Energy and Greenhouse Gas

Emissions Effects of Fuel Ethanol

Michael Wang

Center for Transportation Research

Argonne National Laboratory

Presentation at the Congressional Briefing

Organized By the Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Washington, D.C., July 31, 2002
Recycling of Carbon by Fuel
Ethanol Results in Net CO2 Benefits
CO2 via CO2 in the
photosynthesis atmosphere

CO2 emissions
during
fermentation CO2 emissions
Carbon in Carbon in from ethanol
corn kernels ethanol combustion

Carbon
in crop
residue
Carbon
in soil Ethanol plant
A Full Understanding of Ethanol’s Energy
and GHG Emissions Accounts for All Production Steps
Agro-Chemical Production

Agro-Chemical Transportation

Corn Farming Cellulosic Biomass Farming

Corn Transportation Cellulosic Biomass Transportation

Ethanol Production Ethanol Production

Animal Feed Transportation, Storage, and Distribution of Ethanol Electricity

Ethanol at Refueling Stations

Petroleum Refining Is the Key
Energy Conversion Step for Gasoline Cycle
Petroleum Recovery

Petroleum Transportation
MTBE or EtOH for Gasoline
and Storage

Petroleum
PetroleumRefining
Refiningto
toGasoline
Gasoline

Transportation, Storage, and

Distribution of Gasoline

Gasoline at Refueling Stations

 Key Parameters for Fuel
Ethanol Fuel-Cycle Analysis
• Chemicals Production
– Energy use for producing:
• Fertilizers (N, P2O5, K2O)
• Herbicides
• Insecticides
• Farming
– Yield per acre: corn and
biomass
– Chemicals use intensity
– Soil N2O emissions
– Energy use intensity
– Soil CO2 emissions
• Ethanol Production
– Corn ethanol: wet vs. dry
milling
– Ethanol yield per unit of feed
– Energy use intensity
– Co-products
• Vehicle Fuel Economy
• Gasoline vehicles for E10
• Flexible-fuel vehicles for E85
U.S. Corn Output Per Pound of
Fertilizer Used Has Risen (3-yr Moving Average)
0.65
?
0.60
Corn Yield (bushels/lb)

0.55 Precision
farming, etc.?
0.50
0.45
0.40
0.35
0.30
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
 Technology Has Reduced
Energy Use Intensity of Ethanol Plants

70,000 1980s
60,000 2000s

50,000
Btu/Gallon

40,000

30,000

20,000

10,000

0
Wet Mill Dry Mill

Source: from Argonne’s discussions with ethanol plant designers and recent USDA data.
Energy and Emissions Allocated
to Co-Products of Corn Ethanol Vary by Method

Allocation Method Wet Milling Dry Milling

Weight 52% 51%
Energy 43% 39%
Process energy 31% 34%
Market value 30% 24%
Displacement ~16% ~20%

• Weight and energy methods no longer used.

• Some studies did not consider co-products at all.
Energy Balance: Million Btu of Fossil Fuels
Required to Make a Million Btu of Fuel Available at User Site
2.5

2.0
mmBtu/mmBtu Fuel

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
Corn EtOH, Corn EtOH, Cellulosic EtOH Gasoline Electricity
Displacement Mkt Value

A problem with energy balance values is that the quality

of a fuel is NOT taken into account!!!
 E85 Reductions in
Energy Use Relative to Gasoline
Corn EtOH, Displacement Corn EtOH, Mkt Value Cellulosic EtOH

Fossil Petroleum Fossil Petroleum Fossil Petroleum

0%
Reductions in Energy Use

-20%

-40%

-60%

-80%

Note: Based on per-mile results of E85 use in FFVs. Fossil fuels here include
petroleum, natural gas, and coal.
 E85 Reductions in Greenhouse
Gas Emissions Relative to Gasoline
Corn EtOH, Displacement Corn EtOH, Mkt Value Cellulosic EtOH

CO2 GHG CO2 GHG CO2 GHG

0%
Reductions in GHG Emissions

-20%

-40%

-60%

-80%

Note: Based on per-mile results of E85 use in FFVs. GHG emissions are CO2-
equivalent emissions of CO2, CH4, and N2O.
 Summary:
Effects of Ethanol Use

• Any type of fuel ethanol helps substantially reduce

transportation’s fossil energy and petroleum use.
• Corn-based fuel ethanol achieves moderate
reductions in GHG emissions.
• Cellulosic ethanol will achieve much greater
energy and GHG benefits.