According to recently enacted legislation, by the year 2020, the US must have 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels in the market with 21 billion gallons made from advanced biofuels. Advanced biofuels produce 50% less carbon emissions as compared to petroleum-based fuels, and it appears that energy beets meet this advanced biofuel requirement. North Dakota State University (NDSU) recently concluded a lifecycle analysis of energy beets, and found that energy beets do meet this classification. An advanced biofuel classification carries with it the potential for significant economic benefits for those who grow this form of biofuel energy.
To assist NDSU in its continuing research into energy beets, which are regular sugarbeet varieties bred exclusively for the biofuel market and not for human consumption, the Williston Research Extension Center (WREC) has grown different varieties of energy beets for the past three years, with research focusing on yield and sugar production. “We’ve had several varieties of energy beets under study for the past three years,” says Chet Hill, Area Agricultural Diversification/Value Added Specialist at the WREC. “We’ve tested quite a few varieties already utilized in European countries, and we are testing yields and sugar content of these varieties. Williston is just one of several test locations around the state doing this sort of research on energy beets.”
Energy beets look like the edible varieties of sugarbeets, and they have many of the same growing requirements. “Energy beets aren’t much different from the regular varieties used for human consumption,” says Hill. “They look the same and they weigh about the same. Energy beets do not have as pure a sugar as the regular sugarbeet varieties, but that doesn’t matter for biofuel production.”
Research shows that growers can harvest energy beets in a variety of different soils outside of North Dakota’s traditional sugarbeet area of the Red River Valley. NDSU researchers have grown energy beets in irrigated and dryland test trials across North Dakota for the past several years.
Energy beets may become an option for growers in the future, depending on economic circumstances. While the price of sugar remains high and no ethanol plant exists in the area ready to receive energy beets, growers will continue to grow the regular edible varieties of sugarbeet. However, if sugar prices fall and if an ethanol plant starts up, energy beets could become an attractive crop.
“We already know how to grow beets in this region,” Hill remarks, “and growers already have the necessary equipment. It will come down to economics. Energy beets would have to be competitive with regular beets, and there will also have to be a biofuel plant in the area.”
He concludes, “They’ve been growing energy beets in Europe for many years. Europeans have more concern for energy alternatives. The US has no energy plan like Europe does.”
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