NREL Projects with the Corn Ethanol Industry

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1 NREL Projects with the Corn Ethanol Industry BIOENERGY 2000 Mark Yancey National Renewable Energy Laboratory Operated for the U.S. Department of Energy by Midwest Research Institute Battelle Bechtel

2 Presentation Outline USDA/NREL project Building a Bridge to the Corn Ethanol Industry - Engineering study results New ventures with the corn ethanol industry as a result of building the bridge

3 USDA/NREL Project A two-phase project to compare ethanol production from corn starch (dry mill) and corn stover (enzymatic process) In phase 2 combine starch and stover technologies to explore cost-saving opportunities from integration Collaborative opportunity with USDA to combine expertise and share technology

4 USDA/NREL Project Phase 1 Results Feedstock Variable Operating Costs Fuel Ethanol Cost ($/gal) Labor, Supplies, and Overhead Co-products $1.70 $1.50 $1.30 $1.10 $0.90 $0.70 $0.50 $0.30 $0.10 -$0.10 STARCH* -$0.30 *Dry Milling Process Depreciation of Capital Total CELLULOSE 25 million gallon/year plant size

5 USDA/NREL Project Using Purchased Enzyme Fuel Ethanol Cost ($/gal) Feedstock Labor, Supplies, and Overhead Co-products $1.70 $1.50 $1.30 $1.10 $0.90 $0.70 $0.50 $0.30 $0.10 -$0.10 STARCH* -$0.30 *Dry Milling Process Variable Operating Costs Depreciation of Capital Total Enzyme Cost = $0.05/gal CELLULOSE 25 million gallon/year plant size

6 USDA/NREL Project Phase 2 Plan Create a combined corn and stover process design and model Explore cost savings from integration Determine the most cost sensitive parameters in the integrated process Recommend studies to positively affect these areas

7 Bridge to the Corn Industry Engineering Study Goals Provide industry an opportunity to explore business potential of using other feedstocks Take advantage of existing corn ethanol industry infrastructure Obtain feedback to guide research for commercialization Required enzymatic process design

8 Bridge Participants Completed: Merrick - High Plains Ethanol (York) - PureVision Technologies Vogelbusch - Chief Ethanol - KAPPA Purdue - Williams Energy Services - USDA NCAUR NYSTEC - Robbins Corn - Raytheon Weatherly - High Plains Ethanol (Portales) - SWAN Underway: Delta T - Chippewa Valley Ethanol

9 Bridge Results Conversion of corn fiber to ethanol (Purdue- Williams-USDA project) resulted in promising ethanol production costs: $0.67 to $1.01/gallon production cost Process designs minimized integration due to concerns about DDG sales Closer integration, cellulase enzyme cost reduction plus other process improvements can produce profitable scenarios

10 Bridge Results We have reduced the costs of corn ethanol considerably since 1980 and after doing this study I am confident that we can do the same for this technology. Gunter Brodl, Vogelbusch, USA

11 $1.60 $1.40 $1.20 Ethanol Selling Cost with 10% ROI Variations on Merrick Study with Enzyme Improvements Stover - $35/ton Stover - $20/ton $/Gallon Ethanol $1.00 $0.80 $ $ $0.20 $0.00 Merrick - Base 1/2 Corn - 1/2 Stover 1/2 Corn - 1/2 Stover Sep. C5 Ferm DDG + Stover

12 Purdue - Williams - USDA The Process: Bridge Study Hot water pretreatment of corn fiber plus enzymes Soluble oligomers are enzymatically hydrolyzed Add liquor to existing fermentation Assume residual fiber is sold at current price

13 Purdue - Williams - USDA Bridge Study Results Potential increase of about 8% in ethanol production Process yields: 50% glucan, 95% hydrolysis of oligomers and 90% fermentation ethanol cost, including capital, about $0.82/gallon Enzyme cost of about $0.03/gallon ethanol for soluble oligomer conversion Williams is planning: vendor validation of critical equipment an integrated pilot plant to demonstrate hot water pretreatment using a significant portion of fiber

14 Bridge Study Benefits Gave engineering firms the opportunity to study biomass collection and handling and lignocellulosic ethanol production NREL design and costs evaluated and generally validated by participants Identified players in corn stover collection

15 Additional Benefits Identified that stover is of long-term interest to corn ethanol producers Helped foster ongoing relationships with corn processors interested in biomass (stover) conversion: Chief Chippewa High Plains Williams

16 New Relationships with the Corn Ethanol Industry: CRA/NCGA CRADAs 97-Present Fermentation organism development Cargill Dow CRADA Corn fiber and stover conversion USDA/NREL joint project phase II Integrated corn and stover process design Possible CRADA with Broin & Associates to explore dry mill improvements

17 For More Information Biofuels Bridge website: Mark Yancey, NREL (303)

BIOENERGY The Bridge to Corn Ethanol

BIOENERGY The Bridge to Corn Ethanol BIOENERGY 2000 The Bridge to Corn Ethanol Buffalo, NY Tuesday, October 17 8:30-10:00am Gary Welch Technical Support Manager Williams Bio-Energy Pekin, IL CORN FIBER 1. Why is Williams Bio-Energy, a corn