Modeling the Air Quality Impacts of Feedstocks Transportation for Cellulosic Biofuel Production in Tennessee

摘要

This study estimates the plant-gate cost and hauling emissions of supplying twodifferent biomass feedstocks, a perennial grass (switchgrass) and an annual energy crop (energysorghum), for biofuel production in Tennessee. This study first applied a spatial-oriented mixed4integer mathematical programming model using GIS data to generate a least-cost solution of thefeedstock supply system and the location of a single-feedstock biorefinery in three differentregions of the state, i.e. east, central and west Tennessee. Based on the feedstock draw area andthe road links for hauling feedstock to the biorefinery in each region determined in the model,US Environment Protection Agency’s Mobile Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) model wasthen used to estimate the baseline emissions for 2010 in the study region and additionalemissions generated from hauling feedstock. Results showed that the degree of feedstock drawarea dispersion and topography of draw area around the biorefinery site have important impacton the emissions produced from hauling feedstock to the biorefinery. Based on feedstock plant13gate cost and hauling emissions, switchgrass is more suitable than energy sorghum for biofuelproduction in Tennessee. The larger draw area associated with energy sorghum creates highervehicle travel miles, resulting in more transportation costs and hauling emissions to thebiorefinery. The biorefinery with the most economic feedstock cost and the least feedstockhauling emission is suggested to be sited in Robertson County in central Tennessee.