New Project To Assess Biomass Crops and Optimize Them for Higher Yields

In a new two-year study, partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, two biomass companies are joining forces to determine which variations of biomass crops are optimal for thermochemical conversion and how to optimize their usage.

Energy crop company Ceres Inc. and biomass-to-liquid techs CHOREN Industries hope to identify the most relevant compositional traits in crops to select those that improve conversion and maximize fuel yields. In its role, Ceres will evaluate the composition of a broad range of switchgrass and willow plants, and provide biomass samples to CHOREN for thermochemical processing.

Thermochemical Conversion

Thermochemical conversion is a sophisticated term for a process that converts crops to fuel without the aid of enzymes or microorgamisms. This process converts biomass by placing it under certain heat and pressure conditions, producing synthesis gas--a carbon monoxide and hydrogen-rich gas that can then be converted into high-quality synthetic fuels or electricity.

The chemical composition of grasses and woody crops varies considerably, even among different seed varieties of the same species. Through selective plant breeding and modern biology, therefore, the composition of energy crops can be optimized for greater thermochemical and economic efficiency. For instance, switchgrass biomass with lower amounts of sulphur or ash would be considerably less costly to convert into fuel.

What This Means

In essence, it's a much more politically-correct way of saying these groups want to genetically engineer biomass crops to carry only those traits conducive to the highest possible yield of energy.

"Our goal here is to develop energy crop varieties specifically tailored to thermochemical processing," said Anna Rath, Ceres vice president of commercial development. "As with other conversion processes, improvements to the biomass itself -- through higher tons per acre and higher convertibility -- can have a tremendous impact on reducing costs. "Raw materials, or feedstocks, could represent up to 50% of the cost of producing transportation fuels."

Ceres and CHOREN also plan to test commercial quantities of dedicated energy crops in a future collaboration effort at the world's first commercially operating Biomass to Liquids facility in Freiburg, Germany. "The operational experience gained in this commercial setting will provide invaluable and unique information to guide crop development," said Rath.

Switchgrass and willow are attractive dedicated energy crops because high biomass yields can be obtained with minimal inputs. These crops can also grow on lands that are less suitable for food crop production. Perennial grasses and woody crops have been shown to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: PR Newswire