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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9714.
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Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels

Committee to Review the R&D Strategy for Biomass-Derived Ethanol and Biodiesel Transportation Fuels

Board on Energy and Environmental Systems

Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems

National Research Council

NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Washington, D.C.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9714.
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NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20418

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

This report and the study on which it is based were supported by Contract No. DE-FG01-98EE50561 from the U.S. Department of Energy. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9714.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

National Academy of Sciences

National Academy of Engineering

Institute of Medicine

National Research Council

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.

The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth I. Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.

The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9714.
×

COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE R&D STRATEGY FOR BIOMASS-DERIVED ETHANOL AND BIODIESEL TRANSPORTATION FUELS

DAVID L. MORRISON (chair),

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (retired), Cary, North Carolina

GARY COLEMAN,

University of Maryland, College Park

BRUCE E. DALE,

Michigan State University, East Lansing

ANTHONY J. FINIZZA,

Atlantic Richfield Company (retired), Los Angeles, California

ROBERT HALL,

Amoco Corporation (retired), Winfield, Illinois

DONALD JOHNSON,

NAE,1 Grain Processing Corporation, Muscatine, Iowa

ROBERTA NICHOLS,

NAE, Ford Motor Company (retired), Plymouth, Michigan

DANIEL SPERLING,

University of California, Davis

STEVEN H. STRAUSS,

Oregon State University, Corvallis

Liaison from the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems

KATHLEEN C. TAYLOR,

General Motors Corporation, Warren, Michigan

Project Staff

JAMES ZUCCHETTO, director,

Board on Energy and Environmental Systems

MARY JANE LETAW, program officer and study director

CRISTELLYN BANKS, project assistant

1  

NAE = National Academy of Engineering.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9714.
×

BOARD ON ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

ROBERT L. HIRSCH (chair),

Advanced Power Technologies, Inc., Washington, D.C.

RICHARD MESERVE (vice chair),

Covington and Burling, Washington, D.C.

RICHARD E. BALZHISER,

NAE,1 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (retired), Menlo Park, California

EVERETT H. BECKNER,

Lockheed Martin Corporation, Albuquerque, New Mexico

E. GAIL DE PLANQUE,

NAE, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (retired), Potomac, Maryland

WILLIAM L. FISHER,

NAE, University of Texas, Austin

CHRISTOPHER FLAVIN,

Worldwatch Institute, Washington, D.C.

WILLIAM FULKERSON,

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

ROY G. GORDON,

NAS,2 Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

EDWIN E. KINTNER,

NAE, GPU Nuclear Corporation (retired), Norwich, Vermont

ROBERT W. SHAW, JR.,

Arete[Aretê] Corporation, Center Harbor, New Hampshire

K. ANNE STREET,

Alexandria, Virginia

JAMES SWEENEY,

Stanford University, Stanford, California

KATHLEEN C. TAYLOR,

NAE, General Motors Corporation, Warren, Michigan

JACK WHITE,

The Winslow Group, LLC, Fairfax, Virginia

JOHN J. WISE,

NAE, Mobil Research and Development Company (retired), Princeton, New Jersey

Liaisons from the Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems

RUTH M. DAVIS,

NAE, Pymatuning Group, Inc., Alexandria, Virginia

LAWRENCE T. PAPAY,

NAE, Bechtel Technology and Consulting, San Francisco, California

Staff

JAMES ZUCCHETTO, director

RICHARD CAMPBELL, program officer

SUSANNA CLARENDON, financial associate

CRISTELLYN BANKS, project assistant

1  

NAE = National Academy of Engineering.

2  

NAS = National Academy of Sciences.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9714.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9714.
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Acknowledgments

The committee wishes to thank the representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy and the national laboratories who contributed significantly of their time and effort to this National Research Council study by giving presentations at meetings and responding promptly to committee requests for information (see Appendix C). The committee also acknowledges the valuable contributions of organizations outside the U.S. Department of Energy that provided information relevant to the study. Finally, the chairman wishes to recognize the committee members and the staff of the Board on Energy and Environmental Systems of the National Research Council for their hard work organizing and planning committee meetings and for their individual efforts in gathering information and writing sections of the report.

This report has been reviewed by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council's Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the authors and the NRC in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The content of the review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the follow individuals for their participation in the review of this report: William G. Agnew, General Motors Corporation (retired); Dan Binkley, Colorado State University; David Bodde, University of MissouriKansas City; Toby Bradshaw, University of Washington College of Forest Resources; Robert Epperly, Epperly Associates, Inc.; Michael R. Ladisch, Purdue University; Ronald A. Sills, BP Amoco P.L.C.; Charles E. Wyman, Dartmouth College Thayer School of Engineering.

While the individuals listed above have provided constructive comments and suggestions, responsibility for the final content of this report rests solely with the authoring committee and the NRC.

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9714.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9714.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9714.
×
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9714.
×

Tables, Figures, and Boxes

Tables

1-1

 

Funding Allocations for the Office of Fuels Development Biofuels Program

 

10

2-1

 

Markets for Cellulosic Biomass-Derived Fuels

 

15

2-2

 

Cost Estimates for Bioethanol Manufacturing

 

18

3-1

 

Participants in the Feedstock Development Program, 1996-1999

 

23

3-2

 

Allocation of Funds for Feedstock Development Projects

 

24

Figures

1-1

 

Relative costs of processing steps in the NREL bioethanol process of 1991

 

7

1-2

 

Appropriations for the National Biomass Ethanol Program

 

9

2-1

 

Estimated manufacturing costs and the market value of cellulosic biomass-derived ethanol

 

20

4-1

 

Schematic diagram of the conversion of biomass feedstock to ethanol fuel

 

28

Box

3-1

 

What Is Genomics?

 

25

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Research Strategy for Biomass-Derived Transportation Fuels. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9714.
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The Office of Fuels Development (OFD), a component of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Transportation Technologies, manages the federal government's effort to make biomass-based ethanol (bioethanol) and biodiesel a practical and affordable alternative to gasoline. Through the National Biomass Ethanol Program, the OFD is overseeing key research and development (R&D) and industry-government partnerships for the establishment of a cellulosic biomass ethanol industry. Cellulosic biomass resources being investigated include agronomic and forest crop residues, woody crops, perennial grasses, and municipal wastes. Starch-based sources, such as cereal grains (e.g., corn grain), are not included in this program. The objective of the program is to promote the commercialization of enzyme-based technologies to produce cost-competitive bioethanol for use as transportation fuel.

The OFD requested that the National Research Council estimate the contribution and evaluate the role of biofuels (biomass-derived ethanol and biodiesel) as transportation fuels in the domestic and international economies, evaluate OFD's biofuels strategy, and recommend changes in this strategy and the R&D goals and portfolio of the OFD in the near-term to midterm time frame (about 20 years). During this period, a number of complex, interacting factors, including advances in the technologies used to produce biofuels at a competitive cost, the elimination of tax incentives, advances in vehicle and engine technologies, growing concerns about solid waste disposal and air pollution, and global measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, will affect the position of biofuels in transportation fuel markets.

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