Renewable diesel wows expert

[trof]

BAY MINETTE (AL) — Cello Energy sprouted quietly here as a truly homegrown industry. But it won't stay that way, said David Bransby, professor of energy crops and bio-energy at Auburn University.

The company has been in startup for about two months, making renewable diesel fuel from tires, hay, straw, wood chips and switchgrass. Full production should begin in March, with a goal of 20 million gallons a year, produced for well under a $1 gallon, company officials said.

Created, built and financed by the father-and-son team of Jack and Allen Boykin of Daphne, the company will "shock the world," Bransby said.

"I've been involved in this industry for 20 years and watched it evolve slowly, and there is no other technology that even comes close to what they have," Bransby said.

"It takes a long time to fully appreciate what this technology is going to mean to the U.S. and world — it's revolutionary," he added.

The Boykins' fuel calls for cellulose, the compound in the cell walls of most plants.

"We don't know of anyone else taking cellulose and turning it into diesel fuel," said Allen Boykin. "We don't turn food into fuel. We can take 15 to 20 pounds of raw material and turn it into a gallon of diesel. In 22 minutes we can do what it takes 15 to 20 million years to do in nature," said Allen Boykin, a graduate of Daphne's Bayside Academy and Huntingdon College.

"I could build one of these in the parking lot of Wal-Mart, just as quickly as we could get the equipment ordered," Allen Boykin said.
http://www.al.com/news/press-register/metro.ssf?/base/news/123460652284370.xml&coll=3

[itsrobert]

1. 15-20 LBS of Raw Materials = 1 Gallon of fuel

That's suppose to be good?

[zeemike]

2. considering that it comes from garbage yes.

And even if it was all from switch grass a bail of hay weighs 70 pounds and is worth no more than 2 dollars and would produce at least 3 gallons of fuel...you do the math.

[dkf]

3. How much fuel does it take to get the raw materials there

to make 1 gallon of diesel?

[zeemike]

5. Well I can't say for sure exactly

But if it came from 50 miles away and a truck gets 5mpg ten would be the answer. But that truck can haul tons of hay. And if you add the fuel used to cut and bail the hay you still have probably less than 20 gallons. (tractors and bailing equipment use much less than a truck)
So 5 or 6 bails of hay should pay for it.

[TexasProgresive]

6. Where you getting that 2 buck a 70 pound bale of hay factoid?

I just bought hay yesterday that was 35 to 40 pound a bale at 6 bucks.

Stop making up facts out of your head - leave that to Boilbutt and Slanthead.

[NickB79]

7. Damn, we used to sell alfalfa for $3/40 lb bale

But that was back in the 90's.

[TexasProgresive]

9. Alfalfa here is running about $9+ a bale

Now it is likely cheaper in alfalfa growing areas like New Mexico and Colorado. A few try growing in here in S.C. Texas but alfalfa weevil infestation forces a replant every year.

The prices I was giving was for a locally grown improved "hay grazer" hay which is a sweet cane type hay. Coastal Bermuda hay with about 17 to 18% protein is going for $7 to $8.00 for a 35 to 40 pound bale.

All of these hays are high quality forage that has been fertilized and in some cases irrigated.

[zeemike]

11. Well I did not just make it up

I used to sell some hay.
And my bails were about 60 pounds and for grass hay I got 50 cents in the field...but that was back in 1980s.
Now it does depend on what kind of hay you buy...Alfalfa is a lot more expensive and requires more cost to raise.
But Switch grass would be cheep and easy

[NickB79]

8. Other than the used tires, which of these is garbage?

"hay, straw, wood chips and switchgrass"?

I'll save you some time: none of these are garbage. They are biomass that's vital to maintaining the organic content and fertility of soil.

[zeemike]

12. Good point.

But I don't see combustion as andy kind of a long term plan to change our energy system.
It is in my mind a short term solution to get us to none polluting forms of energy.

[itsrobert]

10. Wouldn't prices go up with demand

Start making fuel out of hay and wouldn't the price go up on the hay?

[zeemike]

13. Probably, but it would also make marginal land productive

Without fertilizer and cultivation.

[pnorman]

4. My (uneducated) guess is that "only" 15-20 lbs. per gallon IS good.

Here's the Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switchgrass The article only mentions ethanol, but diesel probably wouldn't be a problem. It appears to be a very low-maintenance perennial, that has a lot of other pluses going for it.

pnorman