The mission of the Biofuels Center is to to facilitate and support the development of a sustainable biofuels industry across the state.  The long-term vision of the newly established Biofuels Center of North Carolina is to catalyze a new biofuels industry for North Carolina and to implement North Carolina's Strategic Plan for Biofuels Leadership. None of the millions of gallons of fuel imported into North Carolina annually contribute to the agricultural or manufacturing economy of the state.  By creating a biofuels industry, North Carolina reduces its dependence on imported fuels and ensures that a portion of the millions of dollars spent on fuel contributes to the local economy rather than leaving North Carolina.

Biofuels are any transportation or liquid fuel made from biomass (organic plant material).  This biomass has chemical energy which can be converted into fuel by various processes.

Many specialists in food policy consider government mandates for biofuels to be ill advised, saying that the diversion of crops like corn into fuel production has contributed to the higher prices. However, the critical and major driver to higher food prices is the higher cost of fossil fuel.  Other factors have also played big roles, including droughts that have limited the amount of anticipated agricultural output; rapid global economic growth that has created higher demand for protein-based food (meat); and, competition for oil in developing economies such as China and India. 

• Bioethanol
• Cellulosic ethanol
• Biobutanol
• Methanol
• Biodiesel

Ethanol is commonly produced by using yeast to convert sugar into alcohol.  In this process, a feedstock such as corn is ground into a powder.  That powder is heated and liquified into mash.  Enzymes breakdown the mash into fermentable sugars.  Yeast is then added to ferment the sugars to ethanol.  There are two byproducts.  Fuel ethanol for cars and solid residue - called distillers dried grains - which can be used to feed livestock.

Yes.  It should be noted that fossil fuels are needed to produce ethanol.  Oil is needed to harvest crops, transport the corn for processing, in the making of fertilizers and to transport the ethanol fuel.  Still, only one gallon of oil is needed to produce 12-20 gallons of ethanol.

Ethanol-enriched gasoline can power a car the same as regular gasoline.  In fact, its performance is better in some categories.  Today's cars are approved for fuel enriched with up to 10 percent ethanol and are warranted for its use.

Yes.  Ethanol is a high-octane premium fuel, which improves engine performance and prevents "knock."  Ethanol, which is a solvent, can also keep components of your car clean.

Ethanol is safe when blended with gasoline.  Most cars are approved for fuels with up to 10 percent ethanol.  Not all cars can use a higher blend, i.e. E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline).  Cars that can use either E85 or straight gasoline are Flexible-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs).  Increasingly, more of these cars are being manufactured in the U.S., but again, most cars are approved for fuels with up to 10 percent ethanol.

No. In fact, in the winter, cars can benefit from ethanol.  Ethanol tends to absorb water, which helps prevent frozen fuel lines in the winter.  Ethanol can also help keep your fuel system clean since ethanol is a solvent.

All things being equal, E85 has lower fuel economy (by 10-25%).  In E10, no measurable difference is noted.

Check your owner's manual, but most vehicles and power equipment will allow a mixture of gasoline and ethanol.

Flexible-fuel vehicles run on blends of ethanol up to 85% (E85) or straight gasoline.  Because E85 is hard to find, FFVs ability to run on straight gasoline makes FFVs more versatile.

FFVs cost about the same as their gasoline-only counterparts. 

The U.S. government provides a tax incentive for gasoline blenders to spur gasoline blending.  Gasoline blends containing 10% ethanol earn 5.1 cents of  tax credit per gallon.  The cost to the government ($2.5 billion in 2006) was offset by a decrease in crop payments to farmers due to an increase in corn prices.  Many dealers pass on the tax credit at the pump to attract consumers to their filling stations.

The ethanol tariff is imposed on most foreign ethanol imports to ensure those producers' ethanol is not subsidized by the ethanol subsidy.  (Note: Central America Free Trade Agreement has affected this measure.)

Farmers receive subsidies from the federal government if the price of corn dips below a certain level.  High production levels decrease the cost of corn.  But as demand increases, corn prices increase, which means greater income for farmers and less reliance on government for farm payments.

No.  But it does take energy to produce energy.  For instance, it takes 1.22 units of fossil energy to produce gasoline.  Meanwhile, it takes 0.76 units to produce ethanol.  The result for ethanol production is 40% less fossil energy than gasoline.  Even less fossil energy is needed to produce ethanol if renewable energy is used in processing it.  In Brazil, ethanol contains eight times the amount of energy necessary to create it.

Ethanol is transported via truck, train, and barge.  Ethanol cannot be transported through pipelines.  Ethanol, unlike oil, mixes with water.  Water accumulation is prevalent in pipelines.  Unless pipelines are cleaned and made watertight, transporting via pipeline is risky.  As ethanol supply increases, making pipelines watertight is economically viable.

Cellulosic ethanol contains more energy at potentially less cost than corn ethanol once the process for manufacturing it is improved.

The two greatest costs in making ethanol are the feedstock and the natural gas needed to process it.  When corn costs $2 per bushel, ethanol's fuel value is equal to $50-$60 per barrel of oil.  Without a subsidy, ethanol is competitive with oil at that price. With a subsidy at $2 per bushel, ethanol is competitive with oil at $30 a barrel. 

That said, the cost of corn reached $4 per bushel in 2006, and oil prices at the end of 2007 were over $100 a barrel.  This takes into account only the economic cost of fuel, it does not take into account the strategic cost of dependence on imported oil.

Biobutanol can be used with standard vehicles in gasoline blends up to 16%. It  can be distributed by pipeline more easily than ethanol (it mixes less easily with water).  It can enhance low-level ethanol blends by reducing their evaporative  emissions; and it appears as if it may provide better mileage than ethanol.

