Second generation Biofuels

Beyond Oxygenates

Workshop session on Biofuel sources and supply May 2, 2008, Brookhaven National Laboratory

The First Generation of Biofuels

Alcohols: process intensive of fermentation of sugars or simple molecules into mainly ethanol Biodiesel: esterification or transesterification of fatty acids contained in fats or oils The two major first generation biofuels use specific feedstock, commodities competing with food for land.

Second Generation Biofuels: Basic Requirements

Any biomass based fuel responding to engine and storage requirements Transparent use: minimize the boutique fuel impact on distribution High EROEI Environmentally friendly: recycling atmospheric carbon

 No transparency: Must be kept separated before blending. This translates into required investments of storage and pumping equipment. No transparency: Require engine modifications, even minor ones (e.g. flex fuels for ethanol) Differences in energy content: Oxygenates (ethanol or biodiesel) hard to get approval from OEM

Issues with First Generation Biofuels

Environment and EROEI: The Carbon Cycle

Conversion of solar energy to biomass
Any upgrade of biomass to a higher energy product will be by spending energy Conversion of biomass to bio-energy

CO2 Material
MJ/Kg 20.1

Plant

Ethanol
26.7

C
30.4

Coal Veg. Oil Hydro39 carbons 44

CH4
49.8

Higher Energy = Higher Reduced State Combustion of carbon based products

Savior Lipids
Nature, as it usually does, already finds the most efficient way of storing energy: in Lipids. Plant first produce carbohydrates rich in oxygen, and then converts them in carbon-rich triglycerides, the most compact form of biological energy

It would make more sense to start with the highest energy content biomass.

Biomass: Energy Crops Yields

Ethanol feedstock crops and Oilseed are comparable (approx. 55,000 MJ/ha) Oil-rich algae potential for much higher yields (50 x higher?)

What are second generation biofuels?

Hydrocarbons fuels from two major paths: Fischer-Tropsch (FT) applicable to any biomass = Biomass-to-Liquids (BTL) Hydrotreatment of fatty acids (HTFA) (animal or vegetable oils and fat hydrolisates) Carbon does not remember if coming from petroleum or biomass

Example: Jet Fuels from Biomass

Both FT and HTFA produce aliphatic hydrocarbons Both result in clean burning fuels To meet Jet fuel ASTM D1655 for energy density and cold flow properties, FT and HTFA have to be hydrocracked, isomerized and reformed Minimum aromatics set to 8% (seal issue)

Hydrotreatment of oil-rich biomass (1)

The fatty acids are hydrolyzed and de-carboxilated

Hydrotreatment of oil-rich biomass (2)

Jet fuel hydrocarbons (Chevron Aviation)

The Challenge
1 ha Oil Palm produces 5 metric tonnes crude oil palm 1 metric tonne = 38.2 Gj 1 ha Oil Palm could produce 5 * 38.2 * 0.60 = 115 Gj of Jet fuel with a 60% yield (DARPA) To Produce one day worth of jet fuel (28.9 Petajoules), we would need to dedicate 251 103 ha of Oil Palm

Thank you!