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A biorefinery for mobility?

S Pacca¹, J R Moreira

¹University of Sao Paulo, Av Arlindo Bettio, 1000 Sao Paulo, SP 03828-000, Brazil. spacca@usp.br

Environmental Science & Technology

|October 5, 2011

Summary

Producing ethanol and electricity from sugarcane offers a carbon-neutral transport fuel alternative. This study finds that significantly less land is needed for sugarcane biofuel production than commonly believed, optimizing land use for energy.

Area of Science:

Agricultural Science
Energy Science
Environmental Science

Background:

Biofuels are explored as a carbon-neutral alternative to hydrocarbons for the transport sector, raising concerns about land usage.
Renewable electricity from biomass presents another option for reducing transport emissions.
Joint production of ethanol and electricity from sugarcane is assessed for its viability.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of co-producing ethanol and electricity from sugarcane.
To assess the land-use requirements for powering privately owned automobiles with these energy forms.
To compare the energy potential of sugarcane with commonly reported biofuel values.

Main Methods:

Analysis of currently available and cost-competitive energy production technologies.

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Calculation of land area required to meet automobile energy demands for Brazil, the U.S., and globally.

Estimation of harvested energy density for sugarcane and comparison with literature values.

Main Results:

The land required to power current automobile fleets is less than typically estimated: 2 million ha (Brazil), 25 million ha (U.S.), and 67 million ha (global).
With efficiency gains, U.S. fleet needs in 2030 can be met with 19 million ha.
Sugarcane's harvested energy density is 306 GJ/ha/yr, 1.7 times higher than commonly reported for biofuels.

Conclusions:

Sugarcane-based biofuels and electricity offer a viable, land-efficient alternative for the transport sector.
Optimizing sugarcane's energy potential requires only 4% of global cropland to fuel the worldwide car fleet.
Joint production strategies can mitigate land-use concerns associated with biofuel expansion.