1. A Potentially Valuable Component of Texas Bioenergy Projects
Tobacco Biomass
A Potentially Valuable Component of Texas Bioenergy Projects
Great Spirit Bioenergy Partners
Bill Drake

2. Biomass Tobacco Profile for more info: bdrake@ktc.com
50-70 Tons/Acre – the most conservative case
NCSU range was low of 20 tons to high of 70 tons/acre
100+ tons/acre – reasonable expectation for Texas
Given Texas growing season, hours of sunlight, etc
Use of higher yield tobacco varieties
100 tons/acre yields 10 – 20+ tons dry weight**
tons sugars - nearly 100% are ideal sugars for biogas & ethanol
Standard biofuel conversion formulas apply
1-2 tons starches
Conversion to biofuel same as corn
4-8 tons cellulose with very favorable biofuel properties
1-4 tons F1 & F2 proteins with complete amino acid profile
** Tobacco variety, growing conditions, harvesting strategy
are all important factors

3. Basic Tobacco Biofuel Calculations for more info: bdrake@ktc.com
From 100 MT (one acre) of tobacco biomass 10-20% dry weight, or tons total breaks out to:
@ 5.5 MT 2.5 MT 8 MT cellulose
Yields are approximate because of variables like tobacco variety
Sugars an ideal profile for fermentation
90% of total cellulose (7.2 MT) is hemicellulose – lignin is 1.5%
Sugar to ethanol – conventional conversion formula (DOE)
(11,000) X (.47) X (.97) / (6.6) = 760 gallons
Starch to ethanol – conventional conversion formula (DOE)
(5290) X (.90) X (1.11) X (.47) X (.97)/6.6 = 365 gallons ethanol
So we are at 1125 gallons before we also convert the cellulose to biofuel
Hemicellulose to ethanol (DOE estimates)
gallons/ton (using reference data for cellulose from corn stalks) = 720 gallons/acre
Probably more because tobacco cellulose is 90% hemicellulose and Corn cellulose is only 28% hemicellulose
Also tobacco lignin is only 1.5%
Provisional total 1845 gallons/acre for 100 tons/acre of tobacco biomass
Even at 50 tons/acre we gallons/acre

4. Compared With Cellulosic Crops For Biofuel for more info: bdrake@ktc
Compared With Cellulosic Crops For Biofuel for more info:
High fermentable cellulose yields/acre
100 tons fresh tobacco biomass per acre yields 4-8 tons of dry weight cellulose, characterized by:
The highest proportion of hemicellulose of any major cellulosic feedstock crop, and
The lowest % lignin of any major cellulosic feedstock crop
Corn Stover 35% Tot. Cellulose % hemicellulose % Lignin
Switchgrass % Tot. Cellulose % hemicellulose % Lignin
Sugar Cane % Tot. Cellulose % hemicellulose % Lignin
Tobacco % Tot. Cellulose % hemicellulose % Lignin

5. Biofuel Feedstock Potential for more info: bdrake@ktc.com
Tobacco has far greater environmental range
Tobacco has more economic byproducts
Tobacco has more flexible crop management requirements
Tobacco doesn’t displace food crops
Can be produced on marginal land
Uses far less land per million gallons of fuel output
Compare: 50,000,000 gallon/year ethanol plant
Requires 178,000 acres of 100 Bushels/Acre
At $4.50/bushel feedstock cost is $80 million
50 Million Gallon plant would require 50,000 acres of biomass 100 tons/acre
At $10/ton for biomass tobacco feedstock cost is $50 million
Even at 50 Tons/acre biomass tobacco would only need 100,000 acres to supply a 50 million gallon plant
Processing and operating costs significantly less than corn, grain, cane etc
Perhaps possible to pay growers in fuel credits, not cash
Co-locate with tobacco-based biogas electricity, biodiesel, & co-products processing plants for added revenues & profit centers

6. Dairy Farm Biogas-Electricity Installation www.biogas-nord.com

7. Tobacco Biogas Electricity Basics – First Look At This Data
1 MW electricity generation
Requires 5681 m3 CH4 per day
Proven yield = 550M3/day of total biogas per ton of fresh tobacco
This from a Virginia/Burley mix; other varieties likely higher yield
5681 m3 of methane = 550 m3 biogas/ton MOS tobacco * 55% (methane content) * 18% (solid matter) * 92 % (biodegradability) = 114 wet tons fresh tobacco/day
400 acres/year 100 tons/acre
Ideal substrate composition = 70% tobacco/30% manure
2 MW = 56,000 wet tons/year or 560 acres at 100 tons/acre
Less than 2X acreage of a 1MW plant due to engine efficiencies
Larger generator engine, more KW per M3 of biogas
4 MW = 110,000 wet tons/year or 1100 acres at 100 tons/acre
Less than 4X acreage of a 1 MW plant due to engine efficiencies
Relatively small acreage requirement allows rotation from year to year even in very small communities

8. Biogas - Unlocking Value from Waste
Tobacco Biomass xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
550 M3/Ton

9. Potential Model for Rural Texas Biogas Electric
Low cost decentralized uninterruptible electricity production
Existing Rural Electric & Agricultural Coops become electric power producers
For local consumption and as export energy product
Farmers provide biomass for electricity credits and/or cash
No new grid connections needed
Unlike wind-generated electricity
Sell excess into existing grid for urban users
Operate one plant for power, one plant for revenue?
Redundancy
If biomass tobacco supply is interrupted for any reason the biogas electricity plant can operate on 100% manure
Reduced capital & operating costs over conventional electric power generation
Utilize existing energy distribution infrastructure
Shortened pay-back period compared with conventional power generation options
Power generation independent from rising fuel costs

10. Complete Rural Energy Solution? Community Energy Cooperative
Community owned co-located cooperative biogas electric, small-scale ethanol, biodiesel, and co-product processing plants
1100 acres biomass 100 tons/acre for single 4 MW biogas electricity plant
All capital and operating costs established
8 months to turnkey electricity
Operates above breakeven selling power to coop members at $0.12/Kwh after paying growers with electricity credits
Not calculating tax credits, incentives, grants etc
5000 acres biomass gallons/acre = 7.5 million gallons/year ( ,000 miles/year)
Capital requirements & operating costs TBD
Ethanol output cost may be > $1/gallon
Also provides “insurance” for biogas electric facility
Role of biodiesel needs to be studied – synergies are clear.
Co-products would add to ‘community energy coop’ bottom line
Could pay for conversion of all vehicles to use E-85
Can bioenergy revenues replace property taxes as a revenue source for government services in small communities?