Invited Paper IPF-TuM9
Science & Technology Barriers to Economic Ethanol Biorefineries

Tuesday, October 16, 2007, 10:40 am, Room 602/603

Lignocellulosic biomass has long been recognized as a potential low-cost source of mixed sugars for fermentation to fuel ethanol. Several technologies have been developed over the past 80 years that allow this conversion process to occur, often in wartime context, yet the clear objective now is to make this process cost competitive in today's markets. Replacing 30% of U.S. 2004 finished motor gasoline demand (or about 60 billion gallons) with ethanol by 2030 will require a significant increase in ethanol production over today's corn starch-based industry. This process is technically feasible for corn stover and wheat straw today using biochemical conversion technology that includes pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation. However, the process remains fundamentally inefficient and is therefore risky to commercialize. Cellulosic ethanol production via biochemical conversion can provide fuel at prices commensurate with historical gasoline prices (<$1.00/gallon) only by taking full advantage of critical scientific breakthroughs in feedstock production and biomass conversion science. Indeed, in order to ensure a successful transition from existing to 2030 technologies, investing in knowledge-based solutions to critical barriers is essential.