Energy Cane Biofuel Feedstock Production Costs

摘要

Research and development in renewable energy is expanding in size and scope around the world as the focus has' shifted from the relatively simple process of producing ethanol from grain to the production of a variety of biofuels through advanced cellulosic processes. In the United States, the Renewable Fuels Standard, passed by Congress as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, establishes biofuel production target levels for the coming years and much of the growth in production isprojected to be in cellulosic biofuel. Cellulosic biofuel is a type of biofuel produced from lignocellulose, a structural material that comprises much of the mass of plants. The advantage of this type of biofuel production is that a wide variety of plants can be used as feedstocks to this process. Much of the agronomic and economic research currently being conducted in this area is seeking to identify plants (crops) which can produce high levels of plant material per acre at an economically feasible production cost to be used as a viable feedstock for biofuel production.