Techno-economic assessment of bioenergy potential on marginal croplands in the U.S. southeast

Abstract

As global policymaking is moving toward the development of alternative energy sources, the role of renewable energy has unequivocally become a viable and immediate alternative to fossil fuels. This research analyzes how well an energy policy can integrate land resources including marginal lands for cultivating cellulosic biomass to produce biofuel. An economic model is developed to assess the levelized production costs of bioenergy on marginal croplands in nine southeastern U.S. states. These levelized costs are obtained in the range of $2.60–4.66 per gallon, depending on the capacity size of the biorefinery and the efficiency of conversion from feedstock to biofuels. Sensitivity analysis suggests that feedstock conversion rates can affect biofuel production costs. The production cost is competitive when compared to the current gasoline price of $3.70–4.10 in the southeastern region. Bioethanol derived from cellulosic biomass helps ease the current shortage of renewable fuels. It is essential to implement a comprehensive energy policy to address job opportunities for the agriculture sector, market economy for bioenergy production, and the integration of marginal lands for the transportation sector to achieve full electrification.