Experts consider forests are a better source for alternative fuel than corn

Nov 28, 2007. /Lesprom Network/. As oil prices rise and the debate over ethanol intensifies, trees are emerging as a better source for alternative fuel than corn, an expert in the forest products industry said. “The future of ethanol resides in the organic feedstock used to produce the fuel, and Southern forests are positioned to be a key component of the country’s future energy needs,” said Scott Twillmann, senior analyst for Charlotte, N.C.-based Forest2Market. For years, corn has been the leading ethanol source because of its mass availability and advanced refining process. However, woody biomass – a feedstock that includes tree limbs, leaves and other forest byproducts – is emerging as a viable, plentiful and more efficient source for ethanol. Advances in cellulosic ethanol technology could turn wood chips and sawdust into fuel for cars without impacting food prices, but the refining process is costly and complex. The technology to make it competitive with gasoline is still being developed. Nevertheless, a biofuel company in Treutlen County, Ga., recently began building what could become the first commercially viable cellulosic ethanol production facility in the U.S. Other companies are considering plans to build similar facilities in the South. Critics of corn ethanol say it’s flawed because it takes almost as much energy to produce as it yields as a fuel. Corn ethanol is also blamed for increasing food prices because farmers, driven by high returns and government incentives, convert fields to plant corn instead of other crops. In fact, reports show that farmers may have planted too much corn this year. Refineries are cutting back production because ethanol prices have declined while operating costs have risen. “Portions of this year’s crop will likely go to waste as farmers struggle to find grain storage for the record volume,” Twillmann said. “Unlike corn, trees can be harvested throughout the year, and timber companies don’t have to deal with storage issues.” As technology advances, biomass is likely to share more and more of the market with corn. But, even if biomass becomes widely successful, corn ethanol will continue to be used in corn growing states where the distance from the field to the pump is short.