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Replacing liquid fossil fuels and hydrocarbon chemical feedstocks with liquid biofuels from large-scale nuclear biorefineries

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  • Forsberg, C.W.
  • Dale, B.E.
  • Jones, D.S.
  • Hossain, T.
  • Morais, A.R.C.
  • Wendt, L.M.

Abstract

Liquid fossil fuels (1) enable transportation and (2) provide energy for mobile work platforms and (3) supply dispatchable energy to highly variable demand (seasonal heating and peak electricity). We describe a system to replace liquid fossil fuels with drop-in biofuels including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Because growing biomass removes carbon dioxide from the air, there is no net addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere from burning biofuels. In addition, with proper management, biofuel systems can sequester large quantities of carbon as soil organic matter, improving soil fertility and providing other environmental services. In the United States liquid biofuels can potentially replace all liquid fossil fuels. The required system has two key features. First, the heat and hydrogen for conversion of biomass into high-quality liquid fuels is provided by external low-carbon energy sources--nuclear energy or fossil fuels with carbon capture and sequestration. Using external energy inputs can almost double the energy content of the liquid fuel per unit of biomass feedstock by fully converting the carbon in biomass into a hydrocarbon fuel. Second, competing effectively with fossil fuels requires very large biorefineries—the equivalent of a 250,000 barrel per day oil refinery. This requires commercializing methods for converting local biomass into high-density storable feedstocks that can be economically shipped to large-scale biorefineries.

Suggested Citation

  • Forsberg, C.W. & Dale, B.E. & Jones, D.S. & Hossain, T. & Morais, A.R.C. & Wendt, L.M., 2021. "Replacing liquid fossil fuels and hydrocarbon chemical feedstocks with liquid biofuels from large-scale nuclear biorefineries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:298:y:2021:i:c:s0306261921006486
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117225
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Maurício Roberto Cherubin & João Luís Nunes Carvalho & Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri & Luiz Augusto Horta Nogueira & Glaucia Mendes Souza & Heitor Cantarella, 2021. "Land Use and Management Effects on Sustainable Sugarcane-Derived Bioenergy," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-24, January.
    2. Charles A.S. Hall & Bruce E. Dale & David Pimentel, 2011. "Seeking to Understand the Reasons for Different Energy Return on Investment (EROI) Estimates for Biofuels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(12), pages 1-20, December.
    3. Gonzales, Daniela & Searcy, Erin M. & Ekşioğlu, Sandra D., 2013. "Cost analysis for high-volume and long-haul transportation of densified biomass feedstock," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 48-61.
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    Cited by:

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    4. Margarida Casau & Marta Ferreira Dias & João C. O. Matias & Leonel J. R. Nunes, 2022. "Residual Biomass: A Comprehensive Review on the Importance, Uses and Potential in a Circular Bioeconomy Approach," Resources, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-16, March.
    5. Forsberg, Charles, 2023. "What is the long-term demand for liquid hydrocarbon fuels and feedstocks?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    6. Lin, Pengmusen & Yu, Xinyu & Wang, Han & Ming, Hui & Ge, Shengbo & Liu, Fang & Peng, Haowei & Sonne, Christian & Zhang, Libo, 2023. "Life cycle assessment of bio-oil prepared from low-temperature hydrothermal oxide-catalyzed cotton stalk," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).

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