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The commercial performance of cellulosic ethanol supply-chains in Europe
Raphael Slade1,
Ausilio Bauen1 &
Nilay Shah2
The production of fuel-grade ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass resources has the potential to increase biofuel production capacity whilst minimising the negative environmental impacts. These benefits will only be realised if lignocellulosic ethanol production can compete on price with conventional fossil fuels and if it can be produced commercially at scale. This paper focuses on lignocellulosic ethanol production in Europe. The hypothesis is that the eventual cost of production will be determined not only by the performance of the conversion process but by the performance of the entire supply-chain from feedstock production to consumption. To test this, a model for supply-chain cost comparison is developed, the components of representative ethanol supply-chains are described, the factors that are most important in determining the cost and profitability of ethanol production are identified, and a detailed sensitivity analysis is conducted.
The most important cost determinants are the cost of feedstocks, primarily determined by location and existing markets, and the value obtained for ethanol, primarily determined by the oil price and policy incentives. Both of these factors are highly uncertain. The best performing chains (ethanol produced from softwood and sold as a low percentage blend with gasoline) could ultimately be cost competitive with gasoline without requiring subsidy, but production from straw would generally be less competitive.
Supply-chain design will play a critical role in determining commercial viability. The importance of feedstock supply highlights the need for location-specific assessments of feedstock availability and price. Similarly, the role of subsidies and policy incentives in creating and sustaining the ethanol market highlights the importance of political engagement and the need to include political risks in investment appraisal. For the supply-chains described here, and with the cost and market parameters selected, selling ethanol as a low percentage blend with gasoline will maximise ethanol revenues and minimise the need for subsidies. It follows, therefore, that the market for low percentage blends should be saturated before markets for high percentage blends.
Globally, ethanol and biodiesel are the most widely available biofuels, and in response to politically stimulated demand, production capacity has grown rapidly. As production increases, however, concerns about the negative environmental and social impacts of biofuels are also on the rise. In particular, there are fears that competition between fuel and food crops will lead to higher food prices; that production of biofuel feedstocks will accelerate the expansion of agriculture thereby initiating direct and indirect land use change (for example, loss of grasslands and forests); and that carbon dioxide emissions associated with land use change may negate any benefits obtained from fossil fuel substitution [1, 2].
The production of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass resources has the potential to increase biofuel production capacity whilst minimising the negative environmental and social impacts because lignocellulosic resources (for example, forestry residues, wheat straw, corn stover, etc.) do not compete directly with food production, or with land that may be needed for food production. Using these resources efficiently, however, requires conversion technologies such as advanced hydrolysis and fermentation to produce ethanol – the focus of this paper – or the production of synfuels via gasification. These technologies are currently pre-commercial and face technical, economic and political hurdles. Public finance and political support can help tackle these hurdles, thereby accelerating technical development and deployment, but, in the words of one UK policy-maker: "biofuels do not have an automatic right to support, just because people are enthusiastic" D Vincent, Carbon Trust, personal communication, 2006. The case for support must be justified on the basis of the future technical and market potential.
This paper focuses on the production of ethanol from lignocellulosic feedstocks in Europe, and investigates the factors that will determine its eventual cost of production and commercial viability. The hypothesis is that if lignocellulosic ethanol (LE) is to be produced commercially at scale then the eventual cost of production will be determined not only by the performance of the conversion process but by the performance of the entire supply-chain from feedstock production to consumption. To investigate this, a holistic cost model has been developed permitting the rapid comparison of different process concepts at the supply-chain level. This model uses simplified descriptions of LE conversion processes, together with feedstock and ethanol price estimates and finance scenarios, to determine the sensitivity of the production cost to changes in the supply-chain.
The paper is presented in three parts. The first part reviews previous cost estimates, identifies the supply-chains of greatest interest in Europe, defines a basis for supply-chain cost comparison, and describes the basic structure of the model. The second part describes the components of representative ethanol supply-chains. It identifies generic values for the most important parameters affecting cost performance, as well as the range of values that they may take. Lastly, base-case supply-chains are proposed and compared and a detailed sensitivity analysis is presented. The aspects of the supply chain that have the greatest influence on the cost of ethanol production are identified, and the implications, in terms of the future commercial viability of lignocellulosic ethanol, are discussed.
Identifying representative supply-chains and defining a basis for comparison
Cost assessments in the academic literature
Numerous cost estimates can be found in the literature, but the majority of these focus exclusively on the conversion process and use production cost as a simple metric to compare alternative process designs. A typical example is the process design and economic analysis approach used by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) [3]. This approach estimates process yields, material flows and capital equipment requirements, using experimental data and a flow-sheeting software package (Aspen Plus™). The cost of capital equipment is estimated using vendor quotations or data from a cost database (for example, ICARUS™). The minimum cost of ethanol is then determined using a discounted cash flow analysis.
This is an accepted approach to process development, but the emphasis on the conversion process ignores, or sets as constant, many of the other factors that may influence overall commercial viability and supply-chain performance. For example, the way in which a plant is financed, its size and location, its potential for technological progress, and the issues associated with securing a reliable source of biomass, may all affect its commercial viability, and may change as the technology develops. It is our view that these factors are likely to be more important for biofuel processes than for typical petroleum refinery or petrochemical processes, which work with standardised equipment and commodity, high energy density feedstocks.
Cross comparison between studies is also problematic. To illustrate this point, recently published cost estimates are summarised in Table 1[4–8], normalised to 2005 US$. It can be seen that studies conducted in the US (NREL, Lynd) generally forecast a lower cost of ethanol than those conducted in the EU (Von Sivers, Wingren, Sassner). In part, this is due to the US studies assuming a conversion plant more than twice as large as that assumed in the EU studies, but there are numerous other assumptions embedded in the estimates which are less transparent, for example, feedstock cost assumptions, process yields, co-product values, etc.
