The biorefinery in New York: woody biomass into commercial ethanol

iorefiningT150The biorefinery in New York:woody biomass into commercial ethanolBy T. E. AmidonAbstract: This paper reports the application of ESF Biorefinery concepts and current technologyto New York State industry. This is a planned application linking at least three industrial companiesto reduce the time to practice. A wood-based biorefinery is being erected in New York. Identifyingthe strengths of the participating companies and required competencies of the wood-based biorefineryserves as the first step in making the biorefinery a reality. Some components will have additionaldetails added to explain the opportunity envisioned. Potential utility of water based hemicelluloseextraction applications to both the paper industry and the wood fuel industry are discussed.THIS PAPER REPORTS the application ofESF (College of Environmental Scienceand Forestry) Biorefinery conceptsand technology in New YorkState industry. This is a planned applicationlinking at least three industrial companiesto reduce the time to practice. A wood-based biorefineryis being erected in New York. Identifying thestrengths of the participating companies andrequired competencies of the wood-based biorefineryis the first step in making the biorefinery areality. Some components will have additionaldetails added to explain the opportunity envisioned.The potential utility of water based hemicelluloseextraction applications to both the paperindustry and the wood fuel industry are discussed.WHILE the world crude oil reserves could takeus into the next century if well managed, the stabilityof oil supply has been a drag to the world economy.Klass [1] estimated that world crude can lastuntil 2027 if based solely on the currently provenconventional reserve. His most optimistic estimate isthat the oil could last until 2100 based on the currentgrowth in energy consumption and potentialother oil sources such as new discoveries and oilsands. From the oil producers’ view, oil could lastuntil the middle of next century [2]. In any case, wehave to look for alternatives to petroleum. Awarenessof environmental impacts, stability and sustainabilityof energy supply has made the developmentand implementation of bio-based chemical / energyimperative. Domestic energy security and ruraleconomies both benefit from a plant derived chemical/energyeconomic base.The hemicelluloses fraction of woody biomass,typically 20 ~ 35 % of the dry wood mass, is currentlyan underutilized renewable resourcepotentially useful for bio-based fuels, chemicalsand polymeric materials [3]. Championedthrough SUNY ESF, converting hemicellulosesinto commercial ethanol has become the leadingcomponent of the biorefinery effort in New York.Hot-water extraction prior to chemical pulping orburning of woodchips makes for potentially profitableutilization and commercialization of thewood extracts and may improve the niche marketadvantage of pulps produced or the green electricalpower produced.BIOREFINERY IN NEW YORKWe are embarking on enhancing the speed toapplication of a new technology by erecting a virtualenterprise from multiple companies withmuch to gain in their core businesses from theparts of the novel technology that look easy tothem. New York is leading nationally by establishingthe first wood-based biorefinery with multiplecompanies operating in the state.The biorefinery is past the stage of attractingattention in New York and is a concept to beimplemented. With the enthusiasm of the participatingcompanies and encouragement from thestate and federal governments, the biorefineryenvisioned at SUNY ESF is moving towards reality.The first wood-based biorefinery will utilizewood as the main raw material. The main productsinvolving pulp mill applications are cellulosefor fiber/pulp/paper, hemicelluloses / extractivesfor ethanol and chemicals, and lignin forenergy. In green electric power applications, themain products are hemicelluloses and extractivesfor ethanol and chemicals and the rest celluloseand lignin for electricity (energy).Central New York is strategically located for thefirst wood-based biorefinery. As the bulk of theindustrial activities and a large fraction of portablefuel use in the United States is