ORNL-6858

POTENTIAL SUPPLY AND COST OF BIOMASS FROM ENERGY CROPS IN THE TVA REGION

R. L. Graham and M. E. Downing

Date Published: April 1995

Prepared for the
Office of Transportation Technologies
Biofuels Systems Division
and the
Office of Utility Technologies
Solar Thermal and Biomass Power Division

Prepared by
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6285

CONTENTS

ABSTRACT
1. INTRODUCTION
2. METHODS
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 CHARACTERIZE LAND BASE AND CROPS--STAGE 1
2.3 DEVELOP CROP MANAGEMENT AND PRODUCTION COSTS--STAGE 2
2.4 MODEL YIELDS--STAGE 3
2.5 CALCULATE BREAK-EVEN PRICE FOR BIOMASS--STAGE 4
2.5.1 Pastureland
2.5.2 Cropland
2.6 CALCULATE REGIONAL COST AND SUPPLY OF BIOMASS--STAGE 5
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 YIELDS, PRODUCTION COSTS, AND FARM-GATE PRICES
3.1.1 SRWC
3.1.2 Switchgrass
3.2 REGIONAL SUPPLY PATTERNS
3.2.1 Projected SRWC Supplies at Current Biomass Yield Level
3.2.2 Projected Switchgrass Supplies at Current Biomass Yield Level
3.2.3 Projected SRWC and Switchgrass Supplies at a 25% Higher Yield Level
3.3 PROJECTED REGIONAL SUPPLY CURVES
4. CONCLUSIONS
5. REFERENCES

ACRONYMS
FOOTNOTES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS