Biofuels

Sorghum use growing in biofuels production

Approximately 30 to 35 percent of domestic sorghum production is utilized in the grain-to-ethanol market. Naturally drought-tolerant sorghum can be used for many different types of ethanol production including starch-based, sugar-based and cellulosic ethanol production.

Sorghum and corn are interchangeable in the grain-based ethanol market. A bushel of grain sorghum produces as much ethanol as a bushel of corn. Sorghum DDGs, a co-product in the starch-to-ethanol production systems, tends to be lower in fat and higher in protein than corn DDGs.

Sweet sorghum, which is also drought-tolerant, grows very tall and the stalks contain a high volume of fermentable sugars. India and Asia are already using this crop to produce ethanol. Research is ongoing in the U.S. into infrastructure development needs to make sweet sorghum ethanol a mainstream reality.

Forage and high tonnage energy sorghums are being evaluated for their compositional makeup and production potential for use as a renewable feedstock for both the cellulosic and thermochemical process for conversion into biofuels. These annual feedstocks could become an important option for farmers looking to diversify their farming systems and to maintain rotation strategies on their farms.

Advantages of sorghum for grain-based biofuels

Grain sorghum is an excellent crop for sustainable ethanol production because it produces the same amount of ethanol per bushel as comparable feed grains while using up to one-third less water in the plant growth process. Sorghum also typically requires less fertilizer, herbicides, and insecticides than crops such as corn.

From an ethanol production standpoint, grain sorghum is equal to corn as an input. One bushel of grain sorghum or corn produces an equal amount of ethanol. With that in mind, ethanol producers can make grain sorghum part of a successful feedstock procurement strategy--especially in areas where there is a ready supply of grain sorghum.

Sorghum usage in the U.S. biofuels market

In 2009, approximately 30 to 35 percent of total domestic grain sorghum production is projected to be used in the grain to ethanol market in the United States. Sorghum is now the number two crop used for grain-based ethanol production in the United States.

Ethanol production with sorghum

Most major ethanol construction companies design their plants to either use grain sorghum or corn. There are a number of the new-generation ethanol plants that are set up to receive both sorghum and corn at the same time. For older plants, minor modifications may be necessary, including smaller filtering screens because the sorghum kernel is smaller than corn.

Ethanol processors should consider sorghum

Not only is it readily available and completely compatible with corn, sorghum is unique among all the crops being evaluated as a feedstock source for renewable fuel production in that it can fit into all the proposed conversion schemes currently under review. Not only is the crop drought tolerant and uses less inputs than many other crops, it is highly adaptable to whatever process becomes the dominant commercial vehicle from which biofuels are produced.

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Ethanol Inclusion Calculator - Contact the Sorghum Checkoff for to request your calculator!

Sorghum as an Ethanol Feedstock Report

Ethanol Educational Materials from the Renewable Fuels Association.

Fuel Your Future Activity Book