Table 1 Cost estimates for lignocellulosic ethanol production
Selecting European supply-chains for evaluation
At the highest level, the components of the lignocellulose-to-ethanol supply-chain are generic: feedstock supply, conversion, and distribution and utilisation. At lower levels of aggregation the options diversify rapidly and many alternative supply-chains can be conceptualised. This paper, however, focuses on a limited number of supply-chains. Specifically, ethanol produced from softwood or wheat straw, using a dilute acid or enzymatic conversion process, and distributed as either a 5% (E5) or 85% (E85) blend with gasoline. These supply-chains are amongst those with the greatest potential within Europe. Softwood and forest fuels are of interest because of their abundance (around 411 TWh year-1 [9]) in northern Europe and the low input intensity of silviculture compared with agriculture. Straw is of interest because of its abundance as a co-product of cereal production (around 63–227 TWh year-1[10]), and relatively low cost.
Reflecting the interest in softwood and straw as feedstocks, conversion processes for these materials are actively being investigated by European companies and universities. They are also the focus of a large EU research project: 'New Improvements in Lignocellulosic Ethanol (NILE)' http://www.nile-bioethanol.org. Sweden leads the development of softwood conversion: a soft-wood-to-ethanol pilot plant is operated by Sekab (a Swedish company that imports, upgrades, blends and distributes ethanol to serve the Swedish transport market [11]); process development is also undertaken at the University of Lund. Research on the conversion of straw to ethanol is somewhat less advanced, but is the subject of ongoing research at the French Institute for Petroleum and Dong Energy (a Danish energy company) amongst others.
Distribution systems have already been established in Europe using imported ethanol from Brazil and some regionally produced ethanol from cereals, sugar beet and wine surpluses. The majority of ethanol is distributed as E5. E85 is also available in Sweden at around 25% of service stations [11], and on a more limited trial basis in other EU countries.
Developing a supply-chain cost model
Defining a basis for comparison
For this analysis, the end-point of the ethanol supply-chain was considered to be the cost of ethanol at the pump, excluding tax. The starting point was the market price of biomass feedstocks and the estimated cost of other inputs (capital, chemicals etc.). Whilst it would theoretically be possible to extend the feedstock part of the supply-chain to include silvicultural (or agricultural) inputs such as the cost of land, cost of harvesting machinery, etc., this approach was rejected as markets already exist for the majority of biomass feedstocks. Feedstock price, as currently determined by the interaction of demand and supply, was therefore judged a better reflection of the situation faced by a prospective project developer than the sum of input costs. The principal cost elements of the bio-ethanol supply-chain are illustrated in Figure 1. This cost hierarchy illustrates that, at each stage of the supply-chain, the cost of intermediates is the sum of the cost of logistics plus the cost of conversion from one product to another.
The ethanol supply-chain cost hierarchy.
Quantifying supply-chain cost performance
Two measures of supply-chain cost performance were selected: net present value (NPV) and the levelised cost per litre; both are calculated from a discounted cash flow analysis of supply-chain costs and revenues. The NPV is the sum of discounted cash flows, and the more profitable the supply-chain the greater the NPV. NPV provides a comprehensive measure of project value and permits variables such as the tax rate, time taken to build the plant, etc., to be included in the analysis. The disadvantage of this measure is that it does not intuitively relate to other real world quantities such as the oil price. The levelised cost per litre is the ethanol price at which the supply-chain begins to be profitable (has an NPV of zero). The advantage of this measure is that it allows supply-chain performance to be readily related to the cost of alternatives.
Using these cost metrics, a supply-chain can be considered viable if the NPV is greater than zero for a given discount rate. Likewise, ethanol can be considered competitive (without any policy interventions such as renewable obligations, subsidies or carbon taxes) with gasoline if its levelised cost is equal to, or lower than, the wholesale price of gasoline. Caution, however, is required on two counts. Firstly, it does not follow that a project which has an NPV greater or equal to zero is necessarily an attractive investment; different investors apply different discount rates depending upon their assessment of project risk and usually evaluate projects as part of a portfolio rather than in isolation. Secondly, the market value of ethanol is determined by the subsidy regime, its value as an oxygenate, and whether it is sold as E5 or E85. It is therefore possible for the levelised cost per litre of ethanol to be greater than the cost of a litre of gasoline and for the supply-chain to be profitable.
Cost model schematic
The supply-chain cost model developed here is a spreadsheet-based tool incorporating a macro-driven sensitivity analysis. The model is shown schematically in Figure 2. The inputs are twofold: firstly, descriptions of the conversion plant and process (mass balance, capital cost, plant capacity and learning rate); and secondly, descriptions of the supply-chain context (feedstock prices, ethanol value, finance package). The outputs, as described above, are estimates of levelised cost and NPV.
Supply-chain cost model schematic.
The key difference between this model and the flow-sheeting approach used by NREL is that, in the NREL model, the majority of supply-chain parameters are fixed to allow different process designs to be investigated; in our model, the mass balance and equipment structure of each process description are fixed to allow the importance of the other supply-chain parameters to be investigated. There is, in principal however, no limit to the number of supply-chains that could be described and compared, thus a comprehensive picture may be obtained by using a series of mass balance estimates.
Our model is, in essence, a summation of cost estimates in which numerous assumptions and decisions are embodied. It cannot be tested empirically, but to ensure the overall results are representative, multiple estimates for input parameters were used, taken from a wide range of published and peer-reviewed sources. Assumptions were also discussed with experts from within the NILE project and were moderated accordingly. The sensitivity analysis embodied within the model also helps to identify those areas where greatest precision is necessary.
Characterising European supply-chains
This section describes the principal components of generic LE supply-chains. Representative values for the most important parameters affecting cost performance are identified and normalised.
Characterising feedstock parameters
Approach and assumptions
Estimates of biomass costs were identified in reports from national governments, the EU, trade associations and the academic literature. For established biomass resources, such as pulplogs, market indices were also available. One of the consequences of using such a diverse range of sources was that estimates were highly variable in terms of units, currency, extent of processing, location and biomass form such as chips, logs, etc. To enable estimates to be compared on a similar basis, each estimate was normalised using the following assumptions.
