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Photo from Office of Energy Efficiency andamp; Renewable EnergyThe U.S. Department of Energy released its 2023 Billion-Ton Report on March 15, showing that the nation could sustainably triple its production of biomass to over one billion per year. This is the fourth report in a series of assessments of potential biomass resources in the U.S. since 2005, finding that one billion tons of biomass would satisfy 100 percent of the projected demand for airplane fuel in the country and allow the U.S. to fully decarbonize the aviation industry with SAF.
Clean energy solutions like biomass are a critical way to achieving long-term decarbonization goals and are a crucial part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda."President Biden is dedicated to building a thriving bioeconomy that benefits all Americans and ensures everyone from farmers and scientists to healthcare professionals and engineers can play a leading role in our clean energy future," U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said. "The Billion-Ton Report shows that America is poised to lead the world in the emerging renewable biomass industry—unlocking exciting economic opportunities for agricultural and rural communities and helping advance the sustainable fuels we need to cut harmful emissions and deliver healthier communities across the nation."Decarbonizing American transportation is dependent on an increase in the production of renewable biomass for use in liquid fuel and bio-based chemicals. The report indicates that the U.S. uses about 342 million tons of biomass, including corn grain for ethanol and wood/wood waste for heat and power. This meets about five percent of America's annual energy demand. The country can triple its production of biomass and produce an estimated 60 billion gallons of low greenhouse gas liquid fuels and still meet the projected demand for food, feed, fiber, conventional forest products and exports. The currently unavailable and unused biomass resources can add about 350 million tons of additional biomass per year above the current uses and double the U.S. bioeconomy.
Additional advances in technology can lead to evolving and emerging resources that represent additional biomass potential. This recent analysis has ensured sustainable outcomes by accounting for the potential risks to soil, air and water quality, water availability and the need to protect America's forests and biodiversity. The report analyzed the biomass production capacity of about 60 resources, many of which have never been a part of the Billion-Ton assessment in the past. These resources include winter oilseed crops, trees and brush harvested from forests to prevent wildfires, macroalgae like seaweed cultivated in ocean farms, and carbon dioxide from industrial plants. The BT23 report found that the wide dispersion and variety of these resources will ensure the benefits of expanded biomass production extend to both rural and urban areas.
Expanding the domestic production of sustainable biomass supports the Biden-Harris Administration's approach to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and bolsters the U.S. international leadership in clean energy. This will also support the SAF Grand Challenge, which aims to reduce life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from SAF by 50 percent compared to conventional fuel, as well as the Clean Fuels andamp; Products Energy Earthshot, which aims to decarbonize the fuel and chemical industry with alternative sources of carbon.RELATED STORY:SAF production doubled this year, projections for 2024 fall short of rising demands
In December, the International Air Transport Association projected SAF production to triple in 2024. With a high demand for alternative fuels, the increase in SAF production would only account for half of the industry's fuel needs. Increasing the number of resources used to create fuel could help meet the growing demand for SAF and clean energy sources.