Fuel applications

Bioethanol production in North America has seen rapid growth over the last few years. Over 25 billion litres of ethanol capacity are under construction in North America today. Economical and dedicated feedstocks are required to meet this demand. While corn has captured the initial advantage in the U.S., triticale has many features that compete well with corn for bioethanol production in Canada.

More power than wheat, more forgiving than corn

Triticale has shown the following traits relevant to bioethanol production.

• higher crop yields and starch production than Canada Prairie Spring (CPS) wheat
• good agronomics on marginal soil
• lower input costs than corn or wheat.

Triticale is also not expected to exhibit any processing disadvantages relating to starch conversion, mash viscosity or protein residue build-up.  Furthermore, fermentation byproducts of triticale are more nutritious than those from corn. Dried distillers’ grains from triticale are as nutritious as those from wheat. Both wheat and triticale are higher in nutritional value, particularly in lysine, than corn.

A significant potential acreage of triticale is available, since unlike corn, production is not limited by heat units. With time and research, triticale could achieve a realistic market penetration relative to the amount of corn grown for ethanol in the U.S.

With small improvements to triticale yield or starch content, overall production efficiency will be competitive with U.S. corn, but without complications related to competing food uses.

Energy applications

With climate change and the effects of greenhouse gases becoming better understood, the search is on for ways to produce energy in commercial quantities without causing greenhouse gas emissions.

Biomass is one possibility, since it can act as a reservoir of carbon or as a direct substitute for fossil fuels, without producing greenhouse gases.  Because of the large potential for triticale production in Canada, this crop has merit as an energy-focused biomass feedstock. The use of triticale straw for power generation could also create jobs, increase farm revenue and enhance rural development. 

With a unique combination of natural resources in agriculture, forestry and energy, Alberta has an opportunity to be the national, even global leader in plant-based alternative energy applications.

Triticale-for-energy work is progressing

CTBI is directing a focused R&D effort toward the development of a full technical and economic model of direct combustion of triticale straw to generate power. As part of this work, researchers will analyze considerations relating to harvesting, storage, transportation, utilization and by-product disposal. They will develop a comprehensive cost model for operation of an optimally-sized triticale-based power generation plant.

Currently available technologies and technological gaps will be identified. Triticale’s carbon cost will be calculated relative to a base-loaded coal-fired power plant, along with the carbon credit value ($ per tonne of CO2) required to make the plant competitive as a function of average power price. Researchers will evaluate the potential extent of triticale cultivation and the yield of triticale straw per gross hectare, while considering other agricultural and non-agricultural land uses.

Taken together, this newly created knowledge will better enable policymakers, the bioenergy industry and other stakeholders to make informed judgments about the use of triticale as a biomass feedstock for alternative energy production.