Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 17. Distribution Method Data
Distribution
Method
Fossil Fuel Ef-
ficiency
Availability
Cost
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Widely available in all
regions
> 2.0 grams emissions per
ton-mile
Truck
> $0.20 per ton-mile
< 100 mpg
Limited availability in all
regions
1.0 - 1.5 grams emissions per
ton-mile
Rail
$0.10 - $0.15 per ton-mile
200 - 300 mpg
Limited availability in
some regions
0.5 - 1.0 grams emissions per
ton-mile
Barge
< $0.05 per ton-mile
> 400 mpg
< 0.5 grams emissions per
ton-mile
Pipeline
No availability
< $0.05 per ton-mile
> 400 mpg
Available Distribution Methods
three percent of the value and ten percent of the
weight of goods transported in the United States
go by rail (U.S. Department of Transportation,
n.d.). This undoubtedly is because railways are
far less convenient and available than trucks for
point-to-point deliveries, but for the transportation
of fuel ethanol to distribution centers, rail may
provide a relatively cost-effective and available
alternative.
In Oregon, trains may provide a less expensive
means for transporting both bulk feedstock to a
production facility and finished ethanol to market.
The cost for transporting cellulosic ethanol is
roughly $.11 per ton-mile (Union Pacific, n.d.),
which allows a producer to ship his product to
more distant markets for the same cost. It is much
more efficient than trucking in its usage of fos-
sil fuels: one ton of cargo can be carried about
202 miles on one gallon of fuel. It is also more
environmentally friendly than trucking, with com-
bined hydrocarbon, nitrogen oxide, and carbon
monoxide emissions of approximately 1.52 grams
per ton per mile (Tidewater River Transportation
Services, n.d.a).
Truck
The trucking industry is nearly ubiquitous in the
United States, and may be the only transportation
method available for remote forestry or agricul-
tural locations. Trucking accounts for 70% of the
value and 60% of the weight of goods transported
in the United States, approximately $9 trillion of
annual shipments (U.S. Department of Transpor-
tation, n.d.).
In Oregon, trucks provide a reliable, if not
inexpensive, means for transporting both bulk
feedstock to a production facility and finished
ethanol to market. The cost for transporting cel-
lulosic ethanol is roughly $.22 per ton-mile (Mor-
row et al., 2006), about twice the cost of rail. It is
not a particularly efficient mode of transportation.
Although it may sound good when compared to a
passenger vehicle's gas mileage, one ton of cargo
can only go about 59 miles on one gallon of fuel.
It also has the highest combined hydrocarbon,
nitrogen oxide, and carbon monoxide emissions
of the various modes, approximately 2.44 grams
per ton per mile (Tidewater River Transportation
Services, n.d.a).
Barge
Transporting goods via our nation's waterways
dramatically reduces the cost of shipping, but
of course its availability depends entirely on the
location of the ethanol facility (and may factor
into site location decisions). Waterways account
Rail
Rail is an attractive alternative to trucking, in that
rail lines connect most major cities and towns
and are designed for carrying bulk goods long
