New Directions for Biorenewables

Pennsylvania has long been a leader in bio-based energy and biomaterials from forest to farm, but what are the future trends and possibilities for growth in this critical sector? The 2024 Bio Renewables symposium was held Friday, April 19, 2024, on the Penn State University campus to address this and related questions. The Symposium brought together researchers and industry leaders on the bio economy to discuss the potential opportunities and challenges in the space.

The Symposium started with keynote speaker Lola Ben-Alon, professor of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation from Columbia University, who discussed the potential to use bio-based materials for construction. While biomaterials (especially wood) have been a traditional building material for generations, modern buildings often feature less sustainable mineral- and petroleum-based construction. Researchers are rethinking that trend as society seeks to improve the sustainability of the built environment. These materials include farming products like hemp, straw, and other fibrous materials that can be used to produce biobased construction materials. Professor Ben-Alon discussed how these materials are not just better for our environment than traditional building materials but also have advantages in health and humidity control and longevity with proper maintenance. She noted, "Just as we are what we eat, the spaces we live in also affect our lives and health." With the need for fibrous materials for building materials, furniture, and other structures, perennial grasses could see a market created for their use.

The second keynote speaker highlighted another opportunity for bio-renewal production, namely corn production, in the ethanol production process. CEO of Western New York Energy (WYNE), Tim Winters, spoke about his partnership with farmers to produce bio ethanol from the corn kernel. Other products can be produced from the process, as well as other parts of the corn. These products include dairy-distilled grains and corn oil as feed for farm animals in the community, food-grade carbon dioxide, and distilled corn stover pellets. One of the fascinating developments he shared is the push towards making their facility zero or even negative carbon soon by improving their factory processes and working with farmers to develop more efficient growing and harvesting techniques. 

Tom Foust of the National Renewable Energy Lab was the third keynote speaker, and he shared some important insights based on his career working with renewable energy and biofuels. He suggested that the time has come for a fundamental shift in the way we approach Biorenewables and challenged those in attendance to change their mindset from one of replacement to one of improvement, from "What are the things we can make?" to "What do people need, and how do we come up with something better?" 

Two-panel discussions highlighted exciting opportunities for Biorenewables, including exploring the factors that affect how Biorenewables can impact the economy, society, and ecosystem. Steph Herbstritt of the Clean Air Task Force shared the complexity and impacts of policy on the Biorenewables space. Jonathan Geyer of the Pennsylvania Hardwood Development Council outlined how better forest management could revitalize the rural economy while improving the long-term health of the state's forests. Andrzej Bialowiec pointed out the relevance of considering the challenges and opportunities of bio-based materials in our waste streams, and Judd Michael reminded us of the importance of understanding what works and what doesn't work in the business world as we seek to move towards a renewable, bio-based economy. 

Biorenewables are being pulled in two directions right now: on the one hand, society wants products that are readily biodegradable and renewable, and on the other hand, society is also calling for products that can be sequestered as stored carbon for extremely long periods. Biorenewables can address either of these needs, but dramatically different strategies are needed for those two objectives.

On the C-CHANGE project, we are focused on anaerobic digestion and the use of biomass as both a conservation practice and a feedstock for digesters. This event provided a glimpse of new partnerships and potential markets for farmers and digester operators, including some exciting highlights of our work with anaerobic digestion, cover crops, and perennial grasses. 

One topic that often comes up when discussing using perennial grasses or cover crops is that farmers may think it's great, but how can they make it pencil out financially? We may include them as digester feedstock or government funding, but selling them as a building material could be a great opportunity.

Pellets from corn crop residues that WYNE is making are especially interesting because they are made from corn stocks, leaves, and husks that would typically go to waste. These pellets can be used as a biomass heat source or, even more attractive to the C-CHANGE project, as an anaerobic digestion feedstock. 

Including anaerobic digestion into the bioethanol value chain could benefit farmers and ethanol plants even more. Ethanol plants may have the capital to invest in a digester to use the corn stover pellets as a feedstock and pay local farms for their manure to utilize the digester fully or sell the pellets to cattle or dairy farms that choose to build a digester. There may even be an additional opportunity to reduce carbon dioxide produced from RNG (Renewable Natural Gas) production, since they already make and sell carbon dioxide. This could allow farmers to access the Inflation Reduction Act carbon capture credits and invest in carbon capture technology while having a place to sell the carbon they capture.

These are just a few examples of the exciting and innovative ideas that the Biorenewable Symposium discussed. Anaerobic digestion has the potential to help farmers make profits and reduce their environmental impact, but it isn't the only solution. Digesters and perennial grasses could be used with other biorenewable solutions to yield even more significant benefits.