concentrated in theeast, production of liquid bio-fuel ethanol in NewYork has a distinct advantage and strategic importanceto the national economy. Based on theregional statistics provided by DOE [4], the Northeastalone accounts for about 17% of the total UStransportation fuel consumption and 80% of totalUS fuel oil consumption for heating buildings.Securing the woody raw materials locally alsoensures that the energy consumption for the rawmaterial transportation is minimized. Producingethanol in New York reduces the transportationdistances to fuel distribution centers in the NortheastUSA. Therefore, New York is ideally suited forthe first wood-based biorefinery.WOOD, A PREFERRED RAWMATERIAL SOURCE OF BIOREFINERYLigno-cellulosic biomass is the most abundantorganic chemical on earth, with an annual produc-T. E. AMIDONChair, Faculty of Paper Scienceand Engineering and Director ofEmpire State Paper ResearchInstitute SUNY College ofEnvironmental Science andForestry 1 Forestry Drive,Syracuse, NY 13210PULP & PAPER CANADA • 107:6 (2006) • 47

T151biorefiningtion in the biosphere of about 170 billionmetric tons [1]. Forests account for 42.9%of the annual carbon production andSavanna and grasses account for 11% oftotal biomass production. When measuredin energy terms, the amount of carbon synthesizedby plants is equivalent to about tentimes the world’s total energy consumptionof 323 EJ [1]. Dedicated energy crops: agriforestand/or agriculture biomass can furtherincrease the biomass availability.Renewable forest material is carbonneutral, i.e. utilizing forest material willnot create a carbon imbalance over anextended (5 ~ 50 years [5]) time frame.Utilizing renewable carbon (as illustratedin the Figure 1) eliminates an additionalcarbon dioxide burden to the environmentand thus acts favorably to reduceCO 2 emissions and, therefore, to GHGdriven global climate change. Therefore,managed forests have significant potentialto reduce green-house gas emissions byconversion of the forest material into liquidfuels, electricity and other productsnow being derived from nonrenewablecarbon. While agriculture crops andperennial grasses are annually renewableand thus more efficient in carbonturnover (by a factor of 5 ~ 50 thanwood), they are seasonal in nature. Woodresource availability is little affected byseasons and thus is a preferred resourcefor continuous industrial operations.Using the forest as the resource for anindustrial base is not new.“... forests can be made to produce fiftytimes their present volume of end productsand still remain a permanently selfrenewingsource for raw materials....Only forests - no other raw materialresource can yield such returns. The forestcan, and so must, end the chronicscarcities of material goods that haveharassed man’s experience since thebeginning of history.” From The Coming Ageof Wood, by Egon Glesinger, 1949 [6].Putting Egon Glesinger’s vision intoaction is still a work in progress and thispaper presents another developmentalstep.Developing a biorefinery technologybased on wood is imperative to the developmentof a bio-based energy economy,whether the final intent is the use of forestbiomass, woody biomass crops, perennialgrasses, or agricultural residues, all ofwhich are beneficial to the rural economy.Many studies have been done on cerealstraw pulps, for example. It has beenfound that a green field wheat straw pulpmill is not economically feasible [7]. Onthe other hand, if a straw pulp line isadded to an existing pulp mill, the feasibilityimproves significantly [7], based onthe facility requirement alone. When oneconsiders the seasonality effect or fibersecurity, the integration of an agricultureresidual facility with an existing pulp millbecomes more critical. Therefore, developingbiorefining technology based onwood is an important step in the industrialimplementation of a bio-based technologyfor many biomass sources.In addition to the clear advantage ofwood as biomass resource, the U.S. Northeasthas abundant forest resources currentlyavailable. Through the promotionof wood as a raw material for a biorefinerywe can encourage healthy forestry practicesas well. Companies are motivated bytheir economic needs and ability to maintainthe forests as healthy and productiveand the