Study: No significant contributions by wood-based biofuels in 2011
Study: No significant contributions by wood-based biofuels in 2011ATHENS, GA —

A new biofuels study claims that projects producing drop-in fuels have superior potential for investors, whereas wood-based biofuels will fail to contribute substantively to EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard targets in 2011 or 2022. Published by Forisk Consulting and the Schiamberg Group,

"Transportation Fuels from Wood: Investment and Market Implications of Current Projects and Technologies" details 12 technologies and 36 projects that convert wood to fuels including ethanol, butanol, diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel.


"Major technical hurdles will likely disrupt commercialization for most of the technologies under development," co-author Dr. Bruce Schiamberg of the Schiamberg Group, said in a statement.

The study found an 11 year gap on average between estimated technology viability and firm announcements. Impacts on U.S. timber markets appear minimal, with the highest potential wood use concentrated in Alabama, California, Michigan, Mississippi and Tennessee. "If all projects succeed, the total impact on wood raw material markets peaks at 8.8 million dry tons per year by 2030," co-author Amanda Lang, managing editor of Wood Bioenergy US, said in a news release. The group said this represents just over 3% incremental wood use relative to the existing forest products industry.

Posted by Karen Koenig

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