Cellulosic biorefinery siting and biomass supply logistics incorporating biomass and moisture dynamics in the crop season and during storage

Authors: YANG, YUBIN - Texas A&M Agrilife; WILSON, LLOYD - Texas A&M Agrilife; WANG, JING - Texas A&M Agrilife; DOU, FUGEN - Texas A&M Agrilife; BERA, TANUMOY - Texas A&M Agrilife; Knoll, Joseph; JIFON, JOHN - Texas A&M Agrilife; ODERO, DENNIS - University Of Florida; BALDWIN, BRIAN - Mississippi State University; ROONEY, WILLIAM - Texas A&M Agrilife; ARAJI, HAMID - Texas A&M Agrilife; MORRISON, JESSE - Mississippi State University; WRIGHT, ALAN - University Of Florida; SANDHU, HARDEV - University Of Florida; SADEGHIBANIANI, SHABNAM - University Of Florida; Hale, Anna; Mula-Michel, Himaya

Submitted to: Biomass and Bioenergy
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/27/2025
Publication Date: 11/25/2025
Citation: Yang, Y., Wilson, L.T., Wang, J., Dou, F., Bera, T., Knoll, J.E., Jifon, J.L., Odero, D.C., Baldwin, B.S., Rooney, W.L., Araji, H., Morrison, J.I., Wright, A.L., Sandhu, H.S., Sadeghibaniani, S., Hale, A.L., Mula-Michel, H.P. 2025. Cellulosic biorefinery siting and biomass supply logistics incorporating biomass and moisture dynamics in the crop season and during storage. Biomass and Bioenergy. 207:108553.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2025.108553

Interpretive Summary: Energycane and biomass sorghum are two of the most promising cellulosic energy crops in the southeast United States, but comprehensive analysis on their potential to support local biorefinery development in the region is lacking. The objectives of this study are: 1) identify land parcels that are most competitive for energycane and biomass sorghum production; 2) address the year-round supply challenge by quantifying energy crop biomass dynamics for just-in-time harvest and in storage; 3) identify and rank potential biorefinery sites through net profit optimization for biomass production and delivery. Geographic data was used to identify land parcels for potentially growing energycane and biomass sorghum, based on cropland distribution, crop productivity, and net profit for conventional and energy crops for five representative states - Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Data from previous studies was used to quantify biomass production during the growing season, biomass loss post-maturity and loss during storage. This information was used to optimize year-round biomass supply. Biorefinery site selection optimization was based on the spatial distribution of cropland, field-level simulated biomass, costs for wet biomass transport from individual fields to the biorefinery, and annual biofuel production capacity. The top 10 most optimal sites for locating a biorefinery were then identified in each state. Results for three scenarios were presented in the analysis: a baseline reference scenario that does not consider biomass storage and loss, a low loss scenario with bunker silo storage, and a high loss scenario with pile storage. Production area, total biomass, early harvest penalty, biomass loss from harvest and storage, and total net profit were estimated for the top 10 identified sites in each state. Further analysis on profit distribution with weather variability across years and cropland variability was conducted for the 1st ranked site in each state. This study represents the first comprehensive analysis on the potential of energycane and biomass sorghum to support biorefinery development in the southeast US. It provides critical insights on how weather variability, cropland productivity, and biomass storage characteristics impact profitability and presents a blueprint in optimizing biorefinery siting and tactical and operational planning for bioenergy development in the region.

Technical Abstract: Energycane and biomass sorghum are two of the most promising cellulosic energy crops in the southeast United States, but comprehensive analysis on their potential to support local biorefinery development in the region is lacking. The objectives of this study are: 1) identify land parcels that are most competitive for energycane and biomass sorghum production; 2) address the year-round supply challenge by quantifying energy crop biomass dynamics for just-in-time harvest and in storage; 3) identify and rank potential biorefinery sites through net profit optimization for biomass production and delivery. Land parcels for potentially growing energycane and biomass sorghum were identified based on cropland distribution, crop productivity, net profit for conventional and energy crops for five representative states in the southeast US, including Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Biomass dynamics during the growing season, biomass loss post maturity and during storage were quantified to design strategies for just-in-time harvest and biomass storage to optimize year-round biomass supply. Biorefinery site selection optimization was based on the spatial distribution of cropland, field-level simulated biomass, costs for wet biomass transport from individual fields to the biorefinery, biomass conversion efficiency, and annual biofuel production capacity. Site selection optimization was implemented to delineate the exact boundary of each production footprint for each of the top 10 identified sites that could support a biorefinery in each state. Results for three scenarios were presented in the analysis: a baseline reference scenario that does not consider biomass storage and loss, a low loss scenario with bunker silo storage, and a high loss scenario with pile storage. Production footprints, total biomass, early harvest penalty, biomass loss from harvest and storage and total net profit were estimated for the top 10 identified sites in each state. Further analysis on profit distribution with weather variability across years and cropland variability in a production footprint was conducted for the 1st ranked sites in each state. This study represents the first comprehensive analysis on the potential of energycane and biomass sorghum to support biorefinery development in the southeast US. It provides critical insights on how weather variability, cropland productivity, and biomass storage characteristics impact profitability and presents a blueprint in optimizing biorefinery siting and tactical and operational planning for bioenergy development in the region.