Advanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest: Commercialization Challenges for the Renewable Aviation Fuel Industry

Brian J Stanton,Richard R Gustafson

doi:10.3390/app9214644

Brian J Stanton, Richard R Gustafson

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/app9214644

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Abstract

A bioenergy summit was organized by Advanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest (AHB) to debate the barriers to the commercialization of a hybrid poplar biofuels industry for the alternative jet fuels market from the perspective of five years of AHB research and development and two recent surveys of the North American cellulosic biofuels industry. The summit showed that: (1) Growing and converting poplar feedstock to aviation fuels is technically sound, (2) an adequate land base encompassing 6.03 and 12.86 million respective hectares of croplands and rangelands is potentially available for poplar feedstock production, (3) biofuel production is accompanied by a global warming potential that meets the threshold 60% reduction mandated for advanced renewable fuels but (4) the main obstruction to achieving a workable poplar aviation fuels market is making the price competitive with conventional jet fuels. Returns on investment into biomass farms and biorefineries are therefore insufficient to attract private-sector capital the fact notwithstanding that the demand for a reliable and sustainable supply of environmentally well-graded biofuels for civilian and military aviation is clear. Eleven key findings and recommendations are presented as a guide to a strategic plan for a renewed pathway to poplar alternative jet fuels production based upon co-products, refinery co-location with existing industries, monetization of ecosystem services, public-private financing, and researching more efficient and lower-costs conversion methods such as consolidated bioprocessing.

Highlights

GreenWood Resources and the University of Washington convened a bioenergy summit under the auspices of Advanced Hardwood Biofuels, Northwest (AHB; http://hardwoodbiofuels.org/) in Portland, Oregon on 10 August 2017
The summit brought together bioenergy stakeholders to discuss what needs to transpire before hybrid poplar biofuels becomes a realistic investment opportunity
Initial deliberations were structured as three breakout sessions on the economics and sustainability of the hybrid poplar biofuels production system

Summary

Introduction

GreenWood Resources and the University of Washington convened a bioenergy summit under the auspices of Advanced Hardwood Biofuels, Northwest (AHB; http://hardwoodbiofuels.org/) in Portland, Oregon on 10 August 2017. Initial deliberations were structured as three breakout sessions on the economics and sustainability of the hybrid poplar biofuels production system. These were followed by a plenary session in which recommendations from the breakouts were presented and discussed. AHB’s purpose is to lay a foundation for the Pacific Northwest biofuels and bioproducts industry using sustainably managed hybrid poplar biomass farms. The summit was conceived as an AHB commercialization effort with the intent of facilitating cooperation among the federal government, industry, non-governmental agencies, and academia as described in the National Science and Technology. AHB has concluded that the agronomy, biochemistry, and sustainability of the hybrid poplar biofuels system has outstanding potential but faces substantial near-term barriers to commercialization under the current petroleum market conditions [2]

Background

Breakout Sessions

Recommendations

Findings

Summary