Advanced BioFuels USA

(U.S. Department of Energy)  The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) updated its annual survey of U.S. non-starch ethanol and renewable hydrocarbon biofuels producers. The survey report, titled 2015 Survey of Non-Starch Ethanol and Renewable Hydrocarbon Biofuels Producers, documents important changes (e.g., biorefinery development, production capacity, feedstock use, and technology pathways) that have occurred since the publication of the original 2013 survey. Released in January 2016, the report provides an inventory of the domestic advanced biofuels production industry as of the end of calendar year 2015.

During 2015, NREL surveyed 114 companies that were reported to be pursuing commercial-scale biofuel production capacity. Companies were classified as either non-starch (cellulosic or algae-derived) ethanol producers or renewable hydrocarbon producers. The questionnaire included topics such as facility stage of development, facility scale, feedstock, and biofuel products. Industry experts from NREL and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) validated the results and then compared them with publicly available data.

This update provides continued insight as to the current status of the non-starch ethanol and renewable hydrocarbon biofuels industry in the United States, including industry choices and direction. This will ultimately help inform research and development efforts aimed at producing cost-competitive advanced biofuels from non-food biomass resources.

NREL’s biomass research program is funded by DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office(BETO) and is the largest national laboratory bioenergy program across the Energy Department’s eleven national laboratories that conduct bioenergy research. BETO is focused on forming cost-share partnerships to develop and demonstrate technologies for advanced biofuels production.  READ MORE   Download study

Types of feedstock included in study:

Algae: A large, aquatic group of simple plant-like photosynthetic organisms—from microscopic cyanobacteria to giant seaweed.

Cellulosic Sugars: Sugars derived from non-food biomass such as wood, biomass residues, and grasses.

Corn Kernel Cellulose: Fibrous cellulose remaining after corn grain ethanol production in a dry mill

Crop Residues: Crop residues are divided into two sub-categories: harvesting crop residues and processing crop residues. Harvesting crop residues are materials such as leaves, stalks, and straw left on the field after crop harvesting. Processing crop residues remain after the crop has been processed into a primary product and include materials such as husks and bagasse.

Dedicated Energy Crops: Dedicated energy crops are specifically grown for bioenergy production and include herbaceous and woody resources.

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW): The term refers to solid wastes from residential and business sources that are then converted to produce biofuels and/or electricity. Yard trimmings are a subcategory of MSW and include grass clippings, leaves, and tree/brush trimmings.

Vegetable Oils, Fats, and Greases: Lipid-based feedstock that has historically been used to produce biodiesel, but is emerging as a feedstock for renewable hydrocarbon fuels production.

Woody Biomass: A broad category capturing forest logging residues, mill residues, and other woody waste sources.  READ MORE