Poet official promotes cellulosic ethanol
Posted: Sunday, February 24, 2008
Russ Oechslin Journal correspondent
SPENCER, Iowa While the Ethanol industry is not yet producing sufficient product to meet a 10 percent national standard for motor vehicle gasoline blends, POET Energy's Doug Berven, speaking at last week's Ag Outlook, called for an even higher standard, along with blender pumps to make the most efficient use of motor fuels.
The Sioux Falls-based POET currently has 10,000 farmer members and 1,400 team members producing 1.2 billion gallons of ethanol per year from 22 facilities in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Indiana, with another five plants under construction in Ohio and Indiana.
Berven, POET's director of corporate affairs also explained that to get ''higher blends we need cellulosic Ethanol to become a reality.'' That's what Project Liberty his company's Emmetsburg collaboration with the Department of Energy -- is all about, ''creating a replicable model that we can use time and time again to get to much higher blend levels of the transportation fuel of America.''
A $200 million investment between POET and the U.S. Department of Energy, Project Liberty will see a 125 million gallon per year Ethanol facility emerge in Emmetsburg that will have 20 percent of its product produced from cellulose. It is, Berven notes, ''the transformation of an existing ethanol plant, to an integrated bio-refinery, using alternative energy resources to power the plant that produces alternative energy sources.''
The need is ''pretty simple,'' Berven said, citing statistics that in 1947 a bushel of corn and a barrel of oil were both selling for about $2.16. While corn closed under $5.00, Tuesday, the price of a barrel of oil closed at over $100 for the first time in history.
''It's a pretty telling example. That represents a lot of inflation. It represents food costs. And in my opinion, $2.16 in 1947 and $4.50 or something like that for a bushel of corn I don't think the American farmer needs to apologize for the progress agriculture has made over the last 60 years.
''Ethanol, including corn-based ethanol, is good for America's security, our economy and our environment,'' he added.
Berven surprised attendees with charts from the American Coalition for Ethanol that showed many passenger cars get fewer miles per gallon with the current 10 percent blend of Ethanol in gasoline, but showed significant gains in gas mileage with a 30 percent blend of Ethanol.
One of those who was not surprised was Barney Granstra. “My brother, concluded that too,” said Granstra, who added that even though his brother is a retired farmer, “he doesn’t buy the 10 percent Ethanol blend any more.”
''That's the importance of the Ethanol blender pumps,'' Berven told Granstra. While the ethanol coalition's Web site ({M7www.ethanol.org) ''has the whole study, it'll bore you to death because it’s a lot of numbers and a lot of auto jargon and that. But you can see the results on the graphs.''
The graphs show that in higher blends, ''Ethanol has a higher value than previously realized, as three of four cars tested traveled farther on a mid-level blend of Ethanol than on unleaded gasoline, alone.'' The variance in the different blends is very easy to see, Berven explained.
The tests were co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Coalition; and were conducted by the University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center along with the Minnesota Center for Automotive Research. In addition to better mileage, the results also showed better value for Ethanol than BTU content would predict.
One of the most popular passenger vehicles in the country today, the Toyota Camry, ''sees a pretty significant bump at a 30 percent blend of ethanol more miles per gallon miles per gallon on a 30 percent blend of ethanol than it did on regular gas,'' Berven pointed out.
The chart for the Ford Fusion showed a similar comparison to projected mileage.
And, while the standard Chevy Impala saw only a small gain with a 20 percent ethanol blend, and a bit better rating with a 40 percent blend, the flex-fuel Impala saw a 15 percent increase in gas mileage at 20 percent, compared to regular, unleaded gasoline.
Not there, yet
Even with 139 ethanol plants operating in the U.S. at the present time, total plant capacity is less than 8 billion gallons per year not enough to provide even a 10 percent Ethanol blend for the 145 billion gallons of gasoline consumed in the United States each year. Tripling the standard requires more than just more corn, says Berven. And cellulose is the logical first step to ''second generation'' ethanol production, he say, he adds.
The fiber in cobs is easily available through one or two-pass harvest collection, Berven explained, adding that POET is working with Turner County, S.D. farmer Darrin Ihnen to develop a one-pass system for cobs. The cobs also have a higher Ethanol yield than stover, he added.
About 15 to 18 percent of the above ground weight of the corn stover is cobs, which have about two times the bulk density of stover and 16 percent more carbohydrate than stover alone.
Part of Project Liberty will involve the implementation of sustainable cob collection, storage and delivery system to provide feedstock and make the system logistically and economically feasible.
Ihnen has harvested about 4,000 acres of cobs, testing multiple harvest methods with equipment from several manufacturers. As the result of the first tests going “smoother than anticipated,” Berven says the collaboration with expand for the 2008 harvest.
The corn and cob mix can be separated at the field, at the farm, or at the plant, he explained. And cobs can either be stored at the field edge or at the biorefinery.
Ag Outlook is sponsored by the Spencer Area Chamber of Commerce.
POET is holding an informational meeting about Project Liberty on March 13. The session, which begins at 7:30 pm., will be held at the Wild Rose Casino, in Emmetsburg.
