Robert Bonomi wrote:

In article ,
Duane Bozarth wrote:
Robert Bonomi wrote:
...

Have you ever run the numbers on how much biodiesel one can produce from
an acre of farmland in a year?

Ethanol is better deal to date, but biodiesel is coming on...net
positive energy ratios are improving every year w/ better hybrids and
improved processes...neither will ever be 100%, but are both net
positives.

Which relates to the question I posed, how?

How many acres of farmland does it take to produce say, 1,000 barrels of
either ethanol or biodiesel?

I'm not arguing about the efficiency of the conversion from 'raw' biomass to
'useable' fuel, Rather, I'm commenting on the ability, or lack thereof, to
supplant any significant amount of petroleum imports.

OK, I did find a reference...for ethanol, 2.65 gal(anhydrous)/bu corn.
At 200 bu/A (easy) that's 530 gal/A == ~17 bbl/A. So a 1000 bbl == 60
A.

The 2.65 gal/bu came from

http://www.bbibiofuels.com/ethanolev...Ethanol-lr.pdf

Haven't found a number for biodiesel/gal soybeans for comparison yet...