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New biofuel crops studied
jbulger@journalnet.com
POCATELLO -- Idaho National Laboratory and the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday which could eventually usher in a boon to Southeast Idaho's agricultural community with development of potential new biofuel crops. The INL and the Farm Bureau will collaborate in field studies during the next five years to find crops suitable for Idaho that are also effective producers of energy, according to the agreement. The program is part of the Department of Energy's push to develop sufficient biomass-produced fuels to supplant 30 percent of fossil fuel usage by 2030.
"We have a goal to demonstrate how biomass can be used as a responsible alternative to fossil fuels," INL Associate Laboratory Director for Energy and Environment J.W. "Bill" Rogers Jr. said. "Grasses will grow where corn is not a viable crop," said Frank Priestley, president of the IFBF. "Grass is a tremendous crop for the environment."
Priestly said grasses require less water and fertilizer than corn and contribute to wildlife habitat and erosion control. Some of the grasses may be amenable to dryland farming. Part of the study will determine if some of the grasses can be successfully grown on marginal land which may not otherwise be used for crop production. The ability to grow a crop on previously unsuitable land could allow farmers an extra cash crop.
"One of the things we're looking at is expanding beyond traditional farm lands," said Tom Ulrich, an INL advisory scientist for biofuels and renewable energy technologies. A variety of dedicated energy crops, including switch, prairie, sudan, the native Idaho basin wild rye and miscanthus, will be studied for suitability.
Grasses are not the only potential biomass fuels that will be studied. INL will look to the feasibility of developing technologies to harvest, collect, preprocess, store and transport forestry and agricultural residues as well. Forestry residue is material not harvested or removed from logging sites, as well as material resulting from forest management operations. The after-harvest remainder of some crops may also be utilized. Ulrich said studies have indicated that Idaho has sufficient wheat crop residue to provide 300 tons of biomass for energy production daily.
"Although Idaho was not blessed with abundant fossil energy such as oil, coal or natural gas, we still have the potential to become a major producer of energy," Priestley said. "As technologies continue to develop, farmers and researchers are beginning to work together to prove that dedicated energy crops, waste materials and forestry residues can be an important addition to the Idaho economy and environment." About 600 to 700 million tons of biomass would be needed to displace roughly 60 billion gallons of gas. Studies have indicated that about 1.3 billion tons of biomass are potentially available in the U.S. each year.
The agreement stresses that the testing and research and development effort is not intended to reduce the amount of land already devoted to food and feed crops. One of the criticisms of corn-based ethanol is that it takes food off of kitchen tables and out of feed troughs because it commands a higher price as an ethanol source. The collaboration will extend through December 2013, enabling field experiment data to be collected, which is expected to take two to three years.
By John Bulger
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