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Title: Effects of Deployment Investment on the Growth of the Biofuels Industry

Abstract

In support of the national goals for biofuel use in the United States, numerous technologies have been developed that convert biomass to biofuels. Some of these biomass to biofuel conversion technology pathways are operating at commercial scales, while others are in earlier stages of development. The advancement of a new pathway toward commercialization involves various types of progress, including yield improvements, process engineering, and financial performance. Actions of private investors and public programs can accelerate the demonstration and deployment of new conversion technology pathways. These investors (both private and public) will pursue a range of pilot, demonstration, and pioneer scale biorefinery investments; the most cost-effective set of investments for advancing the maturity of any given biomass to biofuel conversion technology pathway is unknown. In some cases, whether or not the pathway itself will ultimately be technically and financially successful is also unknown. This report presents results from the Biomass Scenario Model -- a system dynamics model of the biomass to biofuels system -- that estimate effects of investments in biorefineries at different maturity levels and operational scales. The report discusses challenges in estimating effects of such investments and explores the interaction between this deployment investment and a volumetric production incentive.more » Model results show that investments in demonstration and deployment have a substantial positive effect on the development of the biofuels industry. Results also show that other conditions, such as supportive policies, have major impacts on the effectiveness of such investments.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1]
  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
OSTI Identifier:
1118095
Report Number(s):
NREL/TP-6A20-60802
DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
09 BIOMASS FUELS; BIOMASS; BIOFUEL; DEMONSTRATION; DEPLOYMENT; LEARNING; POLICY; SYSTEM DYNAMICS; Energy Analysis; Bioenergy

Citation Formats

Vimmerstedt, Laura J., and Bush, Brian W. Effects of Deployment Investment on the Growth of the Biofuels Industry. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.2172/1118095.
Vimmerstedt, Laura J., & Bush, Brian W. Effects of Deployment Investment on the Growth of the Biofuels Industry. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1118095
Vimmerstedt, Laura J., and Bush, Brian W. 2013. "Effects of Deployment Investment on the Growth of the Biofuels Industry". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1118095. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1118095.
@article{osti_1118095,
title = {Effects of Deployment Investment on the Growth of the Biofuels Industry},
author = {Vimmerstedt, Laura J. and Bush, Brian W.},
abstractNote = {In support of the national goals for biofuel use in the United States, numerous technologies have been developed that convert biomass to biofuels. Some of these biomass to biofuel conversion technology pathways are operating at commercial scales, while others are in earlier stages of development. The advancement of a new pathway toward commercialization involves various types of progress, including yield improvements, process engineering, and financial performance. Actions of private investors and public programs can accelerate the demonstration and deployment of new conversion technology pathways. These investors (both private and public) will pursue a range of pilot, demonstration, and pioneer scale biorefinery investments; the most cost-effective set of investments for advancing the maturity of any given biomass to biofuel conversion technology pathway is unknown. In some cases, whether or not the pathway itself will ultimately be technically and financially successful is also unknown. This report presents results from the Biomass Scenario Model -- a system dynamics model of the biomass to biofuels system -- that estimate effects of investments in biorefineries at different maturity levels and operational scales. The report discusses challenges in estimating effects of such investments and explores the interaction between this deployment investment and a volumetric production incentive. Model results show that investments in demonstration and deployment have a substantial positive effect on the development of the biofuels industry. Results also show that other conditions, such as supportive policies, have major impacts on the effectiveness of such investments.},
doi = {10.2172/1118095},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1118095}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2013},
month = {Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 2013}
}