Supply Chain Sustainability Analysis of Renewable Hydrocarbon Fuels via Indirect Liquefaction, Hydrothermal Liquefaction, Combined Algal Processing, and Biochemical Conversion: Update of the 2021 State-of-Technology Cases

Hao Cai, Longwen Ou, Michael Wang, Ryan Davis, Abhijit Dutta, Kylee Harris, Matthew Wiatrowski, Eric Tan, Andrew Bartling, Bruno Klein, Damon Hartley, Pralhad Burli, Yingqian Lin, Mohammad Roni, David Thompson, Lesley Snowden-Swan, Yunhua Zhu, Shuyun Li

Research output: NRELTechnical Report

Abstract

The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) aims to develop and deploy technologies to transform renewable biomass resources into commercially viable, high-performance biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower through public and private partnerships (U.S. Department of Energy, 2016). BETO and its national laboratory teams conduct in-depth techno-economic assessments (TEA) of biomass feedstock supply and logistics and conversion technologies to produce biofuels. There are two general types of TEAs: A design case is a TEA that outlines a target case (future projection) for a particular biofuel pathway. It enables identification of data gaps and research and development needs, and provides goals and benchmarks against which technology progress is assessed. A state of technology (SOT) analysis assesses progress within and across relevant technology areas based on actual results at current experimental scales, relative to technical targets and cost goals from design cases, and includes technical, economic, and environmental criteria as available. In addition to developing a TEA for a pathway of interest, BETO also performs a supply chain sustainability analysis (SCSA). The SCSA takes the life-cycle analysis approach that BETO has been supporting for about 20 years. It enables BETO to identify energy consumption, environmental, and sustainability issues that may be associated with biofuel production. Approaches to mitigate these issues can then be developed. Additionally, the SCSA allows for comparison of energy and environmental impacts across biofuel pathways in BETO's research and development portfolio.
Original languageAmerican English
Number of pages77
DOIs
StatePublished - 2022

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/TP-5100-82333

Other Report Number

  • ANL/ESD-22/5 Rev. 1

Keywords

  • algal processing
  • biochemical conversion
  • hydrocarbon fuels
  • indirect liquefaction
  • SCSA
  • SOT

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