development of an outlet for lowergrade biomass wood can permit timberstand improvement operations that wouldof otherwise be uneconomic.WOOD-BASED BIOREFINERYCOMPETENCE REQUIREMENTSThe Twenty-First century is envisioned tobecome the “age of biology” as sustainablebiomass resources replace non-renewablepetroleum in energy and industrial productapplications [8, 9]. Motivated by concernsover national energy security, globalCO 2 emission reduction, an evolving needfor biodegradable products, andenhanced rural economic development,the engineering and construction of“biorefineries” is now a critical nationalpriority. Wood is the preferred raw material.The vision of a “wood-based” biorefinerybecoming a commercial reality willrequire the following core competencies:1) Development of fast-growing woodyspecies that can be used year-round as thebiorefinery feedstock. These feedstocksshould enjoy “life cycle” energy benefitscompared to alternative biomassresources such as dedicated agriculturalcrops and offer continuity over agriculturalresidues.2) Efficient pretreatment and separationscenarios for woody biomass that provideat least three major process streams forthe biorefinery: cellulose, hemicellulosesand lignin.3) Creation of a value-added portfolio offuels, chemicals, and materials from eachof the three biorefininery process streamsthat mimic the diverse product slate characteristicof today’s petroleum refineries.Although cellulose fiber is profitablyexploited by the paper industry, the hemicellulosesand lignin components of woodare generally underutilized.At SUNY ESF, we have been activelyengaged in developing the competenciesand filling the gaps between the commercialbiorefinery and technology requirements.The learning has currently beentaken to bench and pilot scale and we areplanning the industrial scale applicationsthat this paper presents. The currentprogress proposed for application is aresult of work from more than 12 facultymembers in four different faculties/departments at ESF. The research supporthas been provided by the Empire StateFIG. 1. Schematic of chemicals andenergy from renewable feedstock.Paper Research Institute (ESPRI) and thefinancial support for some of the pilotplant work has been provided by the VPP(Value Prior to Pulp) consortium of eightcompanies from the AF&PA.MATCHING CHALLENGESWITH EXPERTISESuccess of the biorefinery will rely on thecompetencies of participating companiesand individuals to match the operationalrequirements of a forest based biorefinery.Since the inception of the hot-water basedwood biorefinery concept at SUNY ESF, wehave been working towards the reality ofsuch a biorefinery process application. Thechallenges and competencies are matchedto companies or industry sectors that caneasily adapt to the process requirements, ifthey are not already possessed, to ensure ahigh probability of success:1) The competencies in wood growing,procurement, chipping / pretreatment,chemical processing are found in thePulp and Paper Industry;2) The competencies of willow biomassgrowing, harvesting and burning arefound among Farmers and in the WoodFuel Industry;3) The competencies of fermentation ofsugars to products and marketing arefound in the Ethanol Industry.These matches between needs andcompetencies are found in New York:1) Conventional Wood Processing forPulp and Paper in Ticonderoga, NewYork;2) Biomass Willow growing and burning -New York Field Trials in Tully, New Yorkand Lyon Falls, New York;3) Fermentation of sugars to productsand marketing in Fulton, New York at theNortheast Biofuels facility.The match of expertise from each participatingcompany reflects the majorobjectives of the first wood-based biorefinery:cellulose for fiber/pulp/paper,hemicelluloses / extractives for ethanoland chemicals, and lignin for energy [10].In the green electrical power case the celluloseand lignin are both used for energy.Locating the companies / facilities thatmatch the required competencies of awood biorefinery completes the first steptoward erecting the first wood-basedbiorefinery in New York.48 • 107:6 (2006) • PULP & PAPER CANADA

