Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 13.
availability is weighted at 45 points since cost will
likely be the determining factor where more than
one mode is available (Table 13).
Criteria Values
1
No availability
2 Very limited availability
3 Limited availability in some regions, but not all regions
of Oregon
4 Limited availability in all regions of Oregon
5
Widely available in all regions of Oregon
Cost (35 pts)
The cost of shipping ethanol is here defined in
terms of dollars per ton of ethanol per mile ($/
ton-mile). For the ethanol producer, this is obvi-
ously an important number, but it should be noted
that for 10% ethanol/gasoline blends, the effect
of transportation costs on the final pump price
of fuel is relatively small. (For example, the cost
of trucking a gallon of ethanol from Portland to
Seattle to blend with 99 gallons of gasoline would
only add about $.01 to the cost of a gallon of fuel
(Morrow et al., 2006).) Shipping cost is weighted
at 35 points, because it is probably the most sig-
nificant factor in the choice of distribution method
for most producers after availability (Table 14).
Table 14.
Criteria Values
1
> $0.20 per ton-mile of ethanol shipped
2 $0.15 - $0.20 per ton-mile of ethanol shipped
3
$0.10 - $0.15 per ton-mile of ethanol shipped
4 $0.05 - $0.10 per ton-mile of ethanol shipped
5
< $0.05 per ton-mile of ethanol shipped
Table 15.
Fossil Fuel Efficiency (10 pts)
Fossil Fuel Efficiency is defined as tons of cargo
that can be transported per gallon of fossil fuel.
Although fuel efficiency is related to the overall
cost of shipping (and ever more so as petroleum
prices increase), the reduction in usage of fos-
sil fuel can potentially be seen as a marketing
advantage since it reduces the overall “carbon
footprint.” Fossil fuel efficiency is weighted at
ten points (Table 15).
Cr
iteria Values
1 < 100 miles per gallon of fossil fuel
2 100 - 200 miles per gallon of fossil fuel
3
200 - 300 miles per gallon of fossil fuel
4 300 - 400 miles per gallon of fossil fuel
5
> 400 miles per gallon of fossil fuel
Table 16.
Criteria Values
1
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (10 pts)
Greenhouse gas emissions is defined as the total
grams of hydrocarbon, nitrous oxide, and carbon
monoxide equivalent emissions per ton-mile of
ethanol transported, as reported by a USDA study
(U.S. Department of Agriculture, n.d.). Reducing
greenhouse gas emissions is part of the rationale
for moving to cellulosic ethanol, so that there are
marketing as well as economic advantages to using
“greener” transportation methods. Greenhouse gas
emissions are weighted at ten points (Table 16).
> 2.0 grams emissions per ton-mile of ethanol transported
2
1.5 - 2.0 grams emissions per ton-mile of ethanol transported
3
1.0 - 1.5 grams emissions per ton-mile of ethanol transported
4
0.5 - 1.0 grams emissions per ton-mile of ethanol transported
5
< 0.5 grams emissions per ton-mile of ethanol transported
product. Availability in Oregon is qualitatively
evaluated, with the highest score given to transpor-
tation modes that are widely available (regardless
of their cost). Although it could arguably have been
