Biomass Resource Assessment and Analysis Activities at NREL

1. Biomass Resource Assessment and Analysis Activities at NREL Anelia Milbrandt Sr. Energy Resources Analyst Ralph Overend (former NREL Fellow) Brussels April 15, 2010 NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy operated by Midwest Research Institute • Battelle

2. Biomass Resource Assessment • Biomass resource assessment is essential in analyzing the bioenergy potential in a given area • Guides industry development strategies • Supports policy decisions National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

3. Types of Resource Assessment • Theoretical • Illustrates the ultimate resource potential based on calculation or measurement of the net primary productivity of the biome • Technical • Limits the resource potential by accounting for terrain limitations, land use and environmental considerations, collection inefficiencies, and a number of other technical and social constraints • Economic • Limits the resource potential by incorporating cost information, such as harvest, transportation, and processing costs. The final outcome of this type of assessment is a supply curve either at the field or forest edge or the delivered product (MWh/liters) National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

4. Methods and Tools • Modeling • Surveys • Geospatial technologies, such as remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

5. Methods and Tools (cont.) • Modeling • Models are simplified frameworks designed to illustrate a system or process often using mathematical techniques to facilitate calculations or predictions • Models (linear, dynamic, or geospatial) integrate various factors to asses resource availability • Models’ complexity and the modeling technique depends upon the data available and the needs of the assessment • The most commonly used modeling technique in biomass resource assessments is the statistical analysis: applying assumptions and factors that relate agricultural, industrial and demographic statistics to the amount of residue (crop to residue ratio and per capita residue generation) National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

6. Methods and Tools (cont.) • Surveys • Data is collected on site, via questionnaires, and face-to-face or telephone interviews • Very valuable in specific site evaluations, but not practical for broad scale inventory • Often used to validate model derived estimates • It is a time-consuming, labor-intensive, and therefore costly procedure, even with today’s satellite communication technology (GPS) National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

7. Methods and Tools (cont.) Irrigated land in Nebraska, US Remote sensinganalyzes land use patterns using aerial photography or satellite imagery. Useful in measuring and monitoring biomass density and productivity. Rice fields in Thailand National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

8. Methods and Tools (cont.) Geographic Information Systems (GIS)integrates and analyzes multiple layers of information to illustrate spatial patterns and relationships. Useful in quantifying the resources, screening and site location analyses. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

9. Biomass Resource Assessment – U.S. • Agricultural residues • Plant based (crop residues) • Animal based (methane emissions from manure management) • Wood residues • Forest residues • Primary mill residues • Secondary mill residues • Urban wood residues • Municipal Discards • Methane emissions from landfills • Methane emissions from domestic wastewater treatment • Dedicated Energy Crops Case Studies • Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands • Abandoned mine lands • Brownfields • More information available at • http://www.nrel.gov/gis/biomass.html National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

10. WGA Biomass Supply Curve Methodology • Biomass resources • Existing power lines, roads, rails, water transport • Collection radius • Cost functions for resource to collection point, transport to process plant • Scale of operation, CAPEX, O&M, Emissions - Impact

11. Forest and Crop Resources in Proximity to Communities at Risk of Fire in WGA Region

12. Crop Residue Supplies in Relation to Communities and Transmission lines

14. Biomass Resource Assessment - Liberia • Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development • (USAID) under the Liberia Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) • Estimate the biomass resources currently available in Liberia • and their contribution for power generation and • transportation fuels production: • Agricultural resources (food and cash crop residues, • animal manure) • Forest resources (logging residues) • Urban resources (MSW) • Evaluate expansion of key biomass resources in Liberia • (oil palm, coconut, and sugarcane) and the potential of • JatrophaCurcasas an energy crop • Discuss socio-economic and environmental implications of • biomass resource development in Liberia • More information available at • http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/44808.pdf National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

15. Biomass Resource Assessment on Marginal Lands in APEC Economies • Funded by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) • The project identifies the marginal lands available in the APEC region and evaluate their potential for biofuels feedstock production • Marginal lands are lands characterized with poor climate and physical characteristics (soil and topography), difficult to cultivate: • Limited rainfall • Extreme temperatures • Low quality soil • Steep slopes • More information available • http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy10osti/46209.pdf National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

