With support from the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) conducted a first-of-its-kind and comprehensive survey of biofuel producers in the United States. According to the ANL-led study, removing corn residue actually protects the soil’s surface and reduces soil erosion.
Dr Jonathan Male, BETO Director, announced the release of the “Energy and Water Sustainability in the U.S. Biofuel Industry” report during the Advanced Bioenergy Leadership Conference (ABLCNext 2019) in San Francisco, California.
Results from the survey are included in the new report which presents the most up-to-date analysis of commercial-scale biofuel plants, including facilities producing fuels from both starch and cellulosic materials.
The survey covered a full range of plant operation parameters, including plant capacity, feedstock, product, production volume, coproducts, water resources, water treatment, water usage, wastewater management, and process fuel and electricity consumption, as reflected in 2017 plant operation data.
While the predominant technology represented at US biofuel producers is corn grain ethanol, the results of the study illustrate the water-efficiency improvements that are possible over time and also provide a benchmark for new biofuel technologies.
Key findings of the survey include:
- The biofuel industry has made a concerted effort to increase and maintain efficiency, reduce consumption, and recycle and reuse water.
- In the area of water resource use, biofuel plants have diversified their water sources by using power plant cooling water, municipal reclaimed water, and well water and city water supply.
- Water and wastewater management is progressing toward zero liquid discharge (ZLD). The survey found that 42 percent of facilities surveyed achieved ZLD by increasing plant water reuse and recycling. Water intensity has decreased by 12 percent since 2011 and by 54 percent in the 19 years between 1998 and 2017.
