Surprising Results For BioEthanol In U.S. Mid Region

ScienceDaily (Apr. 13, 2009) — At a time when water supplies are scarce in many areas of the United States, scientists in Minnesota are reporting that production of bioethanol — often regarded as the clean-burning energy source of the future — may consume up to three times more water than previously thought.

Sangwon Suh and colleagues point out in the new study that annual bioethanol production in the U.S. is currently about 9 billion gallons and note that experts expect it to increase in the near future. The growing demand for bioethanol, particularly corn-based ethanol, has sparked significant concerns among researchers about its impact on water availability. Previous studies estimated that a gallon of corn-based bioethanol requires the use of 263 to 784 gallons of water from the farm to the fuel pump. But these estimates failed to account for widely varied regional irrigation practices, the scientists say.

The scientists made a new estimate of bioethanol's impact on the water supply using detailed irrigation data from 41 states. They found that bioethanol's water requirements can be as high as 861 billion gallons of water from the corn field to the fuel pump in 2007. And a gallon of ethanol may require up to over 2,100 gallons of water from farm to fuel pump, depending on the regional irrigation practice in growing corn.

However, a dozen states in the Corn Belt consume less than 100 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol, making them better suited for ethanol production.

"The results highlight the need to take regional specifics into account when implementing biofuel mandates," the article notes.

Production of Ethanol From Biomass

ScienceDaily (Mar. 20, 2008) — Iowa State University researchers are developing an integrated system of thermochemical and catalytic technologies to efficiently produce ethanol from plant biomass.

“Increasing supplies of renewable energy and using more energy efficient technologies must continue to play an indispensable role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting the rapidly growing demand for energy,” said Samuel Bodman, the U.S. secretary of energy.*

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Britain Reports Set Brazil's Ethanol Apart

SAO PAULO, Brazil, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- An important step in the
right direction. That is how Brazil's Sugarcane Industry Association
(UNICA) assesses the report "Sustainable Biofuels: Prospects and
Challenges", released by Britain's Royal Society on January 14, 2008. The
report's key conclusions are that each biofuel must be evaluated on its own
merits and governments should ensure their policies promote only the
sustainable production and use of biofuels that result in meaningful
emissions reduction.

According to UNICA President and CEO Marcos Jank, the Royal Academy's
conclusion should go a long way to clarify misleading and incomplete
information that often surfaces when Brazilian ethanol, produced from
sugarcane, is lumped together with less efficient biofuels produced from
non-sustainable sources.

"Biofuels can be produced from various feedstocks, and they are not all
the same," Jank says, emphasizing that ethanol from sugarcane produced in
Brazil is widely recognized as the most efficient in terms of reduced
greenhouse gas emissions, improved energy balance and lower production
costs.

"Studies produced in various countries frequently consider biofuels as
if they were somehow equals that one can compare. Unfortunately, some
studies arrive at broad conclusions without recognizing the profound
differences that exist among different biofuels. These generalizations are
often the basis for misleading assessments about Brazilian sugarcane
ethanol."

The Royal Society report highlights the importance of continued
independent research for a complete picture about the sustainability of
different types of biofuels. "The sugar and ethanol industry in Brazil is
ready to cooperate with these efforts. We find it essential that quality
analyses and unbiased comparisons continue to be produced and
disseminated," concludes Jank.

The British report comes at a defining moment for the future of
biofuels in Europe as a new directive governing the use of renewable energy
is expected to be issued on January 23. Once the directive is approved by
the European Parliament in coming months, it will lead to the
implementation of the decision reached by the heads of government of EU
member states requiring a 10% biofuel target for transportation fuels by
2020.

"We are optimistic that Europe will not only implement the 10% biofuel
mix, but to also adopt biofuel certification mechanisms that come from a
transparent consultative process that involves all interested parties,
including the world's major producers," says Jank.

About UNICA:

Brazil's Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) represents the top
producers of sugar and ethanol in the country's South-Central region,
especially the state of Sao Paulo, which accounts for 60% of the country's
total production. Along with its 101 member companies, UNICA develops
position papers, statistics and specific research in support of the sugar
and ethanol sector. Its membership accounts for about 50% of Brazil's
sugarcane harvest. In 2007, Brazil produced 425 million metric tons of
sugarcane, which yielded 29.8 million tons of sugar and 17.7 billion liters
of ethanol.