iorefiningT152PLAN OF ACTIONWith the required competencies identified,the companies are coordinated toerect the first wood-based biorefinery inNew York. The reality of the SUNY ESFstyle biorefinery is well under its way ofimplementation. The following actionsare scheduled for immediate implementationin 2006:1) Extraction and separation of woodsugars at ESF pilot, Syracuse, New York;2) Burning of extracted wood at Lyonsdale,New York;3) Ethanol from wood sugars at ESF Pilot,Syracuse, New York;4) Northeast Biofuels reconfigurationbegun, Fulton, New York.And in the coming two years, implementing5) Extraction and separation of woodsugars at Ticonderoga, New York;6) Burning of extracted wood at Lyonsdale,New York;7) Pilot scale ethanol from wood sugarsat Northeast Biofuels, Fulton, New York.And in the third year8) Commercial scale extraction and separationof wood sugars at Ticonderoga, NewYork and shipping to Fulton, New York;9) Commercial extraction and burning atLyonsdale, New York and shipping woodsugars to Fulton, New York;10) Ethanol from Ticonderoga andLyonsdale Wood Sugars produced atNortheast Biofuels, Fulton, New York.The plan has been set in motion by allthe participating partners who see economicbenefit in their business models.This development will be a success as longas each company continues to see theimportance in their profitability. Whilethere is a penalty of added cost due to thetransportation of sugars from the extractionsites to the ethanol production site,the unique “three sites” approach is chosenfor a speedy implementation of thefirst wood-based biorefinery. The risks areshared among the participants and thecompetencies are matched to minimizethe risk at each site. The experiencelearned from the “three sites” can beadapted to improve the overall “structure”and each site is prepared to implement an“independent” wood-based biorefinery.WHY BIOREFINERY NOWTable 1 shows the national targets set byNRC for the bio-based products in theUnited States of America. While most liquidfuels and chemicals are currently notbio-based, a dramatic increase is beingpursued. To meet the national targets, wemust begin acting today to secure the successof the bio-based industry.To lessen the nation’s dependence onpetroleum, bio- or plant-based chemicaland fuel industries must be quickly begunso that the evolution of an integrated biobasedindustry can be accomplished whileTABLE I. Estimated current levels and targets for a national bio-based industry [8].Bio-Product Current 2020 2090Liquid Fuels 1-2% 10% 50%Chemicals 10% 25% >90%Materials 90 % 95% 99%Based on NRC Report - 2000it is still possible without resorting to crisisdriven actions. This urgent need to beginhas been the main driver for the speedyimplementation of the ESF wood-basedbiorefinery.WHY - PAPER INDUSTRYThe involvement of the paper industry inthe biorefinery is not only for nationalenergy security strategic reasons, but forthe success and survival of the industry aswell. Traditionally, the paper industry utilizescellulose for paper and lignin forenergy. Despite the combination of paperand energy, the paper industry has hadlow profitability for over 15 years. Thepaper industry must look to other initiativesto change the overall profitabilityand enhance their ability to survive.The Kraft process is the most widelyused chemical pulping technology utilizingwood. Up to 20% of wood weight, in theform of hemicelluloses, is removed fromthe fibers during Kraft cooking. Thedegraded hemicelluloses, in the blackliquor, have a heating value of 13.6 MJ / kgwhich is about half that of lignin at 25 MJ/ kg [11]. Therefore, a potentially highervalue use of hemicelluloses would be toextract them as monomers or oligomersprior to pulping, followed by conversion tohigher value-added products such asethanol, polymers and chemicals.By inserting a new process in front ofthe digester to extract hemicelluloses,which can then be converted to ethanol,PHA’s, and other bioproducts, and recoveringacetic acid, one can enhance theoverall energy efficiency of the kraft process.The estimated profit increase for acomplete paper industry application is$3.3 Billion per year [12]. Total productionwas estimated at 1.9 Billon gallons ofethanol and 600 Million gallons of aceticacid can be produced for an industry-wideapplication [12].WHY - WOOD BURNINGINDUSTRYThe wood burning industry has marginaleconomics and only the lowest cost