by Katie Fletcher (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Many dedicated energy crops hold promise as feedstocks for next-generation ethanol. Extensive R&D is still needed, however, to overcome the challenges in making these plants viable for commercial applications.
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This year, $12.6 million was awarded to 10 projects developing new cultivars of regionally adapted bioenergy feedstock crops, and in researching the complex interactions between bioenergy feedstock plants and their environment. A number of them build on existing knowledge of some of the dedicated energy crops with cellulosic ethanol feedstock potential including sorghum, switchgrass, poplar and miscanthus.
The 10 projects were selected through the DOE-USDA Plant Feedstock Genomics program, which was created in 2006, combining the DOE’s know-how in genomic sequencing and biofuel production analysis and the USDA’s experience in crop improvement. The program supports the fundamental research of these energy crops for bioenergy production.
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Some farmers are hesitant to plant the crops, however, because of unfamiliarity with growing practices for existing varieties. Also, the logistics of harvest, transportation and storage for large-scale commercialization of dedicated energy crops has not been fully worked out for commercial-scale biorefineries. Ultimately feedstock is the single largest cost driver for biofuels and, in many cases, the main barrier to cost competitiveness and scalability. READ MORE