:00 EST 2019}
}

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Cited by: 22 works
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Predictive Modelling of Sugar Release from Blended Garden Wastes in a Microwave-Assisted Hot Water Process
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