Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, September 13, 1980, Image 42

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    B2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 13,1980
How ethanol stacks up as a
LITITZ Ethanol is cited
in every conversation as the
answer to at least part of the
United States’ energy
problem.
There’s no question that
ethanol production can be
efficient An imput of 100
BTUs of coal can yield 102
BTUs of ethanol.
That same 100 BTUs of
coal would give only 32 BTUs
of electrical energy or 50
BTUs of synthetic gasoline.
Ethanol can be produced
on farm-sired stills. The by
product distillers dry grain
has a sizable cash value
which lately has ranged
from $l4O to $lB5 a ton.
But there are a number of
problems associated with
ethanol, too.
As a fuel it vaporizes over
a relatively small range and
therefore is not particularly
good for cold weather
starting.
Ethanol does not have the
energy output of other fuels,
either. It takes about 1.3
gallons of ethanol to equal
the output of one gallon of
gasoline.
While there is 10 percent
more thermal efficiency
with ethanol, that doesn’t
necessarily mean the
product gives more miles
per gallon in a vehicle.
And Jf the ethanol isn’t
coming to the end user as a
200 proof product, it is hardly
worth the trouble to produce.
Jim Castagno, manager of
energy planning for Dekalb,
has divided the production of
ethanol into five areas:
milling of grain, sac
charification or the turning
of starch to sugar, fer
mentation, distillation, and
handling of the byproduct.
Milling of the grain can be
either wet or dry. Wet
milling provides a greater
range of products. Generally
they are worth more on the
market than the products of
dry milling, but they also
require a greater capital
investments.
Most of the big industrial
firms, like A.E.. Staley,
which recently opened a
major ethanol plant in
Tennesee, use the wet
milling process. But cost
alone makes it an unviable
alternative for the average
farmer.
Dry milling is better suited
to farm-sized stills.
Casta gno says he -believes
a modern, highly efficient
plant producing fuel-quality
alcohol can show a small but
positive energy balance,
even including all the energy
to grow the grain used in the
still.
Depending on the use of
the by-product distillers
grains, the value of material
produced will vary.
Livestock nutritionists say
the distillers grains, which
contain 28 or 29 percent
protein, are as valuable as
soybean meal which con
tains 44 percent protein.
In fact, about 1900 pounds
of distillers grain, sup
plemented with a little urea
and dry com, is a substitute
for a ton of soybean meal.
Unfortunately, the
distillers grain is not as
valuable for monogastric
animals like pigs and
chickens as it is for cattle.
A hog can get only about
two-thirds the feed value
from distillers grain that a
cow can get. Lysine and
other elements must be
added to the feed.
About the maximum
ration of distillers grain a
cow can be fed is three
pounds per animal per day.
Even a small 50,000 gallon
per year still would produce
137 gallons distillers grain
per day.
To consume the feed by
product which would be
produced would require
about 310 head of cattle on
feed
casiagno puts the net cost
of producing ethanol at
about $1.32 a gallon. That
includes 51 cents per gallon
by-product value.
The cost would be $1.83 per
gallon if the distillers grain
was not added into the sum.
Largest single expense, of
course, is com. With com
selling for $2.90 a bushel,
com would represent $1.16
per gallon in the ethanol.
There would be 11 cents in
coal; 11 cents in electricity;
24 cents in labor; 15 cents in
yeast and chemicals; three
cents in taxes, insurance and
bonding; and three cents in
maintainence.
It the ethanol can be
produced in a marketable
form, which at present
means an anhydrous 200
proof, it can be sold for $l.BO
a gallon.
This leaves a gross margin
BIG TRACTOR BONUSES
PLUS NO FINANCE CHARGES
Tractor Model
8640—4WD, 275 eng. hp
8440—4WD. 215 eng. hp
4840—2WD, 180 PTO hp
4640—2WD, 155 PTO hp
4440—2WD, 130 PTO hp
4240—2WD, 110 PTO hp
4040—2WD, 90 PTO hp
LANDIS BROS. INC.
Lancaster, PA
717-291-1046
ADAMSTOWN EQUIPMENT INC
M °(rtear Adamstownf*° SHOTZBERfiER’S EQUIPMENT
215-484-4391 . Elm, PA
717-665-2141
PIKEVILLE EQUIPMENT INC. ABC GROFF INC
Oyster Dale Road fl.D.l*. hKUrMHL.
Oley RD2, PA New Holland, PA
215-987-6277 717-354-4191
that would provide an
adequate, if not spectacular,
return on investment.
The federal excise tax
exemption is responsible for
40 cents per gallon of this
selling price. In some states,
notably lowa, state tax
exemptions are worth up to
$1 per gallon more.
Before ethanol will be in
widespread use, several
conversions would have to be
made in the engine.
The jet area would have to
be increased 67 percent for
200 proof operation. The
compression ratio of the
engine would have to be
boosted to 12 to 1. Timing
would have to be retarded
and some rubber and plastic
parts would have to be
replaced.
Despite the changes,
remember it will take 1.33
gallons of ethanol to perform
GET JOHN DEERE
UNTIL MARCH 1981..
AND NO PAYMENTS
UNTIL WELL INTO'BI
NEUHAUS’ES INC.
RD2, York, PA
1-83 Loganville Ext 3
717-428-1953 or
235-1306
fuel source
the work of one gallon of ethanol should cost no more
gasoline. than 90 cents per gallon. '
Put another way, if There is an alternative;
gasoline costs $1.20 a gallon, (Turn to Page B 3)
ORDER YOUR FALL
SEED GRAIN NOW
• £l P6nnrad * Cert. Logan
Barley Wheat
• Cert. Barsoy . Cert. Red Coat
Barley Wheat
# Blflev aUry •Cert Hart
• Cert Titan .g
Wheat ’
*Wte£ anCer ‘Winter Rye
P.L. ROHRER & BRO.. INC.
SMOKETOWN, PA PH: 717-299-2571
John Deere helps loosen the tight money
situation. Purchase any new John Deere 4-
Wheel-Dnve or Row-Crop Tractor listed below
by October 31 . . . work it this fall, next winter
and on through the 1981 harvest of your
principal crop - ALL BEFORE MAKING THE
FIRST PAYMENT ON YOUR ANNUAL
PAYMENT CONTRACT. You get that benefit
simply by financing your new tractor purchase
with John Deere. You’ll also qualify for the BIG
TRACTOR BONUS m John Deere Money noted
below . . plus waiver of finance charges until
March 1,1981.
Put that new tractor to use by leasing it from
John Deere; Lease payments will be discounted
15 percent and you'll also qualify for the BIG
TRACTOR BONUS when you take delivery. But
act promptly . . . John Deere BIG TRACTOR
BONUSES end October 31.
Bonus Sept. 16 through
Oct. 31.1980
ROBERT E. LITTLE INC.
Zieglerville, PA
215-287-9643
HERMIT K. KISTLER INC.
Lynnport, PA
215-298-2011
FOSTER EQUIPMENT SALES
Elmer, NJ
609-769-1535
M.S. YEARSLEY & SONS
West Chester, PA
215-696-2990
$2,000
$1,600
$l,OOO
$ 800
$ 700
$ 600
$ 500
WENGER IMPLEMENT, INC.
The Buck - Quarryville, PA
717-284-4141
AGWAY INC.
Chapman Equipment
Center
Chapman, PA
215-398-2553
LG. SALES
Silverdale, PA 18962
215-257-5136