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NEW METHODin the field of
Miscanthus propagationfor ethanol and power
production„low-cost bio-ethanol production”
Global challengesEconomic: • Decreasing energy and hydrocarbon resources • Energy sources become more and more expensiveEnvironmental:• Speed-up of global warming and influences of itPolitical:• Demand of decreasing the dependence of import
energy resources • Declaration of „Green-revolution”
Change of approach and construction in the energy industry
• Obligation of using renewable resources (EU, USA)
• Obligation of decreasing the emission (Kyoto)• Support of CO2 binding technologies
• New global business possibilities are opening
Hydrocarbon agewill be replaced by
alcohol age (G. Olah, 1994 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry)
One of the most important range of producing renewable energy is growing and usage of biomass
plants
Among the biomass plants in temperate climates the
Miscanthus giganteus plant seems to be
the most efficient energy-binding one
Why Miscanthus ?• High volume of biomass yields –15-40 t/ha/year (DM)
• Growth during 20-25 years after planting• Low annual growing costs
– No soil cultivation after 2 years– After producing N2-fixing plants, low/no N-fertilizer cost
• Cheap, large volume of grown biomass resource• Suitable for energetic purposes in wide range
• 500-1200 €/ha support in the EU• For ethanol production is three times more
efficient than corn
Energetic usage of Miscanthus1. Supplying the energy demands of heating (90-95%) and
electric (25-35%) power stations with direct burning. „Boiler-friendly”, low mineral-content, melting point of ashes is high: No usage problem, high heating value Demand of a 50 MW power station is : 3-400.000 t - 15-20.000 ha Miscanthus
2. Cheap biomass fit – cheap ethanol raw material 6 t ethanol can be produced from 1 ha - with 20 t/ha yield2-3 t ethanol can be produced from corn, grown on one ha (only to compare)
3. Great volume of raw material of gas production Usable for communal (domestic, waste water treatment) and
industrial (cement production) end-users as well
Miscanthus • It is usable – efficient biomass production• Annual 1 m3 gas-equivalent is grown on 1 m2 area
(means 10.000 m3/ha/year), for the price of 1/5 - 1/8 gas price
• Production technology is well known, can be grown widely (EU, USA)
• 1 ha plantation binds 700 t CO2 within 20 years
One of the biggest global end-user of Miscanthus biomass will be the fuel industry, probably with
plants supplying public traffic
Bioethanol - Miscanthus• Bioethanol market – global• E85 = fuel with 85 % !! ethanol content• Cellulose – ethanol technologies are already cheaper than
that of based on corn (under 0,3 $ / l)• Price of the raw material is 1/5-1/10 of that of corn• On the same area 2-4-times more ethanol can be
produced from Miscanthus, than from corn• The electric and heat demand of production can be
supplied cheapest from Miscanthus as energy source
Who drops out, drops behind !!2006 Shell-Volkswagen Miscanthus-ethanol project2007 B.P. – 500 M $ - Miscanthus – ethanol project
• For 300 Million tons/year ethanol production • 50 Million ha Miscanthus plantation is needed
/50 M ha = 35 Md t CO2 reduced emission !!!!/The main limits of planting are the following (EU,USA):1. High price of planting material – high plantation cost State support: England 930£/ha, Hungary 1000 €/ha
Support demand of 50 M ha - 50 Md. € (have no so much)
• There is not enough propagules (planting material)For 50 M. ha: 500 Md. propagules are needed!Development of propagule-production is required!!!The solution of the problem is the development of the
propagation methods as following:
Well known technologies and new method. Miscanthus giganteus is to be propagated only
with clonal multiplication1. Using Rhizomes (under-ground propagation part)
3 years (1 ha) plant can produce 20 ha There are 10.000 ha given all over the world, that is a limitation of development !!
2. Micropropogation – biotechnological method • Theoretical unlimited propagation is possible, but
with incredible high investment, energy and salery costs, it results high set price.
3.New technology: with activated stems and cuttings
Propagules production utilizing plants of existing (10.000 ha) plantations with activation of buds
From 1 ha in every year 200-400 ha new plantation can be produced, with plants are able to fix nitrogen.
4. Set / propagule prices by technologies:Taking 10.000 pcs/ha into consideration , plantation costs of
50 Million ha by technologies:Technology price plantation cost1. Rhizome: ≈ 0,3 $/pc 150 Md $ / 50 M ha2. Micropropagation: ≈0,4 $/pc 200 Md $/ 50 M ha3. New method (prod. cost) ≈0,07 $/pc 35 Md $/ 50 M ha
(Md =10E9 /Billion/, M=10E6, $= USD)
5. Next let us investigate, what kind of influences and results can be provided by the production of raw material technologies in event of a presumed replacement of mineral oil by ethanol, and what kind of development directions can be signed for the users:
When will be given enough raw material for 300 Million t ethanol production?
•with Rhizome propagation: from 2017-2018•with Micropropogation: from 2014•with new method: from 2012
N-fertilizer demand of 50 M. ha plantation for 20 years: •with Rhizome propagation: 50-100 M t •with micropropagation: 50-100 M t •New (nitrogen-fixing plants) 0 - 5 M t
Summary:
Further to the analyses, the plantation and financing of Miscanthus farms can be provided with more advantages and economic conditions by the new method, than with the known other technologies, which can be supported by the favourable influence on the environment of the nitrogen-fixing plants.
Pictures
• Activated the stems of Miscanthus• Treatment in January 2008• Treatments in 2006-2007• Plant growth promoting effect of nitrogen
fixing bacteria living within the plants
Activation
Non-Activatedstems
Activatedstems
ActivationNon-ActivatedCuttings (2008)
ActivatedCuttings (2008)
Symbioses with nitrogen-fixing and plant growth-promoting bacteria
Non-treated and treated plants and the bacteria within the plant
Miscanthus yields In Europe In Illinois 15-40 t/ha/year 27-44 t/ha/year
Illinois farm management budgets suggest much higher net margins from Miscanthus than from corn and soya bean rotations.
