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Optimization of Biomass Transport and Logistics

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International Bioenergy Trade

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Energy ((LNEN,volume 17))

Abstract

Global demand for lignocellulosic biomass is growing, driven by a desire to increase the contribution of renewable energy to the world energy mix. A barrier to the expansion of this industry is that biomass is not always geographically where it needs to be, nor does it have the characteristics required for efficient handling, storage, and conversion, due to low energy density compared to fossil fuels. Technologies exist that can create a more standardized feedstock for conversion processes and decrease handling and transport costs; however, the cost associated with those operations often results in a feedstock that is too expensive. The disconnect between quantity of feedstock needed to meet bioenergy production goals, the quality required by the conversion processes, and the cost bioenergy producers are able to pay creates a need for new and improved technologies that potentially remove barriers associated with biomass use.

Because of their impact on feedstock cost, feedstock location and raw physical format are key barriers to industry expansion and intercontinental trade. One approach to reducing biomass cost is to emulate the commodity fossil-fuel-based feedstocks that biomass must compete with in terms of logistics, quality, and market characteristics. This requires preprocessing the biomass to improve density, flowability, stability, consistency, and conversion performance. Making the biomass format compatible with existing high-capacity transportation and handling infrastructure will reduce the need for new infrastructure. Producing biomass with these characteristics at costs conducive to energy production requires the development of new technologies or improvements to existing ones.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Based on estimated annual world supply of 146 billion metric tons (Cuff and Young 1980).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biofuels and Renewable Energy Technologies, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID, USA

    Erin Searcy, JayaShankar Tumuluru & Leslie Ovard

  2. Energy Systems and Technologies, Idaho National Laboratory, 1625, Idaho Falls, Idaho

    J. Richard Hess (Division Director)

  3. Praxik, LLC, Lowa, Lowa

    David J. Muth

  4. Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway

    Erik Trømborg

  5. Wild & Partner KG, Vienna, Austria

    Michael Wild

  6. Biomass & Bioenergy, Green Resources AS, London, UK

    Michael Deutmeyer

  7. Danish Technological Institute, Taastrup, Denmark

    Lars Nikolaisen

  8. Department of Energy and Environmental Technology, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lappeenranta, Finland

    Tapio Ranta

  9. Energy & Resources, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Ric Hoefnagels

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  1. Erin Searcy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Richard Hess .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Copernicus Instituut of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Martin Junginger

  2. Copernicus Instituut, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Chun Sheng Goh

  3. Copernicus Instituut, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    André Faaij

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Searcy, E. et al. (2014). Optimization of Biomass Transport and Logistics. In: Junginger, M., Goh, C., Faaij, A. (eds) International Bioenergy Trade. Lecture Notes in Energy, vol 17. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6982-3_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6982-3_5

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