Logistics and Costs of Agricultural Residues for Cellulosic Ethanol Production

Becerra Perez, L.A.; Rincón, Luis E.; Posada Duque, J.A.

doi:10.3390/en15124480

Logistics and Costs of Agricultural Residues for Cellulosic Ethanol Production

Title

Logistics and Costs of Agricultural Residues for Cellulosic Ethanol Production

Author

Becerra Perez, L.A. (TU Delft BT/Biotechnology and Society; Autonomous University of Sinaloa)
Rincón, Luis E. (Centro Internacional de Investigación y Desarrollo)
Posada Duque, J.A. (TU Delft BT/Biotechnology and Society)

Date

2022

Abstract

There is global pressure to make advanced biofuels profitable. For cellulosic ethanol, three aspects remain as bottlenecks: collection of feedstocks, pretreatment methods, and enzyme production. In this paper, the first aspect is investigated, by addressing the main challenges for the logistics of agricultural residues. A logistic supply chain of corn stover collection and utilization for cellulosic ethanol production in Mexico is proposed, and a cost structure is designed for its estimation. By applying a value chain methodology, seven links and a set of three minimum selling prices (MSPs) of agricultural residues were determined. Furthermore, the harvest index (HI), crop residue index (CRI), nutrient substitution by extraction of agricultural residues, and harvest costs of corn stover were also calculated for a case study. The main results were a HI of 0.45, a CRI of 1.21, and nutrient substitution potential of 7 kg N, 2.2 kg P ₂O ₅, and 12.2 kg K ₂O per ton of corn stover. The set of the three estimated MSPs for corn stover was: $28.49 USD/ton (for delivery to the biorefinery’s gate), $31.15 USD/ton (for delivery and storage), and $48.14 USD/ton (for delivery, storage, and nutrient replenishment). Given the impact of the feedstock cost on the profitability of cellulosic ethanol, knowing details of the logistical information and its costs is critical to advancing the field of biofuels in Mexico. We also found that only 20% of farmers currently sell their residues; however, 65% of farmers would be willing to do so, a significant percentage for cellulosic ethanol production.

Subject

agricultural residue logistics
cellulosic ethanol
agricultural residue price
nutrients replacement
logistic costs

To reference this document use:

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:e5eb43d8-a3df-4dee-9db5-17b6c1a423d6

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3390/en15124480

ISSN

1996-1073

Source

Energies, 15 (12)

Part of collection

Institutional Repository