Biomass production for sustainable aviation fuels: A regional case study in Queensland

Murphy, Helen T.; O’Connell, Deborah; Raison, R. J.; Warden, Andrew C.; Booth, Trevor H.; Herr, Alexander; Braid, Andrew; Crawford, Debbie; Hayward, Jennifer A.; Jovanovic, Tom; McIvor, John G.; O’Connor, Michael H.; Poole, M L; Prestwidge, Di; Raisbeck‐Brown, Nat; Rye, Lucas

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2015.01.012

Cited by 29 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…climatic unpredictability, diseases, pests, floods, cyclones, etc. The use of mixed and diverse types of biomass would be able to minimize the risks that are associated with a single type of biomass by providing a buffering effect on the supply during periods of interruption [73].…”

Section: Improved Logistics and Associated Cost Reductionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mixed Feedstock Approach to Lignocellulosic Ethanol Production—Prospects and Limitations

2016

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Lignocellulosic ethanol is a promising alternative to fossil-derived fuels because lignocellulosic biomass is abundant, cheap and its use is environmentally friendly. However, the high costs of feedstock supply and the expensive processing requirements of lignocellulosic biomass hinder the development of the lignocellulosic biorefinery. Lignocellulosic ethanol production so far, has been based mainly on single feedstocks while the use of mixed feedstocks has been poorly explored. Previous studies from alternative applications of mixed lignocellulosic biomass (MLB) have shown that their use can bring about significant cost savings when compared to single feedstocks. Although laboratoryscale evaluations have demonstrated that mixed feedstocks give comparable or even higher ethanol yields compared to single feedstocks, more empirical studies are needed to establish the possibility of achieving significant cost savings in terms of pre-biorefinery logistics. In this review, some potential benefits of the use of MLB for ethanol production are highlighted. Some anticipated limitations of this approach have been identified and ways to surmount them have been suggested. The outlook for ethanol production from MLB is promising provided that revolutionary measures are taken to ensure the sustainability of the industry.

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Section: Improved Logistics and Associated Cost Reductionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mixed Feedstock Approach to Lignocellulosic Ethanol Production—Prospects and Limitations

2016

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“…Production scales recommended here are greater than both those reported in surveyed literature, and those appropriate were other lignocellulosic sources considered. Further work and application of methods developed and presented here could provide further guidance on locations, economic opportunity and risks …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Finally, a variable feedstock, such as crop residue, can be supplemented with woody feedstock – from forestry or plantations (e.g. short rotation coppice), scheduling the harvesting for bioenergy use . Then biofuel production would be sized for the (time) average of feedstock from aggregating both crop residue and forestry productio…”

Section: Discussion: Practical Commercial Considerations and Riskmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantifying spatial dependencies, trade‐offs and uncertainty in bioenergy costs: an Australian case study (2) – National supply curves

Brinsmead

Herr

O’Connell

2014

Biofuels Bioprod Bioref

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A biophysically constrained economic analysis of several alternative biofuel production pathways develops upper and lower bounds on national supply cost curves, taking into account implicit spatial dependencies and trade‐offs. As well as land (and sea) transport suitable biofuels, we also consider electricity and aviation biofuels. One feedstock (crop residues from grains) and five bioenergy pathways illustrate this approach for Australia. The methods are, however, applicable to any feedstock, bioenergy technology, region, or scale. Biofuel production costs, dependent on the spatial concentration of available feedstock, are derived in a companion paper by selecting a cost minimizing production scale. Lower concentrations imply smaller processing plants and greater collection areas and costs. Any candidate production plant location can have a collection area that approximates the least cost for its average spatial concentration, because feedstock concentration varies only modestly within cost minimizing area scales. A set of plant locations, scales, and near to least‐cost collection areas, is found that collectively service all the available residue feedstock using Australian data. This generates upper and lower bounds on nationally aggregated supply cost curves. The sizing of biofuel facilities will be also affected by investment scale commercial considerations, including the reliability of feedstock and investor appetite for risk: these are discussed qualitatively. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

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“…(,c) for Green Triangle and small‐scale bioelectricity and lignocellulosic ethanol; Murphy et al . () and Hayward et al . () for Fitzroy and lignocellulosic biocrude to jet fuel, diesel and gasoline).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A spatial assessment of potential biomass for bioenergy in Australia in 2010, and possible expansion by 2030 and 2050

et al. 2016

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This paper provides spatial estimates of potentially available biomass for bioenergy in Australia in 2010, 2030 and 2050 (under clearly stated assumptions) for the following biomass sources: crop stubble, native grasses, pulpwood and residues (created either during forest harvesting or wood processing) from plantations and native forests, bagasse, organic municipal solid waste and new short-rotation tree crops. For each biomass type, we estimated annual potential availability at the finest scale possible with readily accessible data, and then aggregated to make estimates for each of 60 Statistical Divisions (administrative areas) across Australia. The potentially available lignocellulosic biomass is estimated at approximately 80 Mt per year, with the major contributors of crop stubble (27.7 Mt per year), grasses (19.7 Mt per year) and forest plantations (10.9 Mt per year). Over the next 20-40 years, total potentially available biomass could increase to 100-115 Mt per year, with new plantings of short-rotation trees being the major source of the increase (14.7 Mt per year by 2030 and 29.3 Mt per year by 2050). We exclude oilseeds, algae and 'regrowth', that is woody vegetation naturally regenerating on previously cleared land, which may be important in several regions of Australia (Australian Forestry 77, 2014, 1; Global Change Biology Bioenergy 7, 2015, 497). We briefly discuss some of the challenges to providing a reliable and sustainable supply of the large amounts of biomass required to build a bioenergy industry of significant scale. More detailed regional analyses, including of the costs of delivered biomass, logistics and economics of harvest, transport and storage, competing markets for biomass and a full assessment of the sustainability of production are needed to underpin investment in specific conversion facilities (e.g. Opportunities for forest bioenergy: An assessment of the environmental and economic opportunities and constraints associated with bioenergy production from biomass resources in two prospective regions of Australia, 2011a).

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Biomass production for sustainable aviation fuels: A regional case study in Queensland

Cited by 29 publications

References 23 publications

Mixed Feedstock Approach to Lignocellulosic Ethanol Production—Prospects and Limitations

Mixed Feedstock Approach to Lignocellulosic Ethanol Production—Prospects and Limitations

Quantifying spatial dependencies, trade‐offs and uncertainty in bioenergy costs: an Australian case study (2) – National supply curves

A spatial assessment of potential biomass for bioenergy in Australia in 2010, and possible expansion by 2030 and 2050

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