• The feedstock supply-chain was assumed to be composed of three generic operations:
○ production and forwarding to a roadside collection point;
○ transport from the roadside collection point to the plant;
○ size reduction, where required, in order that the biomass is in a form acceptable to the plant.
• The conversion plant was assumed to only receive chips or, in the case of the straw process, bales.
• Biomass was transported in the densest form possible, for example, for logs, chipping at the plant was given preference to chipping at the roadside.
• Where estimates did not include transport (and/or size-reduction), a uniform cost was assumed, determined by the biomass form and country of origin as outlined in Table 2[12, 13].
Table 2 Average transport cost assumptions for feedstock price normalisation
• Quantities were converted to oven-dry-tonne (odt) equivalents. Prices were converted to 2005 US$.
• Prices were assumed not to vary with the quantity demanded.
Total feedstock costs were then calculated as the sum of cost at roadside, transport cost and size reduction cost.
Given the diversity of potential feedstock supply-chains, it should be recognised that these assumptions represent a simplification. Nevertheless, the level of resolution corresponds with the quality and availability of data and is consistent with the analytical methods underpinning a number of UK government reports including the recent UK biomass strategy [14].
Selecting representative feedstock cost estimates
Using the normalising assumptions above, a survey of feedstock prices in Europe was undertaken for straw, waste paper, energy crops, imported biomass, mill residues, forest residues, pulplogs and sawlogs. Cost estimates varied widely for all the types of feedstocks considered. Focusing on the feedstocks expected to be used in the short and medium term: the cost of chips derived from pulplogs varied from US$59 to US$120 odt-1, whereas chips derived from forest residues varied from US$38 to US$172 odt-1; the cost of mill waste was US$107 to US$108 odt-1 and straw US$66 to US$153 odt-1. Looking at the costs of other feedstocks: energy crops varied from US$65 to US$172 odt-1; the cost of waste paper showed a considerable range, US$65 to US$172 odt-1 depending upon the quality of the paper: the low estimate shown here corresponds to mixed waste, the higher estimate for newsprint; sorted office paper would fetch a higher price still [15–25].
Given that the variation in prices between resource types was comparable to the variation within each type, we decided not to differentiate between resources, but to use mid-point, high and low cost values as inputs to the model. Mid-point values corresponding to the geometric mean were chosen with high and low estimates corresponding to the 15th and 85th percentiles respectively (that is, approximately one standard deviation from the mean), see Table 3.
Table 3 Normalised feedstock cost estimates
Characterising the conversion process
The economic performance of the conversion process was determined by three groups of variables.
• The capital cost, plant size and level of technological learning attained.
• Product yields, associated flows of materials and energy (chemicals, feedstocks, etc.) and their corresponding unit costs and revenues.
• Cost of finance.
Yields and material flows are interdependent; consequently, detailed investigation of a specific conversion process would typically use a flow-sheeting model to solve the mass and energy balances and identify the impacts of process alterations. Developing new process models for all the conversion processes of interest, however, was beyond the scope of this study, and would entail a level of resolution in excess of the minimum required for the high-level comparison of supply-chain systems. Instead, data from pre-existing process models was used, and where necessary, adapted. For each process configuration the mass balance was fixed and assumed to be invariant with changes in plant capacity. Capital costs were adjusted to reflect plant capacity using a scale relationship, see 'incorporating scale effects' below. The unit cost of inputs, the cost of finance and other parameters could then be varied.
The cost of finance was considered to be an independent variable, principally determined by the market cost of capital and investors' appetite for risk.
Describing a reference-case conversion processes for comparison
Process data for enzymatic and dilute acid processes utilising softwood was obtained from the University of Lund [26]. The data was derived from Aspen Plus models of a 25 odthour-1 (around 55 million litres year-1ethanol) stand-alone facility, validated by laboratory scale experiment. Costs were determined using ICARUS™ process evaluator, vendor quotations and literature estimates. The enzymatic plant cost 134 million 2005US$ and employed single-step steam-and-sulphur-dioxide catalysed pre-treatment followed by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) using commercially purchased enzymes and yeast produced in the plant; solid fuel (lignin) was exported and sold. The dilute acid plant cost 150 million2005US$ and the process was similar to the enzymatic process, except that separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF) was undertaken using a two-stage acid-catalysed pre-treatment and hydrolysis step. Neither process included pentose fermentation, this is considered further below. Detailed mass balance data, together with cost assumptions for each process are shown in Table 4.
Table 4 Mass balance and costs assumptions for softwood reference conversion processes
Adapting the reference processes to include pentose fermentation and straw as a feedstock
The 'reference processes' were adapted to include pentose fermentation using the following assumptions:
• The ethanol and carbon dioxide yield from pentose sugars was assumed to be 50%, reflecting the fact that the recovery of pentoses after pre-treatment is lower than for hexoses [26].
• The solid fuel yield and process heat requirement was unaffected.
• The flow of chemicals was the same as for the softwood enzymatic, or dilute acid, reference process.
• The capital cost of the plant was the same as for the softwood enzymatic, or dilute acid, reference process.
• Pentose fermenting yeasts were available at no additional cost; that is, although there would probably be some additional license costs, these would be negligible.
The 'reference' processes were adapted to use straw as a feedstock using similar assumptions:
• The ethanol and carbon dioxide yield from hexose sugars was assumed to be the same as for the softwood enzymatic, or dilute acid, reference process.
• The flow of chemicals was the same as for the softwood enzymatic or dilute acid, reference process.
• The capital cost of the plant was the same as for softwood enzymatic or dilute acid reference process.
Modifying the reference process models in this way is clearly a significant simplification. Nevertheless, the approach permits an initial assessment of the relative importance of different process configurations within the context of the whole supply-chain. If comprehensive flow-sheet models were developed for each chain, a number of additional changes might be observed. These include: a reduction in the yield of solid fuel, or an increase in the demand for energy supplied externally to the process as the yield of ethanol increases. As part of the validation process, these assumptions, and the resulting mass balances, were discussed with the team that developed the original models and were moderated accordingly.
