Emerging Ag & Natural Emerging Ag & Natural Resources Issues from the Resources Issues from the

College of Agriculture: College of Agriculture: Departments’ PerspectiveDepartments’ Perspective

S.A. ShearerBiosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Strategies and GoalsStrategies and Goals

Strategy 1 Improve the energy efficiency of Kentucky’s homes, buildings, industries, and transportation fleetGoal: Energy efficiency will offset at least 18 percent of Kentucky’s projected 2025 energy demand.

Strategy 2 Increase Kentucky’s use of renewable energyGoal: By 2025, Kentucky’s renewable energy generation will triple to provide the equivalent of 1,000 megawatts of clean energy while continuing to produce safe, abundant and affordable food, feed and fiber.

Strategy 3 Sustainably grow Kentucky’s production of biofuelsGoal: By 2025, Kentucky will derive from biofuels 12 percent of its motor fuels demand, while continuing to produce safe, abundant and affordable food, feed and fiber.

AgendaAgenda

KDA Energy Efficiency ProgramKDA Energy Efficiency Program2008 Farm Bill OpportunitiesGovernor’s Task Force on

Biomass/Biofuels in KY

KDA On-Farm Energy Efficiency KDA On-Farm Energy Efficiency and Production Programand Production Program

GOAP has applied for funding from the ARRA of 2009

Applicants may be eligible for an additional 25% of project cost not to exceed $5,000

Only projects initiated after February 17, 2009 will be eligible

Projects to be considered…◦ Upgrades to all Applicable Farms◦ Energy Efficient Building Components & Renewable Energy

Projects ◦ Professional Fees and Training (i.e., Section 9007 Audits)◦ Biomass Energy Crop Production ◦ Equipment and Infrastructure for On-Farm Energy

Production

AgendaAgenda

KDA Energy Efficiency Program2008 Farm Bill Opportunities2008 Farm Bill OpportunitiesGovernor’s Task Force on

Biomass/Biofuels in KY

2008 Farm Bill – Title IX Energy2008 Farm Bill – Title IX Energy

Continues and expands funding for Federal agency procurement of biobased products, construction and development of advanced biofuel refineries, biomass research and development, and biodiesel education.

New programs encourage renewable energy use by biorefineries, renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements, rural energy self sufficiency, development of next generation feedstocks, and use of forest and woody biomass for energy production.

Section 9007Section 9007

BCAP ProgramBCAP Program

ADB funded KPF to study poultry house energy use and efficiency◦Increase production efficiency◦Reduce energy cost◦Evaluate cost-effectives of upgrades◦Develop educational workshops

Broiler House Evaluation ProgramBroiler House Evaluation Program

USDA 9007 Potential ImpactUSDA 9007 Potential Impacton Broiler Productionon Broiler Production

Assume 50% of producers upgrade houses and see same benefits of example Farm B.

KY producers may be eligible for up to $3.4M in USDA Section 9007 funding!

With upgrades KY producers may net up to $3.5M annually!

Goal: Help KY producers upgrade houses over five years w/ 85 successful applications per year.

KY farmers produced 152 M bu. of corn in 2008.

Assuming 75% was stored on farm, with 80% of that being dried (5 points), KY farmers dried 91 M bu.

Assuming there are 880 grain dryers in KY, 50% upgraded to reduce energy use by 40% (fuel use reduced from 0.20 to 0.12 gal LPG/bu). KY farmers may be able to save 3.6M gal LPG, or $7.2M per year by upgrading!

Grain Dryer Upgrade ProgramGrain Dryer Upgrade Program

Impact to Grain DryingImpact to Grain Drying

Assume 50% of KY grain producers upgrade dryers (440 total)

KY producers may be eligible for up to $3.4M in USDA Section 9007 funding!

KY producers may net up to $7.2M annually (3.6M gal LPG)!

Goal: Help KY producers upgrade dryers over five years w/ 85 successful applications per year.

AgendaAgenda

KDA Energy Efficiency Program2008 Farm Bill OpportunitiesGovernor’s Task Force on Governor’s Task Force on

Biomass/Biofuels in KYBiomass/Biofuels in KY

Governor’s Task ForceGovernor’s Task Force

White paper authored by Frank Moore (DEDI)Beshear’s Energy Plan – 7 Strategies2006 FRS – KY uses 10% ethnol in 70% of

gasolineBlend could go as high as 20% in next 13

yearsWithout biofuel expansion, KY will import up

to 90% of renewable fuel in 2022A 20% federal mandated RPS will require KY

to develop 2400 MW of renewable generating capacity

OpportunityOpportunity

Governor’s plan call for 12% of transportation fuels to be renewable by 2025 – 90 MGY current leaving 700 MGY gap

For biomass-based (non-food) fuel production we will need 10 MTY

2400 MW of renewable generating may require up to 16 MTY of biomass

Can KY develop/support a 25 MTY biomass industry?

Ground RulesGround Rules

All biomass will be reported on a dry weight basis – corn at 47.3 lb/bu (not 56 lb/bu) dry matter.

Some ag residue must be left on field to protect soil.

Dry weight of plant is about equal to weight of grain.

Biomass energy content - 7,500 Btu/lb; Coal - 12,000 Btu/lb.

