Patent ID: 11921476
Assignee: MARATHON PETROLEUM COMPANY LP
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  C  E  Y | IPC C  E  G

Claim 0:
1. A process to provide low carbon intensity ethanol for blending with a refined transportation fuel, the low carbon intensity ethanol obtained through one or more targeted reductions of carbon emissions associated with a combination of various fermentable feedstock procurement, fermentable feedstock transportation, ethanol production, and ethanol distribution pathways, the process comprising:
selecting a carbon intensity threshold to define an upper limit for carbon intensity of ethanol to be provided to an end user location;
selecting a fermentable feedstock that is procured at a source, the fermentable feedstock being selected to reduce carbon emissions associated therewith and thereby maintain the carbon intensity of the ethanol below the carbon intensity threshold;
selecting a transportation pathway to transport the fermentable feedstock from the source to an ethanol plant, the transportation pathway being selected to reduce carbon emissions associated therewith and thereby maintain the carbon intensity of the ethanol below the carbon intensity threshold;
selecting one or more ethanol production processes to reduce carbon emissions and thereby maintain the carbon intensity of the ethanol below the carbon intensity threshold, the one or more ethanol production processes selected from a group including, powering at least a portion of ethanol plant equipment with electricity generated proximate the ethanol plant through a renewable source, burning renewable natural gas in an ethanol plant furnace, generating steam through renewable natural gas-fed boilers, and sequestering carbon dioxide produced during the ethanol production process;
processing the fermentable feedstock into ethanol together with operating the selected one or more ethanol production processes;
selecting a distribution pathway to transport a quantity of the ethanol from the ethanol plant to the end user location, the distribution pathway being selected to reduce carbon emissions associated therewith and thereby maintain the carbon intensity of the ethanol below the carbon intensity threshold;
determining the carbon intensity of the ethanol as a function of carbon emissions per unit energy associated with procuring the selected fermentable feedstock at the source, carbon emissions per unit energy associated with transporting the fermentable feedstock from the source to the ethanol plant by use of the selected transportation pathway, carbon emissions per unit energy associated with processing the fermentable feedstock into ethanol together with operating the one or more ethanol production processes, and carbon emissions per unit energy associated with transporting the quantity of ethanol to the end user location by use of the selected distribution pathway;
verifying that the carbon intensity of the ethanol remains below the carbon intensity threshold for the ethanol to be provided to the end user location;
maintaining a record that is associated with the ethanol to be provided to the end user location, the record detailing the carbon intensity of the ethanol; and
outputting the ethanol through the selected distribution pathway as low carbon intensity ethanol.