Optimization of biomass transport and logistics

Global demand for lignocellulosic biomass is growing, driven by a desire to increase the contribution of renewable energy to the world energy mix. A barrier to the expansion of this industry is that biomass is not always geographically where it needs to be, nor does it have the characteristics required for efficient handling, storage, and conversion, due to low energy density compared to fossil fuels. Technologies exist that can create a more standardized feedstock for conversion processes and decrease handling and transport costs; however, the cost associated with those operations often results in a feedstock that is too expensive. The disconnect between quantity of feedstock needed to meet bioenergy production goals, the quality required by the conversion processes, and the cost bioenergy producers are able to pay creates a need for new and improved technologies that potentially remove barriers associated with biomass use. Because of their impact on feedstock cost, feedstock location and raw physical format are key barriers to industry expansion and intercontinental trade. One approach to reducing biomass cost is to emulate the commodity fossil-fuel-based feedstocks that biomass must compete with in terms of logistics, quality, and market characteristics. This requires preprocessing the biomass to improve density, flowability, stability, consistency, and conversion performance. Making the biomass format compatible with existing high-capacity transportation and handling infrastructure will reduce the need for new infrastructure. Producing biomass with these characteristics at costs conducive to energy production requires the development of new technologies or improvements to existing ones.