Ethanol and global warming

A recently released study examining the impact of corn-to-ethanol production on greenhouse gas emissions assessed the global warming impact (GWI) of ethanol produced at an Illinois ethanol plant. The analysis was performed using a model developed by Argonne National Laboratory.1

Steffen Mueller, senior research economist at the University of Illinois Chicago, based the study on the Illinois River Energy Center (IRE) near Rochelle, IL., which produces 58 million gallons of ethanol yearly. The plant is typical of a modern biorefinery with a natural gas fire boiler, optimized heat recovery systems and direct fired dryers. The results of the study show that the global warming impact of IRE produced ethanol is 40% lower than that of gasoline. 2

This reduction is a consequence of improvements in farming technology that result in high corn yields, low on-farm energy consumption and low energy use at the biorefinery. Central to the findings of the study is the practice of conservation tillage. By minimizing their tillage, farmers reduce the amount of fuel used and the untilled land sequesters large amounts of greenhouse gases.3 An additional benefit unrelated to this study is that conservation tillage greatly reduces soil erosion, thereby preserving fresh water sources.4

Mueller states that the ethanol industry is exploring advanced technologies “that may further reduce the GWI of its ethanol product.”5

1 The Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) Model http://www.transportation.anl.gov/modeling_simulation/GREET/index.html

2, 3, 5 Mueller’s study can be downlowded at http://www.ilcorn.org/internal.php?qvprofile&id213&date&bannerresources

4 For additional information on conservation tillage http://www.conservationinformation.org/?action=learningcenter_core4_convotill

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