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ABSTRACT: Biorefineries refer to conversion operations where biomass feedstock is converted to marketable chemicals including fuels and bioproducts. The concept focuses on maximizing valued extractibles while minimizing waste streams. A conservative estimate shows that demand for feedstock for biorefineries may reach 172 million tons over the next decade (2010) and more than 508 million tons in 2020. These quantities of feedstock constitute a fraction of total available at a cost of $0-40 per dry ton. An orderly supply of this large amount of biomass to biorefineries requires new and robust equipment and well established infrastructure. It is estimated that the value of field equipment to collect and bale the material exceeds $8 billion in 2010 and $32 billion dollars in 2020. New demands for biomass storage will exceed 4.5 and 14.9 billion cubic ft, generating more than $3.1 and $10.6 billion storage structures in 2010 and 2020, respectively. Keywords. Keywords: Biorefinery, biomass, feedstock, handling, storage, processing, costs, economic impact The complete paper is available as a PDF file. |
Impact of Future Biorefineries on Feedstock Supply
Systems - Equipment and Infrastructure