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14 декабря, 2021
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Ethanol Production Costs and Returns
We base our ethanol facility and production assumptions on a study conducted earlier by the California Energy Commission (8). That study examined the potential for using traditional biomass sources as feedstocks for producing ethanol in California. We extend that analysis by considering nontraditional feedstock alternatives, such as California-grown corn, surplus grapes and raisins, and culled oranges and other tree fruit produced in the San Joaquin Valley. We also consider almond hulls and whey, and we use updated estimates of energy prices in our analysis.
Some of the data we use are taken from the California Energy Commission’s 2001 report (8). Other data sources include the California Department of Food and Agriculture; the Raisin Administrative Committee; the Renewable Fuels Association; and interviews with individuals in the tree fruit, citrus, almond, raisin, and grape industries.
We consider a new, 40 million-gal ethanol facility built in the San Joaquin Valley. Feedstocks for the facility include corn and surplus fruit products. Coproducts include dried distiller’s grain (DDG), and pomace, another animal feedstock. We assume that the facility operates throughout the year, using selected combinations of feedstock materials. The seasonality of biomass availability is demonstrated in Table 2. Corn and raisins are available throughout the year, because both crops can be stored after harvest (Table 2). Oranges also are available throughout the year, because we consider two varieties that are harvested at different times of the year.
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Table 3 Estimated Variable Costs of Operating a 40 Million-Gal Ethanol Facility
a Note that if the DG produced when using corn as a feedstock is dried, the natural gas cost rises to $0.310/gal and the total variable cost becomes $0.599/gal. The cost of natural gas was calculated using the following tariff structure for large commercial customers of the Pacific Gas & Electric Company (11): summer rates (April 1-October 31): $0.77888 per therm for the first 4000 therms, $0.68719 per therm for additional therms; winter rates (November 1-March 31): $0.84189 per therm for the first 4000 therms, $0.72810 per therm for additional therms. |
Other tree fruit and grapes are considered to be available only from May through October.
The estimated cost of constructing a 40 million-gal ethanol facility in the San Joaquin Valley is $55 million (9). Amortizing that investment over an expected useful life of 20 yr at a discount rate of 5% generates an amortized expense of $4.41 million/yr. Dividing that cost by the expected annual production of 40 million gal generates an average amortized cost of $0.11/gal of ethanol.