Incorporating scale effects
Returns-to-scale are anticipated. For the conversion plant returns-to-scale were estimated using the scale relationship: Cost B = Cost A (Scale B/Scale A)R[27]. For this approach, two pieces of information are necessary:
• the process components for which returns-to-scale can be expected; and,
• the appropriate scale factor (R) for each component.
Discussions with the team at Lund University suggested that the only area likely to experience returns-to-scale was the overall capital cost and that a reasonable estimate of the scale factor was R = 0.7, in line with literature estimates and engineering convention [27]. All other inputs to the process could be expected to vary in direct proportion to capacity (R = 1) with the exception of the number of employees, which would remain static (R = 0). For feedstocks, returns-to-scale are a function of the marginal cost of supply plus the additional transport cost of collecting material from a larger area. This iteration of the model incorporated a range of costs, but assumed that transport costs were constant.
Incorporating experience curves
The experience curve concept derives from the empirical observation that the unit costs of technology often decrease at a more or less fixed rate – the progress ratio (PR) – with every doubling of cumulative production. This idea was incorporated into mainstream economic literature by Arrow [28] in a review of 'the economic implications of learning by doing' and has been widely applied to the manufacturing sector [29]. Although for some technologies a progress ratio of 10% to 15% has been observed, the impact of accumulated experience on the cost of ethanol is expected to be less than this. This is because most elements of the conversion process, fermentation tanks, distillation columns, etc., and the feedstock supply, are already fully mature. When considering the impact of both experience curves and scale effects there is also a risk of double counting as one of the factors that may contribute to the learning rate is increasing returns-to-scale.
For these reasons, learning effects were only applied to two elements of the conversion process: the capital cost of pre-treatment and the unit price of enzymes. The PR estimated for the pre-treatment capital costs was 10%. This is comparable with the lower PRs observed for the Brazilian Proalcool programme: 7% between 1980 and 1985 and 29% between 1985 and 2002 [30]. This estimate might be considered pessimistic, but the price of pre-treatment reactors is, to a large extent, determined by the commodity price of corrosion-resistant stainless steel, which has been increasing. The PR estimated for the unit cost of enzymes was 30%. The justification for choosing a higher rate was that the current enzyme market is very small; consequently, significant scope for cost reduction may exist. Experience with established enzymes such as α-amylase also justifies this figure.
Cost of finance
The cost of financing a project reflects the perceived investment risk: consequently, the finance cost for a proven technology using an established plant design will be significantly less than for a first plant. The project finance variables included in the cost model are listed in Table 5.
Table 5 Project finance variables
To assess the impact of variable financing costs, four project finance scenarios were developed: reference-case, first-plant, first-plant-with-capital-subsidy and N th-plant. The assumptions embedded within each scenario are listed in Table 6[31]. For all scenarios, insurance, maintenance and working capital were assumed to be constant fractions of fixed capital; investment life was also kept constant (15 years) and straight line depreciation over this lifetime was assumed. The reference-case was included because it is representative of the assumptions used for process comparison in previous techno-economic assessments [18, 20]. This scenario assumed that the plant was built in 1 year and that the tax rate and salvage value were nil. For the other scenarios, the build cost was apportioned over 3 years and a constant tax rate and salvage value was assumed. The principal difference between the first-plant and N th-plant case is that the N th-plant has a lower cost of capital as a consequence of a greater proportion of debt finance and a lower value for Beta. The first-plant-with-capital-subsidy case is identical to the first-plant case with the addition of a 25% capital subsidy.
Table 6 Project finance scenarios
Estimating ethanol revenues and the cost of distribution, marketing and retail
To calculate the supply-chain NPV it is necessary to estimate net revenues from ethanol sales. Numerous factors may affect the price of ethanol: the price may be driven up by its contribution to fuel volume, octane enhancement value, the availability of tax credits, and its value as an oxygenate for regulatory compliance; the price may be driven down by the need for specialist handling requirements, impact on fuel volatility, energy content, impact on refinery production margins, etc. Historically, however, the basic pricing formula for ethanol producers in the US, where ethanol is sold as low (around 5–10%) percentage blends, attracts reduced duty levels compared with gasoline, and where the price at the pump is the same as regular gasoline, has been as follows [32]:
Net revenues may then be calculated by subtracting the cost of distribution:
The consequence of this formula is that the price of a litre of ethanol more-or-less tracks the price of a litre of gasoline plus a premium deriving from policy incentives: that is, ethanol price = f(volume + subsidy). We assume that this pricing method may be applied to ethanol sold in Europe under current market conditions and use the label 'E5+subsidy' to refer to this pricing method in the discussion below.
If we conjecture that future ethanol supply was to increase significantly, two further scenarios are of interest.
• Ethanol continues to be sold as low percentage blends but the subsidy is removed; that is, the price of a litre of ethanol is equal to a litre of gasoline (price = f(volume)). This is assumed to correspond to ethanol sold as E5 (labelled 'E5').
• Ethanol is sold as high percentage blends and the price reflects its lower energy content; that is, the price is about two-thirds that of gasoline (price = f(energy content). This is assumed to correspond to ethanol sold as E85 with no subsidy (labelled 'E85').
Estimates used in the cost model are shown in Tables 7 and 8[33].
Table 7 Ethanol price determinants
Table 8 Ethanol price scenarios
Normalising cost estimates
All costs have been converted to 2005 US$ using historic exchange rates from the year that the estimate was published, followed by conversion to 2005 values using the US all-commodities producer price index. US$ were chosen because oil is traditionally priced in dollars. In addition, the choice of dollars helps to minimise exchange rate errors and aids comparison with US studies; 2005 was chosen as the base year as this was the most recent period for which many complete datasets were available. It should be noted that oil prices have fluctuated dramatically over the past 3 years reaching a record $147 barrel-1in July 2008. At the time of writing the price of oil was around $100 barrel-1, considerably greater than its 2005 value ($62 barrel-1). The impact of oil price fluctuations is considered further in the sensitivity analysis.