It is poisonous.

Making methanol is one way of using remote natural gas supplies that are otherwise dormant.  It is a high-octane, high-performance fuel; it can be used with higher compression ratios than gasoline for up to 15 % of increased horsepower.

It contains half the energy content of gasoline and about three-fourths that of ethanol.  The U.S. methanol industry has shrunk from 18 production facilities to four.  Its toxicity has prevented its widespread commercial use.

Biodiesel can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel; it can be used in compression (diesel) engines without major modifications; it is simple to use, nontoxic, biodegradable, and virtually free of sulfur and aromatics; it is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments; and the meal remaining from crushed oilseed crops can be used as an animal feed; production of biodiesel has quadrupled from 2004 to 2005.

It is a solvent that requires special storage, and cold weather can affect high percentage blends:  B99.9 will begin to turn to gel (between 32-36 degrees F) and will clog fuel filters between 22-28 degrees F.

The fuel rarely gels while the engine is running, and fuel is circulating through the system.  Though starting your car on a cold morning can be a challenge, you can add heat, petroleum, or a winterizing additive.  The easiest solution during winter months is to use a B80 blend (80% biodiesel/20% petro-diesel).  To avoid using petroleum, you can use a cold flow additive.

These are biodiesel-petroleum blends.  B20 is 20% biodiesel, B80 is 80% biodiesel; and B99.9 is 99.9% biodiesel.  The remaining percentage is the amount of petroleum.

No.  Biodiesel performs just like petroleum diesel.  However, because biodiesel is a solvent, rubber fuel lines will degrade.  To avoid this problem, change your fuel line to make them biodiesel-compatible.

Yes.  Petroleum blenders who blend biodiesel into their fuel receive roughly $1.00/gallon off the company's excise tax liability if the biodiesel is made from virgin oils.  They receive $0.50/gallon off for biodiesel made from recycled oils.

Yes.  Biodiesel contains no sulfur and is virtually carbon neutral.  Its nitrous oxide production is inconclusive.

Biodiesel compares favorably: it contains as much as 5% BTUs per gallon compared to petroleum diesel.

Biodiesel can power all diesel engines.  If you own an older car and your fuel line is rubber, it will need to be replaced.  This is an inexpensive fix.

For the most part, the same storage and handling procedures for petroleum apply for biodiesel: a clean, dry, dark environment.  Storage tanks should be constructed of aluminum, steel, fluorinated polyethylene, fluorinated polypropylene, and Teflon.  Avoid copper, brass, lead, tin, and zinc.

The U.S. is the largest oil importer in the world at roughly 13.5 million barrels per day.  Oil from the Persian Gulf accounts for 20 percent of U.S. oil imports and continues to grow.  By 2017, the U.S. will be importing approximately 68 percent of its oil needs.

The consequences could be dire for the U.S. economy, national security, and our  quality of life.  In his 2006 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush said, "we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world."  This instability characterizes every major oil province: the Middle East, Venezuela, and Africa.

The security and stability in the Middle East, the top producing region, is threatened by an ongoing conflict in Iraq, an aggressive Iran; and radical Islamist elements whose goal includes disrupting current regimes and their distribution of oil.

In the 2006 State of the Union address, President Bush announced a goal of replacing "more than 75% of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025."  To meet that goal, the Department of Energy estimates that will require 60 billion gallons of biofuels a year.

Biofuels can help prevent climate change and improve the U.S. economy.

The main contributor to the greenhouse effect is carbon dioxide.  Fossil fuels contribute to this effect because fossil fuels are unearthed and burned, emitting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  Biofuels, on the other hand, are made from plants that absorb carbon dioxide to grow.  Using biofuels just recycles the carbon dioxide already present.

Yes, fossil fuels are used during the production of biofuels; so, biofuels still have a carbon footprint, albeit considerably less than diesel fuel.  Compared to gasoline, ethanol reduces global warming emissions by 20%, cellulosic ethanol by 85%, and biodiesel by 40%.

Cellulosic ethanol leaves a lesser carbon footprint because less fossil fuel is needed to produce it.  In fact, to produce cellulosic ethanol, waste biomass can be used, rather than fossil fuel, further lessening the carbon footprint.  Farming cellulosic biomass also requires less energy than corn.  Finally, year-round crops store carbon in the soil through their roots, and many have extensive root systems.

Leaders are setting benchmarks that, if reached, would make a substantial impact.  For one, the 25x25 energy goal (25% biofuels by 2025), set by national farm leaders, would have a markably positive effect on the U.S. economy.  Studies estimate that producing enough ethanol to replace 25% of current gasoline use would add about $200 billion to the economy and create one million new jobs.

An increase in biofuel's output and consumption will most likely drive down the price of oil, creating more options.  However, some fear the decrease in oil prices can create greater dependence on cheap oil as it did after the energy crisis in the 1970s.

Yes.  Currently, there is an agricultural surplus, not a food shortage.  Analysts have found that the U.S. could replace one-third of its oil supply with biofuels and still have enough food to meet continuing demand within the country.  Also, the future of biofuels includes relying on biofuels not used as a food source.  For one, switchgrass has more energy potential than corn. Feedstocks (non-food crops and waste) also show great potential and do not compete with crops devoted to our food supply.

Rural areas will benefit greatly: biofuels are essentially bulky and lightweight, making transporting them difficult.  To save in transportation costs, dry-mill corn ethanol facilities will have to be constructed near the fields where corn is being harvested.  Building facilities onsite will bring more capital investment to growers.  In fact, to reach 50 billion gallons of ethanol production, at least 1,000 production facilities will need to be created, an investment of roughly $100 billion.