andquality wood is affordable. Evolutionarychange is possible in the wood burningindustry using the SUNY ESF biorefineryconcept. Wood costs presently range fromapproximately $40 to $ 80 per dry ton, or$0.02 - $0.04 / dry pound. Extraction canbe achieved at 15% of mass recoveredwith two thirds as wood sugars and theremaining one third as acetic acid/extrac-tives. Presently, sugars can be priced at aminimum of $0.07 / pound and aceticacid / extractives at $0.30 / pound, whichrenders $0.07 2 ⁄3 + $0.30 1 ⁄3 = $ 0.146per pound for the mass recovered. Theextraction produces value for the 300pounds recovered from one ton of woodat $43.80 which equates to half to all ofthe wood cost. Therefore, the residue canbe then burned with cost reduction that islikely to be greater than the mass lost.WHY - WOOD SUGARETHANOL PRODUCTIONIN FULTON NEW YORKWhile corn has been the current choicefor ethanol in the U.S.A., there is limitedsupply in New York. The limited productionof corn in New York is largely dedicatedto dairy use. Most commodity cornis shipped from the American Mid-West.Therefore, local corn is limited as rawmaterial for ethanol in New York andmuch of the corn to be used has a significanttransportation cost to be absorbed.Corn market price fluctuations are aserious business risk for corn based ethanolin New York, particularly with the incrementaltransportation cost needed. Sugarsource diversification has beneficial shortterm and long term impact on the businessmodel. Wood sugars that are producedfrom locally grown woody feed stocks areprojected to be lower in cost. The forestryoriginated sugars are free-from seasonaleffects and can provide buffering for cyclicannual growth events in agriculturallyderived sugars. Near Fulton, there areabundant low cost hardwood forests in theadjacent Tug Hill Plateau and excellentbiomass willow growing potential on theLake Ontario Plains. Therefore, woodderived sugars are natural complement forcorn derived sugars for ethanol productionat Fulton, New York.PLAYERSSince the concept of a biorefinery wasformed at the Empire State PaperResearch Institute and the Faculty of PaperScience and Engineering, SUNY ESF, wehave been searching for competent andwilling partners to make the biorefinery areality. Agreements have been put in placeby the participants to work closely togetherto ensure the success of the first woodbasedbiorefinery in New York. Here arethe partners in the SUNY ESF biorefinery:1) International Paper in Ticonderoga,New York;PULP & PAPER CANADA • 107:6 (2006) • 49

T153biorefining2) Catalyst Renewables, Lyonsdale Biomass in Lyons Falls, NewYork;3) Northeast Biofuels in Fulton, New York;4) SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNYCenter for Sustainable and Renewable Energy, Syracuse Centerof Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems;5) Case-New Holland USA, a critical industrial partner inBiomass Willow harvesting equipment development.Each partner has one or more defined competencies for theoperations of a wood-based biorefinery. With all the requiredcompetencies identifiable among the participants, the biorefineryis set to become a reality.SUNY ESF BIOREFINERYSalient features of, and technologies required to make the SUNYESF Biorefinery a success are summarized as following:1) Use conventional wood chips and preserve structure in process;2) Low cost woody biomass fractionation;3) Environmentally preferable system that preserves currentuses of residual wood chips;4) Water is used as the solvent;5) Easy to clean up sugar extract;6) Easy separation of valuable co-products;7) Pentose fermentation commercialization needed;8) Use membrane and filtration as the main separation technology.The unique aspect of the ESF biorefinery is the use of wateras solvent in extracting hemicelluloses and extractives. Comparedwith other chemicals, water is not toxic, yet abundant andrelatively easy to clean up. Additional chemicals are not requiredfor the subsequent purification of the wood extract components.Equally important is the use of membrane as the main separation/ purification technology. As a result, this technology helpsto ensure low energy consumption and high product value.CONCLUSIONSESF biorefinery is taking shape in New York. The first