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Potential Air Emission Impacts of Cellulosic Ethanol Production at Seven Demonstration Refineries in the United States
Citation:
JONES, D. L. Potential Air Emission Impacts of Cellulosic Ethanol Production at Seven Demonstration Refineries in the United States. Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association. Air & Waste Management Association, Pittsburgh, PA, 60(9):1118-1143, (2010).
Impact/Purpose:
journal article
Description:
This paper reports on the estimated potential air emissions as found in air permits and supporting documentation for seven of the first group of pre-commercial or Ademonstration@ U.S. cellulosic ethanol refineries currently operating or planning to operate in the near future. These seven refineries are designed to produce from 330,000 to 100 million gallons of ethanol per year. The overall average estimated air emission rates for criteria, hazardous, and greenhouse gas pollutants are shown here in terms of tons per year and pounds per gallon of ethanol produced. Water use rates estimated for cellulosic ethanol refineries are also noted. The air emissions are then compared to similar estimates from a U.S. cellulosic ethanol pilot plant, a commercial Canadian cellulosic ethanol refinery, four commercial U.S. corn ethanol refineries and U.S. petroleum refineries producing gasoline. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air pollution rules that may apply to cellulosic ethanol refineries are also discussed. Using the lowest estimated emission rates from these cellulosic ethanol demonstration facilities to project air emissions, the U.S. EPA=s major source thresholds for criteria and hazardous air pollutants might not be exceeded by cellulosic ethanol refineries that produce as high as 25 million gallons per year of ethanol (95 million liters). Emissions are expected to decrease at cellulosic ethanol refineries as the process matures and becomes more commercial viable.
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Potential Air Emission Impacts of Cellulosic Ethanol Production at Seven Demonstration Refineries in the United States (PDF, NA pp, 192 KB, about PDF)Journal Access