Labelling individual supply-chains
Many hundreds of supply-chain permutations are possible. To clearly distinguish individual permutations the following labelling scheme is used:
Feedstock: softwood = spruce, straw = straw
Feedstock price: high = (H), medium = (M), low = (L)
Process: dilute acid = DA, enzymatic = EH, pentose fermentation = p
Finance: reference-case = (Rc), first-plant = (Fp), first-plant-with-subsidy = (FpS), N th plant = (Np)
Capacity: 25 odt.h-1 = C(25)
For example, low-cost softwood processed using an enzymatic process including pentose fermentation, with a capacity of 25 odt h-1, financed as the N th plant, would have the label: 'spruce(L)-EHp(Np)-C(25)'. Where factors (for example, feedstock cost or scale) are identical, labels are included in the figure description.
This section presents a comparison of LE supply-chains developed from the components described above. The objective is to identify the elements of the supply-chain which have the greatest impact on the cost of ethanol production.
Base-case chains for comparison are defined in Table 9. The levelised cost of ethanol for each chain is shown in Figure 3. For all chains, the greatest contribution to the levelised cost is from biomass (31–40%) and capital (27–35%). It is also notable that as a proportion of total costs, the enzymatic process is characterised by a large cost of chemicals (15%), two-thirds of which can be attributed to the cost of enzymes alone.
Table 9 Base-case supply-chains for comparison
Levelised cost of ethanol production.
Ethanol produced from straw is more expensive than ethanol from softwood for all base-case chains. This reflects the greater proportion of pentoses in straw compared with softwood, the lower efficiency of pentose fermentation, and the lower cost estimate for softwood feedstocks. A notable consequence of this difference is that the introduction of pentose fermentation reduces the cost of production from straw by around 29%, whereas it only reduces the cost of production from softwood by around 8%. At this scale, the lowest cost supply-chain (spruce-EHp) produces ethanol roughly twice as expensive as the 2005 average cost of gasoline ($0.43 litre-1). The most expensive supply chain (straw-DA) produces ethanol nearly four and a half times more expensive.
The impact of increasing plant capacity
Figures 4 and 5 show the variation in levelised cost and NPV as plant size increases. For softwood, all the chains demonstrate positive returns to scale: the larger the plant the more profitable it is and the lower the production cost. The levelised cost converges towards around $0.6–0.7 litre-1as capacity increases and, for the enzymatic process, it equals the $100 barrel-1 gasoline price at a plant capacity of around 60–100 odt hour-1 (around 60–120 million litres year-1 ethanol). It is notable that changes in scale have a proportionately greater impact than switching between enzymatic and dilute acid hydrolysis, or including (excluding) pentose fermentation.
Variation in supply-chain cost performance with plant capacity. Softwood base-case supply chains. Net present value calculated using an oil price of US$62 barrel-1.
Variation in supply-chain cost performance with plant capacity. Straw base-case supply-chains. Net present value calculated using an oil price of US$62 barrel-1.
For straw, the difference between chains is greater than for softwood. Again, this reflects the greater proportion of pentoses in straw compared with softwood and the lower efficiency of pentose recovery and fermentation. Although the levelised cost decreases with increasing capacity, it converges towards around $1.0–1.5 litre-1, nearly twice the $100 barrel-1gasoline price. With the 2005 average oil price ($62 barrel-1), the NPV range is negative for all straw chains and scales.
The impact of varying ethanol revenues
Supply-chain NPV is very sensitive to the net revenues obtained from ethanol sold: the greater the revenues the greater the NPV. Figure 6 shows the impact of varying the ethanol costing method on the supply-chain NPV of a softwood enzymatic-hydrolysis plant.
Variation in supply-chain net present value with ethanol revenue and capacity for an enzymatic hydrolysis plant. The example shown excludes pentose fermentation and assumes a mid price feedstock (US$74 odt-1), N th plant finance and an oil price of US$62 barrel-1.
For this chain, only the case in which ethanol is priced as a function of volume plus subsidy (E5 + subsidy) is profitable and this would require a plant capacity in excess of 100 odt hour-1 (around 220 million litres ethanol year-1).
Where ethanol is priced as a function of volume (E5) or energy content (E85) (see Table 8), returns-to-scale arising from increased capacity are not sufficient to make the supply-chain profitable. Although not shown, similar relationships may be observed for other supply-chain configurations.
The methodology for pricing ethanol will ultimately depend upon the size of the total fuel ethanol market, the political priority given to the support of alternative fuels and the availability of politically controlled incentives such as carbon credits. An assessment of political risk will therefore be highly influential on an investor's decision to build a lignocellulosic ethanol plant.
The impact of finance scenarios and experience curves
Figure 7 shows the variation in the levelised cost of ethanol with increasing cumulative capacity. The successive introduction of seven plants is shown, each with a capacity of 25 odt hour-1 and assuming the PR and finance scenarios described above. Again, the results shown are for the softwood enzymatic chain, but similar relationships were observed for the other supply-chain configurations. In this case, cost reductions attributable to learning effects are around 2% to 3%, but the change in cost attributable to moving from first-plant to N th plant finance scenarios is around 20%, nearly an order of magnitude greater. The progress ratios considered here may, perhaps, be considered conservative; nevertheless, it is apparent that the benefit of obtaining favourable finance terms has the potential to dwarf the benefit obtained from small reductions in capital cost.
Variation in levelised cost with cumulative annual production and finance scenarios. The example shown is for a softwood enzymatic hydrolysis plant, excluding pentose fermentation, and assuming a mid price feedstock (US$74 odt-1).
The relationships shown above clearly show that ethanol cost estimates are influenced by a great number of assumptions. Testing the stability of the model output against variation in these assumptions is important to identify which have the greatest influence. In this analysis, the testing was broken down into two steps.
