3508 



Chapter 28 



Figure 28-6. — Material balance for small-scale ethanol production based on ovendry 

 weight of wood feed including bark. (Drawing after Karchesy 1981.) 



Key statistics describing the enterprise are as follows: 



Capital investment $292,550 



Operating cost, annual $ 87,859 



Sales, annual (ethanol at $6.87/gal) $175,640 



Net profit, annual (before income taxes) $ 87,781 



Return on sales 50 percent 



Return on investment 30 percent 



Employees 2'/2 



Energy requirement, annual 



Electrical 4.90 x 10^ kWh 



Oil equivalent (of gasoline, oil, and gas) 1 .25 x 10^ gallons 



Wood 2.53 X 10^ Btu 



Because the mill-gate market price of ethanol is about $1.65/gallon (1981), 

 the small-scale production of ethanol and furfural from pine-site hardwoods 

 appears economically unsound. Economic feasibility might be achieved if free 

 waste steam was available from an existing adjacent industry, and if furfural was 

 not produced so both hexose and pentose sugars could be converted to ethanol. 



