Farmyard Biorefinery: Diesel Porduction from Stranded Biomass

The US is still unable to effectively convert the largest renewable carbon resource into biofuels and biochar. Corn, soy, and other row crops annually produce 500,000,000 tons of stover and straw crop residues, which is 5 times greater than any other sustainable, non-food biomass resource. Since this crop residue biomass decomposes into atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions, sustainably harvesting this biomass is the lifecycle key to producing synthetic biofuels with zero net greenhouse gas emissions because the carbon is captured upstream of biofuel production. Since conventional biofuel synthesis approaches are too expensive, three blue hydrogen enhancements are used to produce net-zero diesel & aviation fuels with drop-in replacement quality for the same costs as petroleum fuels. The biochar coproduct is also needed to improve farm soil quality and sequester carbon in the soil to support food production and security. Collaborations with agricultural and disadvantaged communities are needed to use the USĺ highest-impact renewable carbon resource. The goal of the project is to research, develop, and demonstrate a highly modular biorefinery design which can scale to the farming community level. The biorefinery design integrates commercially available equipment with the hydrogen enhancements for rapid implementation. A plan for partnering with the farmers to establish mutually beneficial collaborations and supply chains. Process modeling of patented blue hydrogen enhancements and costing analysis have supported initial projections that the net-zero product synthetic diesel & aviation fuels can directly compete with petroleum fuels even without biofuels subsidies. The farm partnership plans is designed to improve both farm profitability and soil health. Continued engineering work is needed to prepare the biorefinery design for financing by the end of the Phase II project. The modular process utilizing existing equipment will be optimized for efficiency and scalability, with a focus on maximizing biofuel yields and minimizing costs. Further research and outreach with farmers, agronomists, extension office researchers, and county offices will lead to the further development of the farm partnership plan. The successful implementation of this biorefinery design holds significant commercial potential, offering small farmers a pathway to increased profits and soil health through the utilization of crop waste residues. Beyond economic benefits, this approach promotes soil health and carbon sequestration, contributing to environmental sustainability and climate change mitigation. Moreover, by empowering small-scale farmers with access to renewable energy production, it fosters community resilience and equity, supporting a just transition to a net-zero economy.