In the first step, an elasticity analysis was conducted on each of the parameters feeding into the model. The elasticity of a result with respect to an input parameter is defined as the ratio of the percentage change of the result to the percentage change in the parameter. A small change, much less than 1, denotes an inelastic parameter – one that is forgiving of small uncertainties. Whereas an elasticity close to 1 shows that the parameter has a greater influence on the model result and indicates that a more accurate input is required.
In the second step, the parameters identified as important were varied over a range of values and the change in results recorded. The outcome is presented graphically in the form of a spider diagram showing the change in the result as a function of the percentage change in the parameters.
The elasticity of the supply-chain NPV performance metric was calculated with respect to all cost parameters and for all the supply chains. For clarity, only parameters with elasticity greater than 0.01 are shown, and are listed in Table 10.
Table 10 Cost parameters included in the sensitivity analysis
The results of the sensitivity analysis are similar for all chains. An illustrative spider diagram showing the results for the softwood enzymatic process assuming a 25 odt hour-1 (around 55 million litres year-1) plant is shown in Figure 8. Lines that rise from the left to the right show a positive correlation between the result and a change in input values and vice versa. The gradient indicates elasticity: the steeper the line, the greater the impact that changing that parameter will have on the result. The length of the line indicates the range of values that the parameter may take. For the example shown, the parameters with the greatest influence on supply chain NPV are ethanol revenues, feedstock price and discount rate. These parameters may take a wide range of possible values and have elasticities close to 1. In contrast, the cost of enzymes is highly uncertain, but because the elasticity is lower, varying this parameter has less impact on the overall result. The capital cost of the plant is negatively correlated with NPV and has a high elasticity (around 0.7). This parameter varies over a limited range of values, however, suggesting that incremental reductions in capital cost are less important than securing a low cost supply of feedstocks and obtaining a high value for ethanol. Although not shown, if the capacity of the plant is increased, the main effect is to reduce the sensitivity to changes in capital cost.
The sensitivity of supply-chain net present value to changing input parameter assumptions. The example shown is for the softwood enzymatic process spruce(M)-EH(Np)-C(25).
In identifying which assumptions have the greatest influence on model outputs, the sensitivity analysis results help prioritise further research: those parameters with the greatest influence merit the greatest attention. From the results shown, it is evident that the relationship between the cost of feedstocks and the value obtained for ethanol is particularly important to determining commercial viability. This relationship is shown explicitly in Figures 9 and 10 for the base-case softwood chain and for the straw chain including pentose fermentation. On each figure, the three lines correspond to the three ethanol pricing methods; a single point on one of the lines corresponds to the oil and biomass prices at which that particular supply-chain would break-even (NPV = 0); typical oil and biomass price ranges are indicated by the shaded areas.
Break-even oil and feedstock prices for base-case softwood chains. Spruce-EH(Np)-C(25).
Break-even oil and feedstock prices for straw supply-chains incorporating pentose fermentation. Straw-EHp(Np)-C(25).
For the softwood example, it can be seen that the E5 and E5+subsidy chains break-even at moderate oil and biomass prices, but that the E85 chain would require either very low feedstock prices or very high oil prices. For the straw case, the E5+subsidy chain breaks even at high oil (low biomass) prices but the E5 and E85 chains fall outside the typical price ranges shown. Although not shown, similar relationships can be demonstrated for the other supply chains. Factors which decrease the cost of production – for example, more favourable finance, increased capacity, or improved yield of ethanol relative to solid fuel – shift the lines downwards. Factors which increase the cost of production have the opposite effect.
The model described here has been used to characterise and compare simplified ethanol supply-chains applicable to Europe. Using this model it has been possible to identify which factors are most important in determining the cost and profitability of ethanol and compare a range of supply-chain configurations. To a limited extent it was also possible to assess the relative impact of process variations and improvements such as pentose fermentation on supply-chain cost performance.
The results suggest that ethanol produced from softwood and sold as a low percentage blend with gasoline could be cost competitive with gasoline without requiring subsidy. Production from straw, however, would generally be less competitive, owing to the greater proportion of less easily fermentable pentose sugars. For the same reason, the benefit of introducing pentose fermentation would be greatest for the straw processes. The commercial attractiveness, however, is by no means certain. The most important factors affecting commercial viability are the cost of feedstocks, primarily determined by location and existing markets, and the value obtained for ethanol, primarily determined by oil price and policy incentives. Both of these factors are highly uncertain.
Feedstock markets are diverse and generally geographically constrained, reflecting the low density of most biomass materials. Consequently, it would be misleading to present straw and softwood as competing options from a feedstock or process development perspective. They are produced in different regions and are subject to different market pressures.
The value obtained for ethanol is determined not only by the oil price and policy framework, but also by the percentage blend at point of sale. Ethanol has a lower value when sold on the basis of its energy content, in high percentage blends, compared with its sale on the basis of its oxygenate value in low percentage blends. Taking the market as a whole, therefore, there appears to be no commercial logic in seeking to sell ethanol as high percentage blends whilst the market for low percentage blends remains unsaturated. Similarly, the cost of policy interventions seeking to promote the use of ethanol through the uptake of high percentage blends would be proportionately more expensive than those seeking to extend the use of low percentage blends.
Looking at the market from the perspective of an individual ethanol producer, high percentage blends may nevertheless be attractive. Particularly, if they allow the ethanol producer to capture a greater proportion of the value chain, or if regional policies prioritise local environmental benefits.
Capital costs are also important, and because of increasing returns to scale, the larger the processing plant the more profitable it will be. In this regard, the economics of lignocellulosic ethanol production might be considered analogous to the economics of pulp production, the pulp industry having demonstrated a trend towards larger plant and more centralised production in areas where feedstocks are abundant. From a technology development perspective, an alternative development pathway that does not require a large stand-alone plant and the associated initial investment would obviously be advantageous. Although not considered here, this might be achievable if ethanol production was integrated with other facilities such as combined heat and power, fossil fuel refineries (for access to utilities) or existing pulp mills; or in an arable region, from integrating production from grain and straw. A subject for future study could be to investigate the dependence of facility capital cost on geographic location (rather than simple production capacity).
