Transaction Description:
CURRENTLY, MORE THAN 9 MILLION METRIC TONS OF HYDROGEN IS PRODUCED ANNUALLY IN THE USA, TYPICALLY FOR USE IN OIL REFINING, CHEMICAL PRODUCTION AND METALS MANUFACTURING. MOST HYDROGEN IS PRODUCED USING STEAM METHANE REFORMING WHICH IS REFERRED TO AS GREY HYDROGEN BECAUSE THE PROCESS IS ENERGY INTENSIVE AND RELEASES SIGNIFICANT GREENHOUSE GAS INTO THE ENVIRONMENT. IN FACT, THE PRODUCTION OF FOSSIL FUEL-DERIVED HYDROGEN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 830 MILLION TONNES OF CO2 EMISSIONS PER YEAR, EQUIVALENT TO THE CO2 EMISSIONS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND INDONESIA COMBINED .ETHANOL IS AN IMPORTANT CANDIDATE AS A CHEMICAL CARRIER OF HYDROGEN. NOT ONLY IS IT LESS HAZARDOUS THAN OTHER HYDROCARBON SOURCES, LIKE GASOLINE AND METHANOL, BUT IT CAN BE PRODUCED FROM A VARIETY OF BIOMASS SOURCES. BIOETHANOL, PRODUCED BY THE FERMENTATION OF SUGAR CANE, CORN GRAINS, AND OTHER STARCH-RICH MATERIALS, IS A WELL UNDERSTOOD MANUFACTURING PROCESS THAT CONTINUES TO EVOLVE THROUGH INNOVATION. EIA DATA SHOW THAT THE U.S. ETHANOL INDUSTRY PRODUCED 15.02 BILLION GALLONS IN 2021, AN 8 PERCENT INCREASE OVER 2020 AND THE LARGEST ANNUAL VOLUME GROWTH SINCE 2010. DOMESTIC ETHANOL CONSUMPTION GREW EVEN FASTER, JUMPING 1.26 BILLION GALLONS OVER 2020 LEVELS--A 10 PERCENT INCREASE.ETHANOL PRODUCTION CREATES JOBS IN RURAL AREAS WHERE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ARE NEEDED. ACCORDING TO THE RENEWABLE FUELS ASSOCIATION, ETHANOL PRODUCTION IN 2020 ACCOUNTED FOR MORE THAN 62,000 DIRECT JOBS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, $35 BILLION TO THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, AND $19 BILLION IN HOUSEHOLD INCOME.RAPID ELECTRIC VEHICLE GROWTH AND THE CORRESPONDING DECLINE IN GASOLINE CONSUMPTION COUPLED WITH CONTINUED POLITICAL OPPOSITION TO THE RENEWABLE FUEL STANDARD (RFS) ARE THREATS TO THE ETHANOL INDUSTRY.IN THIS PROJECT WE INVESTIGATE HOW ETHANOL CAN SERVE AS AN IMPORTANT FEEDSTOCK FOR THE DISTRIBUTED (POINT OF USE) PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN. THIS IS RELEVANT FOR FUEL CELL-POWERED HEAVY-DUTY EQUIPMENT (INCLUDING AGRICULTURAL), FORKLIFTS, CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AND AS A SOURCE OF HYDROGEN FOR REMOTE POWER GENERATION. GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS DEVELOPMENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE GOALS AND THE COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ETHANOL PRODUCERS AND THE FARMERS THAT SUPPORT THEM, WE SUBMITTED THISTHE PROPOSAL FOR FUNDING TO THE USDA UNDER TOPIC AREA 8.8 BIOFUELS AND BIOBASED PRODUCTS; RESEARCH PRIORITY 2: NEW PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS, CHEMICALS OR BIOFUELS.
