Purdue study says corn stover better cellulosic ethanol candidate than switchgrass
A recent paper by Wally Tyner published by Purdue University shows that, at least for Corn Belt states (like Indiana), corn stover could be a better cellulosic ethanol source than switchgrass. The paper considers the cost and prospective profits of whether a farmer could decide to plant and sell corn and corn stover, or plant switchgrass. The answer is clear to the author: corn is more productive, the soil quality is low, in which case switchgrass becomes the winner. There is also a consideration about the location of ethanol plants: they need to be near the feedstock, because corn is easily transported but corn stover and switchgrass are not.
Although you can check the complete report for the all the figures, take this statement by Tyner as an example of his summary: "With $6 and higher per bushel corn it [cellulosic ethanol] is already very close economically. And since the federal Renewable Fuels Standard calls for the production of 36 billion gallons of ethanol by 2022, of which 16 billion gallons have to be cellulose, cellulosic ethanol will advance."
[Source: Purdue]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1985 Gripen 7:25PM (7/15/2008)
Even better: industrial (non-hallucinogenic) hemp. It hardly needs any water, no fertilizer, and it grows like a weed. Talk about environmentally-friendly!
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ddub 7:41PM (7/15/2008)
How is growing hemp any easier than growing switchgrass?
Zigster 11:04AM (7/16/2008)
if you read that article you can see the cost analysis is very complex, but it's naive to think they haven't already done all the math on various grains.
goehring 9:43AM (7/16/2008)
Stover is already used for cattle feed and other things.
That's why it is baled in that picture.
If it wasn't used for anything they wouldn't round bale it.
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Chris 2:21PM (7/16/2008)
If you are going to use the grain along with the stover then it becomes incredibly easy to move the stover long distances. All you would have to do is leave it standing in the field and then chop it as you would for sileage right into the hopper bottom semi trailer that is going to take it to the ethanol refinery.
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Joce03 4:38PM (7/16/2008)
I cannot believe that ethanol from corn is being considered as a long term alternative. The world needs to EAT the corn, not turn it into gasoline.
Last I heard, it takes enough corn to feed a person for A YEAR in order to make enough gasoline to fill up the tank of an SUV... once!
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Chris 12:16AM (7/17/2008)
Yes but if you were going to grow corn with its main use being turning it into cellulose ethanol you could use a variety of corn that focuses more on creating foliage and less on the creation of the ear of corn. Remember that corn was manipulated by man over thousands of years and was originally a grass IIRC.
The reasons for growing these foliage oriented varieties of corn is that the basic knowledge of how to grow it, care for it, pest controls are already known. Also if grown for foliage corn can be planted in much narrower rows than is practical for seed corn, which should make for higher yields per acre, but still similar input costs.So while it would still be "corn" it is not the "corn" you are thinking of.