On the basis of the results presented, we may conclude that supply-chain design will play a critical role in determining whether lignocellulosic ethanol production is commercially viable. The importance of feedstock supply highlights the need for location-specific assessments of feedstock availability and price. Similarly, the role of subsidies and policy incentives in creating and sustaining the ethanol market highlights the importance of political engagement, and the need to include political risks in investment appraisal.
Further technical improvements to drive down costs and improve the yield of the highest value products are, of course, still needed. The modelling tool developed here is complementary to existing flow-sheeting and experimental methods and, by enabling the rapid comparison of supply chains at the systems level, extends the scope of assessment. As the technology gets closer to market and the need for large-scale public and private investment increases, it is to be hoped that broadening the scope of assessment in this way will serve to improve the understanding of how support can be delivered and deployment achieved.
dilute acid conversion process
EH:
enzymatic conversion process
Ehp:
enzymatic conversion process incorporating pentose fermentation
Fp:
first-plant
FpS:
first-plant with subsidy
LE:
lignocellulosic ethanol
NILE:
New Improvements in Lignocellulosic Ethanol (an EU Framework Programme 7 project)
N th plant
NPV:
net present value
NREL:
odt:
oven-dry-tonne
progress ratio
SHF:
separate hydrolysis and fermentation
SSF:
simultaneous saccharification and fermentation
Worldwatch Institute: Biofuels for Transportation: Global Potential and Implications for Sustainable Agriculure and Energy in the 21st Century. Washington. 2006, 188.
Searchinger T, Heimlich R, Houghton RA, Dong F, Elobeid A, Fabiosa J, Tokgoz S, Hayes D, Yu T-H: Use of US croplands for biofuels increases greenhouse gases through emissions from land-use change. Science 2008, 319: 1238-1240. 10.1126/science.1151861
Wooley R, Ruth M, Sheehan J, Ibsen K: Lignocellulosic Biomass to Ethanol Process Design and Economics Utilizing Co-current Dilute Acid Prehydrolysis and Enzymatic Hydrolysis Current and Futuristic Scenarios. NREL/TP-580-26157. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory; 1999.
Von Sivers M, Zacchi G: Ethanol from lignocellulosics: a review of the economy. J Environ Sci Health B 1996, 56: 131.
Lynd LR: Overview and evaluation of fuel ethanol from cellulosic biomass: technology, economics, the environment, and policy. Annu Rev Energ Environ 1996, 21: 403-465. 10.1146/annurev.energy.21.1.403
Aden A, Ruth M, Ibsen K, Jechura J, Neeves K, Sheehan J, Wallace B: Lignocellulosic Biomass to Ethanol Process Design and Economics Utilizing Co-Current Dilute Acid Prehydrolysis and Enzymatic Hydrolysis for Corn Stover. NREL/TP-510-32438. Golden, CO: National Renewable Energy Laboratory; 2002.
Ruth M, Jechura J: Incorporating Monte Carlo analysis into techno-economic assessment of corn stover to ethanol. NREL/PR-510-35313. AlChe Annual Meeting: 20 November 2003; San Francisco
Wingren AA, Galbe MM, Zacchi GG: Techno-economic evaluation of producing ethanol from softwood: comparison of SSF and SHF and identification of bottlenecks. Biotechnol Progress 2003, 19: 1109-1117. 10.1021/bp0340180
Antti A, Harri L, Sanna P, Timo K, Juha L: Forest Energy Potential in Europe (EU27). Helsinki: Finnish Forest Research Institute; 2008.
Edwards RAH, Šúri M, Huld TA, Dallemand JF: GIS-based assessment of cereal straw energy in the European Union. In Cereals Straw Resources for Bioenergy in the European Union: 18–19 October 2006; Pamplona. Brussels: European Commission;
Sekab Group[http://www.sekab.com]
Tore Högnäs: A comparison of timber haulage in Great Britain and Finland. Forestry Publications of Metsähallitus 39.: Vantaa: Metsähallitus 2001.
Bioregional: Straw Availability in the UK. Wallington. 2003.
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs/Department for Transport/Department for Trade and Industry: UK Biomass Strategy. London. 2007.
RISI: World Timber Price Quarterly. 2004.
Forestry Commission: Forestry Statistics 2006 – Finance and Prices. Edinburgh. 2006.
Confederation of European Paper Industries: Competitiveness and Europe's Pulp and Paper Industry. Brussels. 2005.
Wingren A: Ethanol from Softwood: Techno-economic Evaluation for Development of the Enzymatic Process. Lund: Department of Chemical Engineering, Lund University; 2005.
Wingren A, Soderstrom J, Galbe MM, Zacchi GG: Process considerations and economic evaluation of two-step steam pretreatment for production of fuel ethanol from softwood. Biotechnol Prog 2004, 20: 1421. 10.1021/bp049931v
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe: Forest ProductsAnnual Market Review 2004–5. Geneva. 2005.
Hamelinck CN, Hooijdonk G, Faaij A: Ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass: techno-economic performance in short-, middle- and long-term. Biomass Bioenergy 2005, 28: 384. 10.1016/j.biombioe.2004.09.002
Suurs R: Long distance bioenergy logistics. University of Utrecht, Copernicus Institute, Department of Science Technology and Society; 2002.
IPA Consulting and Mitsui Babcock: The Economics of Co-firing, Report to DTI. London. 2006.
AEA Technology: Renewable Heat and Heat from Combined Heat and Power Plants Study and Analysis; Report to DTI and DEFRA. Didcot. 2005.
Recycled Paper Prices[http://www.letsrecycle.com/prices/paperPrices.jsp]
Sassner P, Galbe M, Zacchi G: Techno-economic evaluation of bioethanol production from three different lignocellulosic materials. Biomass Bioenergy 2008, 32: 422-430. 10.1016/j.biombioe.2007.10.014
Peters MS, Timmerhaus KD, West R: Plant Design and Economics for Chemical Engineers. 5th edition. London: McGraw-Hill; 2003.
