N.C. examines production of state biofuels
By: Olivia Bowler, Staff Writer
Issue date: 10/8/07 Section: State & National
A surplus of production and the absence of distribution mechanisms has stalled the Midwest ethanol industry, a predicament that the growing N.C. biofuels movement hopes to avoid.
A state-mandated strategic plan calls for North Carolina to produce enough biofuel to account for 10 percent of its liquid fuels by 2017.
Similar plans to ramp up ethanol production in the Midwest spurred a frenzied building of distilleries, but the inability of producers to distribute their product has led to an industry slowdown.
Douglas Crawford-Brown, director of the UNC Institute for the Environment, said one of the major obstacles facing the N.C. biofuel industry is the difficulty of putting in the infrastructure to promote large-scale production.
"If you want to significantly change the fuel type, it has to be on the scale of gasoline," he said.
Ethanol, an alternative fuel made by fermenting corn starch, cannot be transported through pipelines but must be moved by trucks, trains and barges.
Marc Dreyfors, manager of Carolina Biodiesel, said the retailing and transportation of biodiesel, which is more prevalent than ethanol in North Carolina, is cheaper and easier because it can be moved through the same means as diesel.
But biodiesel production has its own logistical obstacles, he said.
"Actually our biggest problem right now is availability. There will be more demand than supply in the foreseeable future."
Dreyfors said the industry has been expanding steadily during the past decade. Increased growth during the past three years has left existing biodiesel companies looking to expand their operations.
Biodiesel uses seed oils and cellulosic ethanol, which is created from waste, and is produced more in North Carolina because the state doesn't have enough land to commit to large-scale corn production for ethanol.
Jim Shamp, editor of news and publications for the N.C. Biotechnology Center, said it will take time to accomplish the legislature's goal of increasing alternative-fuel production.
"It is going to be a long time before we can produce enough liquid fuel within our state to simply meet more than half the state's needs," he said.
George Givens, principal legislative analyst for the N.C. General Assembly, said state legislation to support alternative forms of energy is important, regardless of immediate snags in infrastructure.
"It's not sustainable in the long run for the U.S. to keep buying oil from the Middle East at increasingly high prices," he said.
Dreyfors said he believes that the nation's reliance on outside fuel is exacerbated by urban sprawl that discourages people from walking.
"Biofuels are great, but we all need to ride our bikes more."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
A state-mandated strategic plan calls for North Carolina to produce enough biofuel to account for 10 percent of its liquid fuels by 2017.
Similar plans to ramp up ethanol production in the Midwest spurred a frenzied building of distilleries, but the inability of producers to distribute their product has led to an industry slowdown.
Douglas Crawford-Brown, director of the UNC Institute for the Environment, said one of the major obstacles facing the N.C. biofuel industry is the difficulty of putting in the infrastructure to promote large-scale production.
"If you want to significantly change the fuel type, it has to be on the scale of gasoline," he said.
Ethanol, an alternative fuel made by fermenting corn starch, cannot be transported through pipelines but must be moved by trucks, trains and barges.
Marc Dreyfors, manager of Carolina Biodiesel, said the retailing and transportation of biodiesel, which is more prevalent than ethanol in North Carolina, is cheaper and easier because it can be moved through the same means as diesel.
But biodiesel production has its own logistical obstacles, he said.
"Actually our biggest problem right now is availability. There will be more demand than supply in the foreseeable future."
Dreyfors said the industry has been expanding steadily during the past decade. Increased growth during the past three years has left existing biodiesel companies looking to expand their operations.
Biodiesel uses seed oils and cellulosic ethanol, which is created from waste, and is produced more in North Carolina because the state doesn't have enough land to commit to large-scale corn production for ethanol.
Jim Shamp, editor of news and publications for the N.C. Biotechnology Center, said it will take time to accomplish the legislature's goal of increasing alternative-fuel production.
"It is going to be a long time before we can produce enough liquid fuel within our state to simply meet more than half the state's needs," he said.
George Givens, principal legislative analyst for the N.C. General Assembly, said state legislation to support alternative forms of energy is important, regardless of immediate snags in infrastructure.
"It's not sustainable in the long run for the U.S. to keep buying oil from the Middle East at increasingly high prices," he said.
Dreyfors said he believes that the nation's reliance on outside fuel is exacerbated by urban sprawl that discourages people from walking.
"Biofuels are great, but we all need to ride our bikes more."
Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Fuel&food
posted 10/08/07 @ 2:58 PM EST
Hi, folks,
Your state should have no problem coming up with sufficient fuel for your state, using crops that produce higher amounts of fuel per acreage, such as sweet sorghum and fodder beets. (Continued…)
Gary Leider-Demand -based Project Financing for Bio Fuel Developments
posted 1/23/08 @ 12:14 PM EST
I have at my disposal $18 billion & am in a position to fund minimums of $5 million per developer per project funded within 2-3 weeks after off-taker signed purchase contract[minimum BBB rated credit]. (Continued…)
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