21st Century Biomass Research Roadmap - Biofuels and Cellulosic Ethanol, Feedstocks, Sugars, Thermochemicals, Integrated Biorefineries, Energy Crops and Fuels, Corn, Oil, Pulp, Paper (Ringbound)

This important and up-to-date printed report provides a guide to ongoing federal research on the production of biofuels from biomass. The Department of Energy (DOE) Multi-Year Program Plan for Biomass and Biorefinery Systems research and development notes that "biomass is the only domestic, sustainable and renewable primary energy resource that can provide liquid transportation fuels and organic chemicals and materials currently produced from fossil sources. Biomass also supports a technology transition to a hydrogen economy through either gasification or the production and reforming of liquid intermediates such as ethanol, methanol, or bio-oil. The three major current and potential markets for biomass and biomass related technologies are: transportation fuels, organic chemicals and materials, and electricity." The U.S. transportation sector is almost entirely dependent on oil (97 percent), using only small amounts of bioenergy, natural gas, and electricity. In fact, two-thirds of the oil used in the U.S. goes to support our transportation fleet. The most direct and near-term alternative to oil for supplying liquid transportation fuels to the nation could be biofuels derived from biomass. Advantages of using biofuels include: fuel can be added to the existing gasoline and diesel market through a blending strategy; and the customer experiences no noticeable change in how the fuel is pumped into the tank. Today, biomass-derived fuels-ethanol and biodiesel-play a small, but increasing role in the U.S. transportation market. Although demand for fuel ethanol more than doubled between 2000 and 2004, fuel ethanol accounted for just over one percent of U.S. transportation energy demand in 2004. For the year, 81 ethanol plants located in 20 states produced a record 3.41 billion gallons, a 21 percent increase from 2003, and 10 percent since 2000. Demand for ethanol is expected to increase, and new plants and expansions are currently under construction, representing an additi