title: Biomass logistics analysis for large scale biofuel production: case study of loblolly pine and switchgrass.
abstract: The objective of this study was to assess the costs, energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the biomass supply chain for large scale biofuel production. Two types of energy crop were considered, switchgrass and loblolly pine, as representative of herbaceous and woody biomass. A biomass logistics model has been developed to estimate the feedstock supply system from biomass production through transportation. Biomass in the form of woodchip, bale and pellet was investigated with road, railway and waterway transportation options. Our analysis indicated that the farm or forest gate cost is lowest for loblolly pine whole tree woodchip at $39.7/dry tonne and highest for switchgrass round bale at $72.3/dry tonne. Switchgrass farm gate GHG emissions is approximately 146kgCO2e/dry tonne, about 4 times higher than loblolly pine. The optimum biomass transportation mode and delivered form are determined by the tradeoff between fixed and variable costs for feedstock shipment.
authors.affiliation: MIT Energy Initiative, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Mitch R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Withers
authors.affiliation: MIT Energy Initiative, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Navid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Seifkar
authors.affiliation: MIT Energy Initiative, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. Electronic address: rpfield@mit.edu.
authors.forename: Randall P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Field
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Steven R H
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.affiliation: MIT Energy Initiative, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Howard J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Herzog
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D056804:Biofuels / Q000191:economics; D018533:Biomass; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D065928:Forests; D017752:Greenhouse Effect; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D008897:Panicum / Q000737:chemistry*; D041603:Pinus taeda / Q000737:chemistry*; D012767:Ships; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014186:Transportation / Q000191:economics; D014934:Wood / Q000191:economics
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D056804:Biofuels
keywords: Biofuel production; Biomass costs; Biomass logistics; Biomass transportation; GHG emissions