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US Corn Ethanol Plants Show Efficiency Gains Since 2001
23 April 2008
An analysis by Argonne National Laboratory of survey data collected by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) shows that the ethanol industry in the US has become more efficient since 2001, with per gallon of ethanol produced consumption of water, grid electricity, and total energy decreasing in both dry and wet mills. The Argonne analysis compares ethanol industry data from 2001 to 2006.
During that same period, US ethanol production rose from 1.77 billion gallons to 4.9 billion gallons—an increase of 276%.
Key findings of the analysis, which Argonne delivered in a technical memo to the RFA, include:
Ethanol yield per bushel of corn increased 6.4% for dry mills (from 2.64 to 2.81 gallons/bushel) and 2.4% for wet mills (from 2.68 to 2.74 gallons/bushel).
Mean total energy use (fossil and electricity) decreased 21.8% in dry mills (from 39,719 Btu/gal to 31,070 Btu/gal) and 7.2% (from 51,060 Btu/gal to 47,409 Btu/gal) in wet mills from 2001 survey.
Grid electricity use decreased 15.7% to a mean 0.7 kWh/gal in dry mills.
Water consumption in dry mills decreased 26.6% (from 4.7 gal/gal to 3.45 gal/gal) from 2001 survey.
CO2 capture and processing as a co-product is on the rise; a total of 23.5% of ethanol producers are capturing their carbon dioxide emissions for use in dry ice production and carbonated beverage bottling.
There is a shift in process fuel use from coal to natural gas in the dry mills.
More than one third (37%) of the dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS), the feed co-product of dry mill ethanol production, was now sold as wet feed, reducing the energy needed to dry and transport the product.
Twenty-two facilities responded to the survey, representing 1.813 billion gallon of annual fuel ethanol production—37% of the 2006 production (4.9 billion gallons).
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April 23, 2008 in Ethanol | Permalink | Comments (31) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted by: Harvey D | April 25, 2008 at 01:46 PM
HARVEY D
This precisely what Coskata is planing to do. They can recycle any organic matter, including rubber tires and human waste into ethanol for less than $1 a gallon using 1 gallon of water, and keeping 100% of the matters energy potential.
Posted by: solarnano | April 26, 2008 at 02:35 AM
Then, we can just cut off grain ethanol, in favor of cellulosic.
Better yet: just cut off ethanol, unless it's for drinking. Ethanol is a joke. But don't take my word for it, let Uncle Sam burn several $billions of your tax dollars, and THEN accept the inevitable truth...
Posted by: Engineer | April 28, 2008 at 02:14 PM
If cellulosic Ethanol is a joke why is GM and Toyota investing millions in it?The real beauty of cellulosic ethanol is it can be produced from waste thereby helping solve landfill issues as well.How will corn ethanol compete against a product whose raw materials are free?As far as corn ethanol causing the 'great famine'try looking at the cost of diesel as a possible culprit.Most of the land used for corn in America is not suitable for growing anything else and can barely support corn after years of agri-abuse.Are you now going to purport that the rice shortage is also caused by ethanol?Rice is grown in water.The main reason ethanol is being scapegoated is because it is the best short term alternative to the petroaddiction we have here in America.It is portable,clean,renewable,and will work in the car you have in your driveway.
Posted by: middleoroad | May 04, 2008 at 05:32 AM
Cellulose ethanol makes sense. Some would say that it should be butanol and maybe they are right. All I know is that it replaces almost 5% of the gasoline we use today. If we get 10% more efficient and use E10 we might actually make some head way, but that headway is into the headwind of increased world demand and shorter supplies.
Posted by: sjc | May 04, 2008 at 12:38 PM
In America the tax payers are still paying people to not grow crops and I thought the c02 from ethanol was first removed from the atmosphere so the net result is zero. I am not a very green knowledgible person so I could be mistaken on the second part.
Besides that human powered transportation would solve many health and energy problems us obese Americans now endure besides the reduced energy and the dependence by on foriegn oil. A little off topic but more in line with a solution to more problems.
Posted by: JimB | May 09, 2008 at 08:49 PM
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solarnano:
What would happened if bigger corn plants could be grown without kernels on the cobs. These larger kernelless corn plants could be used to produce more cellulosic ethanol per acre without using food stock.?
Of course, these new giant plants could no longer be called corn plants but could be called ethanol plants or ethanol engineered tall grass.
It would still need good farmland to grow + fertilizer etc. Elephant grass, (grown on maginal land) may be a better idea for cellulosic ethanol.
The use of industrial, forestry, agriculture, domestic and other wastes may be a better idea. Why not clean up the place while producing liquid fuels.