Table 1 Rationale used to develop the accelerated technology development (ATD) scenarios for the five technologies.
| Technology cluster | Rationale for ATD | Key changes in datasets | Key references |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lignocellulosic conversion to ethanol |
Improvement in feedstock quality Better conversion technologies Cheaper enzymes |
Availability Efficiency Investment costs O&M costs | R. Slade (unpublished data); [28] |
| Gasification of solid biomass (energy crops) |
Increased fuel flexibility Cheaper feedstocks Cleaner gas production |
Availability Efficiency Capital costs Fixed O&M costs | J. Brammer (unpublished data); [25, 29] |
| Fast pyrolysis |
Better grade/cleaner oil Improved feedstocks Increased fuel flexibility Cost reductions associated with the above |
Capital costs Efficiency O&M costs | J. Brammer, J. Rogers (unpublished data); [22] |
| Bioengineering of energy plants |
Increased yield Increased stress tolerance, and disease and pest resistance Increased nitrogen and water efficiency | Improved yield and energy content of energy plant | [12, 20, 24, 30–34] |
| Agro-machinery of growing and harvesting energy crops |
Improved establishment on marginal/idle land Increased efficiency at picking up cut crops Improvement in irrigation systems Improved site preparation methods and weed elimination methods | - incorporated into bioengineering of energy plants, as part of resource costs | C. Panoutsou (unpublished data) [20, 35] |