Optimal N Application Rates on Switchgrass for Producers and a Biorefinery

This study analyzes the effects of N fertilizer application rates on profitability of growing switchgrass and using the feedstock in a pyrolysis biorefinery facility to create a source of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) supply in Tennessee. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a perennial bunchgrass native to North America with traits suitable for biofuel and co-product production. Previous chemical analysis has shown that ash content in switchgrass is related to the amount of nitrogen applied to the field, while at the biorefinery level, the percentage ash content reduces the biorefinery fuel output. To obtain optimal nitrogen (N) application rates for the switchgrass producers and the biorefinery, a two-part analysis is employed. First, a partial budgeting profitability analysis is conducted for this cropping enterprise at the farm-gate level without considering downstream implications of biomass quality, i.e., ash content. Second, the effects of higher ash content as a percentage of the feedstock on biorefinery output are analyzed. Results show farm-gate profit is maximized when N fertilizer is applied at 111 kg/ha, while as a result of increased production levels and decreased percentage ash content, biorefinery profit is maximized when N is applied at 157 kg/ha. Lower ash could lead to premium prices paid to switchgrass producers if higher quality feedstock were to be demanded as part of an integrated biofuel industry.

Stochastic Programming of Sustainable Waste Cooking Oil for Biodiesel Supply Chain under Uncertainty

As an important emission reduction source for the transportation industry, biofuel has received strong support from the Chinese government. However, the development of the biofuel industry is still struggling. The high degree of uncertainty makes the development of the industry face huge challenges. Kitchen waste, as a biodiesel raw material with a large yield, has good development prospects. Reuse of kitchen waste can solve public health and safety problems. This paper proposes a two-stage stochastic programming model under supply disturbance to optimize the supply chain from the perspective of contract. Then current three main flow directions of kitchen waste are analysed and the reasonable price for biodiesel operators to purchase is determined. By signing contracts with the biodiesel operators, restaurant is guaranteed and encouraged to provide a certain percentage of kitchen waste to meet the demand for biodiesel production. Using actual case in the Yangtze River Delta region, the performance of the stochastic programming model under disturbance was compared. Through the sensitivity analysis of different parameters, this paper determines the influence of its supply chain network design and expected total system cost. Through the optimization of the waste cooking oil (WCO) for biodiesel supply chain, this paper can effectively improve the efficiency of the supply chain, reduce system costs, increase the profits of biofuel operators, and promote the sustainable development of the biofuel industry.

Abstract and acknowledgments

The thesis poses two fundamental questions based on current Colombian conditions, namely (1) can the Colombian biofuel industry produce bioethanol and biodiesel under sustainable guidelines; and (2) to what extent is it possible to expand energy crops for biofuels production purposes without jeopardizing sustainability goals? A sustainability approach based on recognized techniques such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) allows for a comprehensive social, economic and environmental analysis of the whole cradle–to–grave progress of the bioenergy value chain.

Biofuel value chains and contractual relationships

The following section will present a complete description of how value chains work within the biofuel industry and how legal and informal arrangements are establish to ease these chains’ functioning. This description is particularly useful to understand how benefits and responsibilities are distributed from a socioeconomic perspective.

The bioenergy development analysis in Russia and Colombia

In this review, an attempt was made to assess the bioenergy potential of renewable energy sources in Russia and Colombia, obtained from plant raw materials (mainly crops). The purpose of the study is a comparative analysis of the development processes of bioenergy in Russia and Colombia and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in this area. To achieve the goal, the tasks were set to assess the bioenergy potential of renewable energy sources, analyze the possibilities and experience of bioenergy production in both countries, analyze energy crops for the production of solid and liquid biofuels, as well as assess the obstacles and prospects for the development of bioenergy in Russia and Colombia. The authors compared the experience of producing such types of biofuels as biodiesel and bioethanol, identified the main laws and regulations of Russia and Colombia on the introduction of biofuel technologies, identified the main types of agricultural crops suitable as raw materials for the production of bioethanol, biodiesel and solid fuels. The authors also identified obstacles, challenges and prospects for the development of the biofuel industry in both countries. Keywords: BIOENERGY, BIOFUEL, BIOFUEL INDUSTRY, PLANT RAW MATERIALS, BIOETHANOL, BIODIESEL, SOLID FUELS, RUSSIA, COLOMBIA

Development of the biofuel industry as a determinant of sustainable development of Ukraine

The purpose of the article is to form scenarios for the development of the biofuel market in Ukraine and to substantiate the ways of their implementation. Research methods. In the course of the research, dialectical methods of cognition of processes and phenomena, analysis and synthesis were used to study the modern biofuel market in Ukraine and compare it with world trends; empirical – for a comprehensive assessment of the current state of biofuel production in Ukraine; scenario analysis – to determine possible ways for the development of the biofuel market in Ukraine and the related state policy for the development of its production; SWOT analysis – to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the internal environment, as well as the opportunities and threats of the external environment in the field of biofuel production in Ukraine; scientific abstraction – to summarize the results, the formation of conclusions and the own development of the biofuel production industry in Ukraine. Research results. The assessment of biofuel production in the world has been carried out and the main types of raw materials for its production have been identified. Scenarios for the development of the biofuel production industry in Ukraine have been substantiated. The volume of areas to achieve the goals of Ukraine in the consumption of biofuel in accordance with the scenarios has been calculated. Comparison of the production and export of corn and wheat by major producers in the world have been conducted. The calculation of the volume of biofuel production from lands that are not split in Ukraine has been carried out. The yields of the main agricultural crops for biofuel production in the main producing countries or exporters of agricultural products have been analyzed, as a result of which it has been determined that Ukraine is not in the leading positions in one of the crops grown. As a result of the SWOT analysis, the key needs of Ukraine in the development of the biofuel industry have been identified. Scientific novelty. The ways of developing the biofuel industry without reducing the export potential of Ukraine are proposed. They consist in using the potential of unused agricultural land and in increasing the efficiency of agricultural production, in particular, increasing yields. Practical significance. The applied significance of the results is considered as the basis for the formation of a strategy for the development of the biofuel industry in Ukraine. Tabl.: 8. Figs.: 1. Refs.: 22.