16. Ongoing Biomass Resource Assessments • Biomass resource assessment on U.S. Navy and MC sites: • The study will assess the biomass resources currently available on these DOD facilities (or in close proximity) to support on-site power generation • Algae resource assessment in India: • Evaluate climate conditions, availability of CO2 and other nutrients, water resources, and land characteristics (topography, use and stewardship), infrastructure, and labor availability to identify areas in India suitable for algae production • Afghanistan biomass resource assessment: • The study will assess the biomass resources currently and potentially available in the country to support power generation and/or biofuels production National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

17. Integrated Analysis and Decision Support Tools • Integrated analysis combines resources, infrastructure, demographic and socio-economic information to support strategic development: • Site-suitability analysis (find best locations to site biorefineries or algae farms) • On-site analysis (estimate biomass resource availability and accessibility within a certain radius of a site) • Design and build tools that visualize and analyze bioenergy related information to support decision-making processes National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

18. Integrated Analysis and Decision Support Tools Biofuels Tool – An interactive application that shows the current status and potential for biofuels production and use on a state-level basis http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/sabre/sabre.php National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

19. Integrated Analysis and Decision Support Tools Biopower Tool – An interactive application allowing users to view resources, infrastructure, and other relevant information, as well as query the data and conduct simple analyses http://rpm.nrel.gov/biopower/biopower/launch National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

20. Biomass/Biopower/Biofuel Policies US covers the same ground as the EU BUT DIFFERENTLY Federal vs State level Control – is dynamic Electricity in general is state Municipal and Industrial Residues (wastes) are state Agriculture – mainly state with Federal Research and R&D support, Forests State & Federal Environment – Federal Oversight -State Jurisdiction Biofuels – Transportation – mainly Federal Research – Federal with National Laboratories National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

21. Biomass Legislation I • Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) of 1978 • Energy Policy Act of 1992 • Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000 • The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub.L. 109-58) • loan guarantees for "innovative technologies" that avoid greenhouse gases • Increases the amount of biofuel (usually ethanol) that must be mixed with gasoline sold in the United States to 4 billion gallons by 2006, 6.1 billion gallons by 2009 and 7.5 billion gallons by 2012; • Requires that Federal Fleet vehicles capable of operating on alternative fuels be operated on these fuels exclusively National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

22. Biomass Legislation II • The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Pub.L. 110-140) EISA • Biofuels added to gasoline to increase to 36 billion gallons by 2022. 21 billion gallons of the total must be from non-cornstarch products (e.g. sugar or cellulose) • Subtitle B, Biofuels Research and Development (R&D) R&D and commercial applications of cellulosic biofuels technologies and for the conversion of existing corn-basedethanol plants to produce cellulosic biofuels. report to Congress on the feasibility of algae as a feedstock for biofuels production. • Subtitle C, Biofuels Infrastructure National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

23. State Renewable Portfolio Standards and Goals 2008 National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

24. Renewable Fuel Standard Program 2010 • Regulation of Fuels and Fuel Additives: Changes to Renewable Fuel Standard Program: Final Rule • Federal Register Environmental Protection Agency 40 CFR Part 80. March 26. 2010 • Biofuels added to gasoline to increase to 136 hm3 by 2022. 60.5 hm3 are to be cellulosic fuel offsetting > 60% of carbon equivalent, and a new class advanced biofuel with > 50% carbon offset but not specified has 18.9 hm3 is expected (see chart in US units) • Carbon Offset Calculation – takes into account iLUC (indirect) as well as direct land use change and uses remote sensing to attribute land use change. New data has been accepted for technology changes. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

25. RFS II March 2010 (with LCA & GIS) National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

26. Thank you! Ralph Overend overend@attglobal.net +1 613 219-8784 Anelia Milbrandt anelia.milbrandt@nrel.gov 303-275-4633 National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future