Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611
Performing Department
West Florida Research and Education Center, Jay
Non Technical Summary
As global energy demand is expected to grow substantially in the next few years, virtually all states in the USA are stepping up their renewable energy agendas at an unprecedented pace. In July 2007, Florida Governor Crist promulgated an executive order requiring utilities in Florida to produce at least 20% of all electricity from renewable sources, including biomass. This initiative has triggered an increased interest in renewable energy from biomass, especially because Florida has a wealth of natural resources. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of studies that analyze the availability of biomass resources and their efficient conversion to renewable energy and biofuels in Florida. The objective of this project is to study if various biomass sources (timber harvesting, wood processing residues, non-merchantable timber, forest understory, agro-forest energy crops, and others) can be utilized more efficiently to produce bio-fuels and bioenergy in Florida. To achieve this objective, a variety of statistical and mathematical methods will be employed to estimate how much biomass can be grown and harvested and how it should be utilized efficiently for bioenergy. The major benefits of this project are: more accurate valuations of biomass sources, especially in the context of an increased biomass market competition; more efficient biomass conversion to bio-fuel and bioenergy; increased commercialization of woody biomass for bioenergy; the development of new forest products markets (i.e. bioenergy markets); and more rigorous development and implementation of state bioenergy policies.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The overall goal of this project is to assess whether various biomass sources (timber harvesting, wood processing residues, non-merchantable timber, forest understory, agro-forest energy crops, and others) can be integrated sustainably into biomass to bioenergy value chains (bio-fuels and bio-power) in Florida. To reach the overall goal, three specific research objectives will be targeted: A. Assessing the availability of biomass for bioenergy and bio-fuels; B. Evaluating technical and economic parameters of converting biomass to pellets; C. Assessing the sustainability of biomass to bioenergy value chains. The deliverables will include: estimates of harvestable understory biomass by forest vegetation type and land ownership class; understory biomass prediction equations; technical and economical feasibility values (yields, costs, revenues) of understory biomass production; growth rates, operational costs (materials, employment, fuel), productivities, energy values, potential biofuel yield and profit values of agro-forest energy crops; technical and economic parameters of converting biomass to pellets; optimal planning and control attributes of multi-feedstock/multi-process operations; valuations of biomass feedstock sources; and sustainability assessments of biomass to bioenergy value chains.
Project Methods
The following methods will be utilized to accomplish the three objectives: 1. Statistical sampling and measurement techniques to assess the availability of biomass for bioenergy; 2. Economic modeling techniques to study the feasibility of various biomass sources (forest understory biomass, agro-forest energy crops, harvesting and processing residues); 3. Optimization techniques to optimally allocate biomass to bioenergy facilities; 4. Life cycle analysis models to assess the sustainability of biomass to bioenergy value chains.