Biopower vs. BiofuelBiopower vs. Biofuel

Electricity generated using biomass is by direct combustion using conventional boilers:◦Boilers burn waste wood products◦Coal-fired power plants also add biomass to their

coal-burning process (i.e., co-firing) to reduce the emissions

Biomass can also be gasified prior to combustion:◦Gases generally burn cleaner and more efficiently◦Biomass can be used combined-cycle gas turbines

(used in the latest natural gas power plants)◦Modular biomass gasification systems provide

electricity for isolated communities

Biopower vs. BiofuelBiopower vs. Biofuel

Cellulosic ethanol is a biofuel produced from lignocellulose (structural material comprising much of the plant)◦Ethanol from lignocellulose has the advantage of

abundant and diverse raw material◦Greater processing to make the sugar available to

microorganisms for fermentationPyrolysis is the basis of several methods that

are being developed for producing fuel from biomass◦Bio-oil, resembling light crude oil,can be produced

by hydrous pyrolysis from many kinds of feedstock

PerspectivePerspective

Kentucky consumes 44 MTY of coal.Kentucky has a land area of 25.4 M acres.If we were to replace coal (12,000 Btu/lb)

with biomass (7,500 Btu/lb), we would need to harvest 2.8 T/ac of biomass every year from every acre in Kentucky.

Cropland

Woodland Rangeland CRP TotalHarvested Pastured Other

West 2,899,629 734,671 493,870 1,101,705 471,144 348,264 6,049,284

Central 1,848,973 1,600,940 281,417 1,357,147 967,817 49,987 6,106,281

East 230,380 241,339 76,741 652,758 174,718 5,471 1,381,410

Total 4,978,983 2,576,950 852,031 3,111,610 1,613,678 403,724 13,536,975

Table 1. Available land resources (ac)on Kentucky farms1.

1 http://www.nass.usda.gov/Census/Create_Census_US.jsp

Federal State Local Private2 Sum

West 186,112 71,999 13,116 1,426,166 1,697,392

Central 127,511 28,041 16,764 2,093,424 2,265,742

East 550,161 89,187 26,979 4,069,145 4,735,474

Sum 863,783 189,228 56,861 7,588,737 8,698,609

Table 2. Potential forest resources (ac) in Kentucky1.

1 http://fiatools.fs.fed.us/fido/index.html- US Forest Service. 2Forest land not included in woodland category for farms.

  Year Acres Yield (bu/ac) Yield (T/ac) MTY

Corn 2009 1,130,000 146 - 3.90

Beans 2009 1,430,000 44 - 1.63

Small Grain 2008 460,000 71 - 0.85

Hay 2009 2,640,000 - 1.95 5.16

Total 11.54

Scenario 1: Existing ag production harvested for

energy biomass.

  Year AcresYield

(bu/ac)Yield (T/ac) MTY

Corn 2009 1,130,000 146 1.73 1.95Beans 2009 1,430,000 44 - -Small Grain 2008 460,000 71 0.92 0.42Hay 2009 2,640,000 - - -

Total 2.37

Scenario 2: One-half of ag residues harvested for energy

biomass.

  Year Acres Yield (T/ac) MTY

Wood Waste 2005 11,810,000 0.18 2.09

Scenario 3: One-half of wood waste processed for energy

biomass.

  Year Acres Yield (T/ac) MTY

Switchgrass 2005 683,000 6.0 4.10

Scenario 4: 10% of hay, pasture and range land sown

to switchgrass.

  Year Acres Yield (T/ac) MTY

Miscanthus 2005 683,000 10.0 6.83

Scenario 5: 10% of hay, pasture and range land planted to miscanthus.

  Year Acres Yield (T/ac/yr) MTYDedicated

Woody Biomass Crops 2005 590,000 4.46 2.63

Scenario 6: 5% of forests and woodlands (farm) planted to

dedicated woody biomass crops.

  Year Acres Yield (T/ac/yr) MTYDedicated

Woody Biomass Crops 2005 315,000 2.23 0.702

Scenario 6: 50% of reclaimed mine lands planted to dedicated woody

biomass crops.

Production PotentialProduction Potential

Scenario 1 (convert food to fuel) is not plausible.

Scenarios 2, 3, 4 or 5, 6 and 7 are possible and will result in 11.9 MTY to 14.6 MTY of production per year.

Can we reach 25 MTY? Will depend on the value of biomass and competing land use. KY does have the natural resources base!

LogisticsLogistics

Kentucky has:◦Excellent barge transportation – Ohio River◦Excellent rail – Coal Industry◦Well developed highway system◦New law - 10% weight variance

Problem:◦Moving a low bulk and low energy density

material

LogisticsLogistics

Solution◦Must densify biomass to a minimum of 14 lb/ft3

to overload a tractor-trailer.◦Round bales are not dense enough to transport

cost-effectively (7-8 lb/ft3) plus void space.◦Large rectangular bales are better (10-12

lb/ft3).◦Need a better solution….

LogisticsLogistics

For co-firing, utilities want biomass that:◦handles like coal…◦stores like coal…◦burns like coal, and…◦costs about the same as coal.

Questions?Questions?