Energy self-sufficiency for the big Island of Hawaii. Final report

Kinderman, E.M.; Duffey-Armstrong, Marilyn; Brown, Kirk; Dickenson, R.L.; Jones, Jennifer; Meagher, P.C.; Rao, Manohar; Schooley, F.A.; Short, W.; Trexel, C.A.

doi:10.2172/5265257

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“…Electricity from wood combustion Hould be most economically generated by 20-25 ffiv facilities that consume between 400 and 500 dry tons per day. Such a base-or intermediate load plant was recently suggested for the Island of Hawaii (29). The specific capital costs required for such a plant were estimated as $1500/KW.…”

Section: Tree Cropsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomass energy conversion in Hawaii

Ritschard¹,

Ghirardi²

1981

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Organic wastes of many kinds, including municipal solid wastes, agricultural residues, and crops grown specifically for their energy~ producing potential could all be burned to produce electricity in Hawaii. Molasses, however, is the only feedstock that is likely to be available for producing alcohol over the next decade or so, barring the collapse of the international sugar market. Current estimates suggest that if all the molasses Hawaii produces were used to make ethanol, gasohol could replace 7% to 10% of the state's gasoline consumption (at 1978 levels), or some 20 to 30 million gallons a year.Leafy trash, wood and other cellulosic material could be processed into ethanol or methanol, but with present technology their best use is in direct combustion as boiler fuels, replacing another significant fraction (about 10%) of imported liquid fuels.Several things stand in the way of fully utilizing biomass as an energy source for Hawaii. Some agricultural wastes and sugar industry products and by~products are currently more valuable as human and animal food than as energy sources.Molasses, for example, is now used to manufacture beverage ethanol, industrial alcohol, and animal feed and sells for between $70 and $100 a ton. At today#s prices, the ethanol that would be made from molasses is not competitive with gasoline. Gasohol use to date has been supported by government subsidies, which are expected to continue. Gasoline would have to cost about $1.70 a gallon to make gasohol attractive or even competitive. In addition, tree crops, which are one of the most promising biomass resources avail~ able in Hawaii within our 25-year time frame, require substantial land use. It would take a political decision to support the energy market for biomass or a drastic shift in present market values to redirect existing biomass resources entirely into an energy producing program. The technical problems that currently confront such a program are no greater than the economic and political barriers.

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Section: Tree Cropsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomass energy conversion in Hawaii

Ritschard¹,

Ghirardi²

1981

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Energy self-sufficiency for the big Island of Hawaii. Final report

Cited by 1 publication

References 0 publications

Biomass energy conversion in Hawaii

Biomass energy conversion in Hawaii

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