Task 1: Role of energy policy

Task 1: Role of energy policy in renewable energy accomplishment: The case of second-generation bioethanol (Energy Policy 36 (2008) 3360– 3365)

Author: Kok Tat Tan, Keat Teong Lee, Abdul Rahman Mohamed
Date: 5-5-2009 (1800)
Keywords: Bioethanol, Energy policy, Lignocellulose

Abstract
Renewable energy has been in the limelight ever since the price of crude petroleum oil increases to the unprecedented height of US$96 per barrel recently. This is due to the diminishing oil reserves in the world and political instabilities in some oil-exporting countries. The advantages of renewable energy compared to fossil fuels are enormous in terms of environment and availability. Biofuels like bioethanol and biodiesel are currently being produced from agricultural products such as sugarcane and rapeseed oil, respectively. Collectively, these biofuels from food sources are known as first-generation biofuels. Although first-generation biofuels have the potential to replace fossil fuels as the main source of energy supply, its production is surrounded by certain issues like tropical forests’ destruction. Instead, secondgeneration bioethanol, which utilizes non-edible sources such as lignocellulose biomass to produce ethanol, has been shown to be more suitable as the source of renewable energy. However, there are challenges and obstacles such as cost, technology and environmental issues that need to be overcome. Hence, the introduction of energy policy is crucial in promoting and implementing second-generation bioethanol effectively and subsequently become a major source of renewable energy.


A. Introduction:

1. Reasons: political instabilities, diminishing

2. Criteria: affordable (Low cost), environmental friendly, liquid form (40% of total energy consumption, basically used in vehicles)

3. Incongruities: food-fuel issue, forest destruction

4. Second generation bioethanol: Lignocellulose --> saccharification (hydrolysis) à glucose
a. cheap, plentiful & easily obtainable feedstock
b. non-edible (waste)
c. lower production cost (70% of 1st generation bioethanol’s)
d. short rotation crops (SRC): miscanthus, switch grass
e. high yield/area: mischantus (40 tonnes/hectare/year) > corn (7 t/h/y)
f. less climate restriction: miscanthus > sugarcane (tropical only)
g. high energy output to input ratio (check Harvey, 2007)
h. carbon balance: high output to input (O/I) ratio --> sequester larger amounts of carbon underground
i. CO2-equivalent (CO2eq.) emission savings


B. Challenges

1. Cost and technology: Hydrolysis of the cellulose --> enzyme is expensive, yield is low

2. Environmental issue:

a. frequent harvest --> degrade the productivity of land
b. dwindle the soil’s fertility
c. flooding

3. Biomass availability: limitations of present technology to hydrolyze the biomass --> devote a marginal land to cultivate non-edible energy crops

4. Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs): only 3% of total vehicles in US (Brazil has good effort)


C. Energy Policy

1. Brazilian Alcohol Program (PROALCOOL), 1975:

a. convert sugar into bioethanol
b. reduce petroleum oil import (due to petroleum oil crisis) à energy security and trade balance
c. stabilizing fluctuating sugar price --> Brazil is the world main exporter of sugar
d. incentives --> subsidy to bioethanol producers for each liter produced
e. low-interest loans to increase plant capacity
f. ensured that the selling price of bioethanol was lower than gasoline
g. mandated compulsory blending of gasoline with bioethanol (Gasohol)
h. production of ethanol-fueled vehicles (agreements with major vehicle manufacturers)
i. Benefits: save on import expenditure of petroleum oil, accumulating up to US$33 billion (1996), more employments, cleaner environment

2. Policies suggested:

a. R & D with government and private grants and funding (e.g. Novozymes)
b. Consolidated BioProcessing (CBP)
c. USA: Energy Policy Act 2005 --> Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), where beginning in 2013, a minimum of 250 million gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol will be blended into fuel supply
d. Cooperation between government and private companies --> to build a systematic infrastructure to collect, transport and store cellulosic feedstock
e. Promote the use of FFVs by reducing vehicle tax and mandatory blending of gasoline with bioethanol
f. Incentives to retailers to install infrastructure such as blender pumps at all gas stations
g. Carbon-based fuel tax policy based on the carbon content of the fuel (presently has been carried out in countries such as Sweden, Finland and Norway)
h. Certification system should be implemented for all cellulosic feedstock to ensure that only minimal environmental degradation is involved (Similar efforts: Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)
i. Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) should be conducted for all feedstock as an assessment tool to determine the most efficient approach in harvesting feedstock



Summarized by C.S.G.

三十

三十
词：京
曲：sc

雨 仿似冬天雪花飘下
月台上 沉默的你冷吗
听 轨道和轮子的摩擦
风衣也磨出了一道道泪花

人 轻轻 步上不知何处天涯
双眼凝望天边吗
名 写在 日记本某页的干花
渐渐干枯的枝桠

#谁都可以把自己的故事写下
风吹雨打 激起火花 尽管力竭声沙
耳际边不知哪年会白了那头发
期待乌黑眼眸 有盛放的鲜花

等 分秒时钟多少时差
三十年来几分之几呀
灯 总在阑珊时刻潇洒
激烈如烟花 在一瞬间风化

人 轻轻 步上不知何处天涯
双眼凝望天边吗
名 写在 日记本某页的干花
渐渐干枯的枝桠

#谁都可以把自己的故事写下
风吹雨打 激起火花 尽管力竭声沙
耳际边不知哪年会白了那头发
期待乌黑眼眸 有盛放的鲜花

人群吞没之后 我也消失如散沙