Ethanol from biomass (trees and grasses) can provide a significant proportion of the fuel for the light duty fleet, alleviating concerns about volatile prices, energy dependence, and golbal warming. The authors examine the costs and quantity of ethanol that can be produced from corn and biomass, as well as infrastructure issues associated with transporting and retailing ethanol for blending in gasoline. Large, but feasible, amounts of land and investment are requried. Large-scale production is unlikely to occur until biomass ethanol becomes cheaper than gasoline or is mandated by regulation of gasoline fuel economy or carbon dioxide emissions. Ethanol, particularly that produced from energy crops, could provide much or all of the motor fuel in the USA, replacing almost all gasoline. The prinicpal advantages are: 1. a large step toward energy independence, 2. lower pollutant emissions and 3. no net carbon dioxide emissions. The principle disadvantages are: 1. The cost is estimated to be 60 to 70 cent per gallon higher than gasoline, 2. 300 to 500 million acres would be required and 3. a large investment in infrastructure would be required and there would be transition difficulties.
Promise and cost of cellulosic ethanol for the U.S. light-duty fleet
Ethanol aus Biomasse als Alternativkraftstoff
2001
5 Seiten, 2 Tabellen, 8 Quellen
Conference paper
English
Promise and Cost of Cellulosic Ethanol for the U.S. Light-Duty Fleet
SAE Technical Papers | 2001
|2001-01-2474 Promise and Cost of Cellulosic Ethanol for the U.S. Light-Duty Fleet
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2001
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