Parameter | Estimate or Assumption | Reference | |
BIOMASS YIELD | |||
Annual Agricultural residues (annuals) | 0.46 Mg/ha/year (1.25 t/ac/yr) | Estimates from agronomic and forestry studies | |
Annual Wood chips | Yield does not matter since it is delivered on a contractual basis | ||
Perennial energy crops (miscanthus) | 2.94 Mg/ha/year (8 t/ac/year) for 10 years with ramp up and down in production | ||
Perennial short rotation woody crops | 14.69 Mg/ha (40 t/ac) once in 7 years | ||
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Butanol biorefinery capacity | 159 Mega liters per year (42 million gallons per year) | Assumption | |
Biofuel conversion rate | 291 liters per Mg (70 gallons per ton) |
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Biomass demand | 544,311 Metric ton per year (600,000 tons per year) | Assumption | |
| COST ESTIMATES |
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Costs of wood chips (delivered at the biorefinery’s location) | $66/Mg in the reference case; scenarios evaluate other prices such as $44 or 55/Mg |
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Material costs for each feedstock | $22-25/Mg (except wood chips) | [23] | |
Harvesting costs | $18/Mg | [24] | |
Additional loading and unloading costs (for water based transport) | $5.50/Mg/handling incident | Very high in the reference case to eliminate any supply from farther harvest shed | |
Land transport costs | $0.19/Mg-km | [25] | |
Water based shipping costs | $0.02/Mg-km | [20] | |
Storage costs | $13.2/Mg/year | [26] [27] | |
Losses in storage | 12% per year | [26] [27] | |
GHG EMISSIONS (Mg of GHG emissions per Mg of cellulosic biomass) | |||
Agricultural residues | 408 | FEAT model 1.2.2 [21] | |
Energy crops | 138 | ||
Wood chips | 187 | ||
Short Rotation Woody Crops (poplar) | 180 | ||
External cost of Greenhouse gas emissions | $16.5/Mg | Assumption | |
Distance of port from the biorefinery | 52 (base case), 173, 346, 520 nautical miles | Assumption: equivalent of 60, 200, 400, 600 miles respectively | |