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Ethanol: A piece of the puzzle for energy needs
Meeting U.S. energy needs while reducing our dependence on foreign oil presents a challenge to the entire country. While there is no simple solution, there are many options that can be a part of the solution, and ethanol made from corn and other crops provides one of those options. "Ethanol is a partial solution to our future energy needs," says Bill Becker, food industry and ethanol consultant and former president and CEO of Lifeline Foods. "Energy efficiency and the environment will continue to be important factors and ethanol can play an extremely important role as it is renewable and it burns cleaner than gasoline. If production agriculture and seed technology companies continue to make advances, grain production capacity will again exceed demand and allow for increased blend percentages." Ethanol can be produced from many feedstocks because it essentially works on conversion of sugar. The first stage of the process utilizes enzymes to break the product down into sugar. In ethanol made from corn, which is the most common feedstock used in the United States, the first stage is to mill the kernel and break the starch into fine particles. Enzymes are then introduced to digest and convert the sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide, leaving protein as the residual product. The residual byproducts can be significant as it allows the corn used in ethanol to still provide feed and food to the world. There are current and future technologies that allow for greater utilization of both starch and protein for human and animal consumption. One example of this is extracting the high-value starch from the kernel for food prior to the ethanol process and processing the low-value starch into ethanol. Lifeline Foods in St. Joseph, Mo., applies this technology. "The agricultural and ethanol industries continue to advance, allowing consumers the comfort of a stable and reliable food supply," says Becker. "Many of these advances would not have come about if the ethanol industry did not provide economic incentives for research and growth. As we move forward with technology and increase production capacity, we should work toward a balance that stabilizes supply and demand issues surrounding agriculture to serve the needs of all stakeholders." Ethanol provides several advantages to stakeholders. For consumers, ethanol has a high octane, allowing a cleaner and more thorough burning of the gasoline it is mixed with, which is good for the environment. In addition, it is very price competitive, generally marketed below the price of gasoline and reduces the demand for foreign oil, forcing our foreign suppliers to remain competitive and reducing the overall cost for gasoline and other fossil fuels. For American farmers, ethanol is another market for their crops, which helps keep them viable and helps ensure the long-term food supply for consumers. "Prior to the expansion of the ethanol industry, U.S. agriculture had excess production capacity," says Becker. "This drove grain prices excessively low for extended periods of time and threatened the viability of the industry." Ethanol does face challenges. Less British thermal units (BTUs) result in fewer miles per gallon in higher blends, like E-85. Infrastructure and transportation issues and consumer perceptions also present challenges, but overall the future looks bright, says Becker. "The ability to extract additional food and feed protein, the ability to incorporate cellulose conversion in the process and the ability of U.S. agriculture to respond with enhanced production capacity all show tremendous promise," says Becker. "The upside market potential for ethanol can grow to a level of 25 percent to 30 percent of all gasoline utilized in the U.S. and remain a highly efficient alternative to fossil fuels." To make that market growth reality, improvements need to be made in consumer education, farm technology, transportation infrastructure, additional ethanol processing capacity and efficiency, cellulosic conversion and food extraction. As some of these improvements continue to be made, ethanol can be one piece in the energy independence puzzle. To learn more about ethanol's potential, come to the Food and Fuel Forum at the 2010 Western Farm Show Feb. 19 to 21. For more information, visit www.westernfarmshow.com.
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