SPENCER, Iowa While the Ethanol industry is not yet producing sufficient product to meet a 10 percent national standard for motor vehicle gasoline blends, POET Energy's Doug Berven, speaking at last week's Ag Outlook, called for an even higher standard, along with blender pumps to make the most efficient use of motor fuels.
The Sioux Falls-based POET currently has 10,000 farmer members and 1,400 team members producing 1.2 billion gallons of ethanol per year from 22 facilities in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Indiana, with another five plants under construction in Ohio and Indiana.
Berven, POET's director of corporate affairs also explained that to get ''higher blends we need cellulosic Ethanol to become a reality.'' That's what Project Liberty his company's Emmetsburg collaboration with the Department of Energy -- is all about, ''creating a replicable model that we can use time and time again to get to much higher blend levels of the transportation fuel of America.''
A $200 million investment between POET and the U.S. Department of Energy, Project Liberty will see a 125 million gallon per year Ethanol facility emerge in Emmetsburg that will have 20 percent of its product produced from cellulose. It is, Berven notes, ''the transformation of an existing ethanol plant, to an integrated bio-refinery, using alternative energy resources to power the plant that produces alternative energy sources.''
The need is ''pretty simple,'' Berven said, citing statistics that in 1947 a bushel of corn and a barrel of oil were both selling for about $2.16. While corn closed under $5.00, Tuesday, the price of a barrel of oil closed at over $100 for the first time in history.
''It's a pretty telling example. That represents a lot of inflation. It represents food costs. And in my opinion, $2.16 in 1947 and $4.50 or something like that for a bushel of corn I don't think the American farmer needs to apologize for the progress agriculture has made over the last 60 years.
''Ethanol, including corn-based ethanol, is good for America's security, our economy and our environment,'' he added.
Berven surprised attendees with charts from the American Coalition for Ethanol that showed many passenger cars get fewer miles per gallon with the current 10 percent blend of Ethanol in gasoline, but showed significant gains in gas mileage with a 30 percent blend of Ethanol.
One of those who was not surprised was Barney Granstra. “My brother, concluded that too,” said Granstra, who added that even though his brother is a retired farmer, “he doesn’t buy the 10 percent Ethanol blend any more.”
''That's the importance of the Ethanol blender pumps,'' Berven told Granstra. While the ethanol coalition's Web site ({M7www.ethanol.org) ''has the whole study, it'll bore you to death because it’s a lot of numbers and a lot of auto jargon and that. But you can see the results on the graphs.''
The graphs show that in higher blends, ''Ethanol has a higher value than previously realized, as three of four cars tested traveled farther on a mid-level blend of Ethanol than on unleaded gasoline, alone.'' The variance in the different blends is very easy to see, Berven explained.
The tests were co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Coalition; and were conducted by the University of North Dakota Energy & Environmental Research Center along with the Minnesota Center for Automotive Research. In addition to better mileage, the results also showed better value for Ethanol than BTU content would predict.
One of the most popular passenger vehicles in the country today, the Toyota Camry, ''sees a pretty significant bump at a 30 percent blend of ethanol more miles per gallon miles per gallon on a 30 percent blend of ethanol than it did on regular gas,'' Berven pointed out.
The chart for the Ford Fusion showed a similar comparison to projected mileage.
And, while the standard Chevy Impala saw only a small gain with a 20 percent ethanol blend, and a bit better rating with a 40 percent blend, the flex-fuel Impala saw a 15 percent increase in gas mileage at 20 percent, compared to regular, unleaded gasoline.
Not there, yet
Even with 139 ethanol plants operating in the U.S. at the present time, total plant capacity is less than 8 billion gallons per year not enough to provide even a 10 percent Ethanol blend for the 145 billion gallons of gasoline consumed in the United States each year. Tripling the standard requires more than just more corn, says Berven. And cellulose is the logical first step to ''second generation'' ethanol production, he say, he adds.
The fiber in cobs is easily available through one or two-pass harvest collection, Berven explained, adding that POET is working with Turner County, S.D. farmer Darrin Ihnen to develop a one-pass system for cobs. The cobs also have a higher Ethanol yield than stover, he added.
About 15 to 18 percent of the above ground weight of the corn stover is cobs, which have about two times the bulk density of stover and 16 percent more carbohydrate than stover alone.
Part of Project Liberty will involve the implementation of sustainable cob collection, storage and delivery system to provide feedstock and make the system logistically and economically feasible.
Ihnen has harvested about 4,000 acres of cobs, testing multiple harvest methods with equipment from several manufacturers. As the result of the first tests going “smoother than anticipated,” Berven says the collaboration with expand for the 2008 harvest.
The corn and cob mix can be separated at the field, at the farm, or at the plant, he explained. And cobs can either be stored at the field edge or at the biorefinery.
Ag Outlook is sponsored by the Spencer Area Chamber of Commerce.
POET is holding an informational meeting about Project Liberty on March 13. The session, which begins at 7:30 pm., will be held at the Wild Rose Casino, in Emmetsburg.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 1 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
Jeff Baker wrote on Feb 24, 2008 1:10 PM: