Production cost analysis of Euphorbia lathyris. Final report
The purpose of this study is to estimate costs of production for Euphorbia lathyris (hereafter referred to as Euphorbia) in commercial-scale quantities. Selection of five US locations for analysis was based on assumed climatic and cultivation requirements. The five areas are: nonirrigated areas (Southeast Kansas and Central Oklahoma, Northeast Louisiana and Central Mississippi, Southern Illinois), and irrigated areas: (San Joaquin Valley and the Imperial Valley, California and Yuma, Arizona). Cost estimates are tailored to reflect each region's requirements and capabilities. Variable costs for inputs such as cultivation, planting, fertilization, pesticide application, and harvesting include material costs, equipment ownership, operating costs, and labor. Fixed costs include land, management, and transportation of the plant material to a conversion facility. Euphorbia crop production costs, on the average, range between $215 per acre in nonirrigated areas to $500 per acre in irrigated areas. Extraction costs for conversion of Euphorbia plant material to oil are estimated at $33.76 per barrel of oil, assuming a plant capacity of 3000 dry ST/D. Estimated Euphorbia crop production costs are competitive with those of corn. Alfalfa production costs per acre are less than those of Euphorbia in the Kansas/Oklahoma and Southern Illinois site, but greater in the irrigated regions. This disparity is accounted for largely by differences in productivity and irrigation requirements.
- Research Organization:
- SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EG-77-X-01-3891
- OSTI ID:
- 5639230
- Report Number(s):
- DSE-3891-T1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
09 BIOMASS FUELS
BIOCONVERSION
COST
BIOMASS PLANTATIONS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
EUPHORBIA
ALFALFA
ARIZONA
CALIFORNIA
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CULTIVATION
DATA COMPILATION
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
FERTILIZERS
HARVESTING
ILLINOIS
IRRIGATION
KANSAS
LOUISIANA
MAIZE
MISSISSIPPI
OKLAHOMA
PESTICIDES
PRODUCTIVITY
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
TABLES
CEREALS
DATA
DATA FORMS
ECONOMICS
FUELS
GRAMINEAE
GRASS
GREAT LAKES REGION
INFORMATION
LEGUMINOSAE
MIDWEST REGION
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
PLANTS
SOUTHEAST REGION
SOUTHWEST REGION
USA
WESTERN REGION
553000* - Agriculture & Food Technology
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