woodbasedbiorefinery will be a collaborate efforts of a few companiesfrom different industries. The paper industry, ethanol industry,and wood fuel industry are crucial participants.In conclusion: 1) Wood holds great promise as the “Biorefinery”feedstock of choice; 2) Cellulose, Hemicelluloses, andLignin will all enjoy broad utilization; 3) Advances in separationssystems, biotechnology, biomass gasification, silviculture,and agro-forestry will establish the 21st century and beyond asthe “Age of Wood”; 4) Future Paper Industry - Cellulose forPaper and Lignin for Energy with Hemicelluloses andextractable such as acetic acid, turpentine, fatty acids etc. forNew Materials; 5) Wood burning industry - Lignin as Fuel andall other components for New Materials; 6) Purpose-built Biorefinery- All components available for New Materials.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe author is indebted to the Empire State Paper Research Institute(ESPRI) for financial and research support. Gratefulacknowledgement for the help and support in the developmentand research of the concepts in this paper is given to: Drs. A.J.Stipanovic, B.V. Ramarao, R.C. Francis, Y.-Z. Lai, G.M. Scott, S.Liu, T.A. Volk; Mr. C. Wood; Drs. J.P. Nakas, T.M. Keenan, E.H.White, W.T. Winter; Ms. K. Balag, Mr. T. Bolton, Mr. A. Mittal,and Mr. V. Barber.REFERENCES1. Donald L. Klass 1998 Biomass for Renewable Energy, Fuels, and Chemicals, AcademicPress: New York.2. Lee R. Raymond 2003 “Petroleum’s Next Century - Performance, Progress &Propsperity”, Oil & Money 2003 / 24th Annual Conference, Claridge’s Hotel, London,UK, Nov. 4, 2003.3. T.M. Keenan, S.W. Tanenbaun, A.J. Stipanovic, and J.P. Naka 2004 “Productionand Characterization of Poly-(-hydroxyalkanoate Copolymers from Burkholderiacepacia Utilizing Xylose and Levulinic Acid, Biotechnol. Prog. 20: 1697-1704.4. http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/reps/abstracts/ northeast.html5. Lanny D. Schmidt, The Engineering of Chemical Reactions, 2nd Ed., p. 532, Oxford:New York, 2005.6. Egon Glesinger, The Coming Age of Wood, Simon and Schuster: New York, 1949.7. A. Shrinath, U. Tschirner and S. Ramaswamy, 2003 “Economics and Feasibilityof a Greenfield Cereal Straw Market Pulp Mill”, Pulp & Paper Canada, 104(10):T243-T2468. Biobased Industrial Products - Priorities for Research and Commercialization, NationalResearch Council, National Academy Press: Washington, DC, 2000.9. “The Biobased Economy of the Twenty-First Century: Agriculture Expanding intoHealth, Energy, Chemicals and Materials”, NABC Report 12, Eaglesham, A., Brown,W. F. and Hardy, R. W. E., Eds; National Agricultural Biotechnology Council, 2000.10. Thomas E. Amidon, “Extracting Value Prior to Pulping”, panel presentationduring the Forest Biorefinery: A More Compelling and Profitable Business Modelsession, 2005 TAPPI Engineering, Pulping, and Environmental Conference,August 31, 2005, Philadelphia, PA.11. J. Gullichsen and C.-J. Fogelbolm 2000 Chemical Pulping, Book 6B, PapermakingScience and Technology, Fapet Oy: Helsinki, Finland.12. Del Raymond and Ben Thorp, “Agenda 2020: Delivering value, improvingindustry economics,” Solutions! February 2004.Résumé: La présente communication porte sur l’application desconcepts du bioraffinage ESF et de la technologie actuelle à l’industriede l’État de New York. L’application prévue relie au moins troisentreprises industrielles afin de réduire le temps de pratique. Déterminerles forces des entreprises participantes et les compétences requisespour le bioraffinage du bois représente la première étape qui feradu bioraffinage une réalité. L’utilité possible des applications d’extractiond’hémicellulose à base aqueuse tant à l’industrie du papier qu’àl’industrie du bois combustible fait l’objet de discussion.Reference: AMIDON, T. The Biorefinery in New York: WoodyBiomass Into Commercial Ethanol. Pulp & Paper Canada 107(6): T150-153 (June 2006).Paper presented at the 92nd Annual Meeting in Montreal,QC, February 6-10, 2006. Not to be reproduced without permissionof PAPTAC. Manuscript received January 11, 2006. Revised manuscriptapproved for publication by the Review Panel on March 22, 2006.Keywords: BIOTECHNOLOGY, BIOMASS, ETHANOL, NEWYORK, HEMICELLULOSE,50 • 107:6 (2006) • PULP & PAPER CANADA