What does an bioenergy crop or energy crop consultant do? An energy crops expert can help you either produce biomass for conversion to energy, help select the best biomass sources for your energy generation project or help investors evaluate the merits of a proposed project.
Energy crops are sources of biomass used to produce heat, electricity or fuels (bioethanol, biodiesel or renewable diesel). Use of crops for energy is not a new concept. In the simplest sense when a tree is used for firewood it is an energy crop. Likewise pressing olives for lamp oil is an ancient example of energy crop use.
Modern energy crops can be purpose-grown for conversion to energy or recovered from waste streams and then used to make an energy product. Using crops, or biomass, for energy can make sense depending on the local biomass supply, cost of energy, air quality regulations, and government incentives for biomass-derived energy.
Examples of purpose-grown energy crops can be corn for ethanol, soybeans for biodiesel as well as short-rotation woody crops for electricity production or switchgrass for heat generation. Algae can also be used as an energy crop for biofuels production. More and more, applications of advanced breeding, genetic engineering, and synthetic biology are used in designing crops that are optimized for an energy end-use or for the production of chemicals that can be used in biofuel production.
Biomass energy can also come from waste streams such as corn stover, bark, and urban tree trimmings. Depending on the transportation logistics and the chemical composition, these waste streams are used for heat, electricity, or biofuel production.
An energy crops expert or consultant will have significant experience in the production, harvesting, transportation, and utilization of the crops for a variety of energy end uses. They can help choose the right crop for your particular situation, considering local growth and transportation conditions, market, available technology for energy generation, and government incentives.
With over 150 consultants worldwide, Lee Enterprises Consulting has the diverse experts and geographical reach to assist in virtually any bioeconomy project. Our highly qualified teams bring a unique integration of technical, scientific, regulatory, and hands-on experience to any project. Look at our experts and the services we provide. Most of our experts are also available to advise and serve as expert witnesses in bioeconomy litigation matters. For the larger projects, we specialize in putting together full-service, interdisciplinary teams with one point of contact. See a video about LEC here. Call us at 1+ (501) 833-8511 or email us for more information.