Arrow KJ: The economic implications of learning by doing. Rev Econ Stud 1962, 29: 155. 10.2307/2295952
Argote L, Epple D: Learning curves in manufacturing. Science 1990, 247: 920. 10.1126/science.247.4945.920
Goldemberg J, Coelho ST, Nastari PM, Lucon O: Ethanol learning curve – the Brazilian experience. Biomass Bioenergy 2004, 26: 301. 10.1016/S0961-9534(03)00125-9
Coltrain D: Economic Issues with Ethanol, Revisited. Manhattan, KS: Kansas Cooperative Development Center, Kansas State University, Department of Agricultural Economics; 2004.
Reynolds R: The Current Fuel Ethanol Industry Transportation Marketing Distribution and Technical Considerations. Oak Ridge National Laboratory. TN; 2000.
UK Petroleum Industry Association Limited: Statistical Review 2006. London. 2006, 22.
The authors thank Guido Zacchi and Per Sassner of the University of Lund for their comments and insights. We gratefully acknowledge the support provided by the European Commission Framework Programme 7, through their sponsorship of the NILE project (Contract number: 019882).
Imperial Centre for Energy Policy and Technology, Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
Raphael Slade & Ausilio Bauen
Centre for Process Systems Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
Nilay Shah
Raphael Slade
Ausilio Bauen
Correspondence to Raphael Slade.
RS designed and executed the study including model development, results analysis and drafting of the manuscript. AB conceived the study and both AB and NS participated in the study design. All authors read, commented upon and approved the final manuscript.
Authors' original file for figure 10
Slade, R., Bauen, A. & Shah, N. The commercial performance of cellulosic ethanol supply-chains in Europe. Biotechnol Biofuels 2, 3 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1186/1754-6834-2-3
Commercial Viability
Reference Process


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Das Institut für Bildungsanalysen Baden-Württemberg (IBBW) ist eine nicht-rechtsfähige Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts des Landes Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart. Die Gründung erfolgt am 1. März 2019 auf Grundlage des Gesetz zur Umsetzung des Qualitätskonzepts für die öffentlichen Schulen in Baden-Württemberg. Es untersteht dem Ministerium für Kultus, Jugend und Sport Baden-Württemberg.

Geschichte
Mit dem Hintergrund, dass die Leistungen der Schüler in Baden-Württemberg im Bundesvergleich abgesackt waren, wurden das Institut für Bildungsanalysen Baden-Württemberg und das Zentrum für Schulqualität und Lehrerbildung gegründet. Im Zuge dieser Neuordnung wurden das Landesinstitut für Schulentwicklung und weitere nachgeordnete Dienststellen des Kultusministeriums aufgelöst und deren Aufgaben in die beiden neuen Institutionen integriert. Der überwiegende Teil der Aufgaben des Landesinstitutes für Schulentwicklung fiel dabei an das IBBW. Direktor des IBBW wurde Günter Klein, der seit 2015 Direktor des Landesinstitutes für Schulentwicklung war.

Aufgaben
Statistik und IT

Das IBBW ist zuständig für die amtliche Schulstatistik und stellt den Schulen die notwendige digitale Infrastruktur zur Verfügung sowie die digitale Infrastruktur von LOBW, dem Landesportal für Lehrkräfte zur Einstellung, Versetzung und stellenwirksamen Änderungen. Daneben übernimmt das IBBW den Landesbildungsserver vom Landesinstitut für Schulentwicklung und betreibt ihn gemeinsam mit dem Zentrum für Schulqualität und Lehrerbildung.

Kompetenzmessung

Der Arbeitsbereich Kompetenzmessung erstellt und evaluiert die zentralen schriftlichen Prüfungen der allgemeinbildenden und beruflichen Schulen in Baden-Württemberg. Außerdem werden die Daten von bundesweiten Lernstandserhebung wie beispielsweise der VERA 3 vom IBBW gesammelt, statistisch ausgewertet und den Schulen wieder zur Verfügung gestellt. Ebenso werden die Daten der landesweit verpflichtende Lernstandserhebungen Lernstand 5 in den Fächern Deutsch und Mathematik in Klassenstufe 5 gesammelt und ausgewertet.

Systemanalysen

Eine weitere Aufgabe ist es die erhobenen Daten zu analysieren und daraus Hinweise abzuleiten, an welcher Stelle Verbesserungsbedarf besteht, u. a. führt es Evaluationen von Schulen durch. Das IBBW veröffentlicht regelmäßig einen Bildungsbericht, der die Erkenntnisse aus Leistungserhebungen, Schulleistungsstudien, wie den Überprüfungen der Bildungsstandards der Kultusministerkonferenz, und der Schulevaluationen zum Inhalt hat.

Empirische Bildungsforschung

Das IBBW, in Kooperation mit weiteren wissenschaftlichen Instituten, entwickelt, begleitet und evaluiert Projekte, Modelle und Konzepte zur Erhöhung der Schul- und Unterrichtsqualität.

Weblinks
 Website des IBBW

Einzelnachweise

Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts (Deutschland)
Schulische Organisation (Baden-Württemberg)
Bildungseinrichtung in Baden-Württemberg
Behörde (Stuttgart)
Gegründet 2019

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Supply Division
Supply Catalogue
Supply annual reports
Work for UNICEF
For suppliers and service providers
For governments and partners
Saving lives with RUTF (ready-to-use therapeutic food)
UNICEF has been procuring almost 80 per cent of the world's RUTF, a life-saving essential supply that treats severe wasting in children under 5 years old.
UNICEF/UN0372533/Ryeng
RUTF is the abbreviation for "ready-to-use therapeutic food", a life-saving essential supply item that treats severe wasting in children under 5 years old. Wasting is defined as low weight-for-height and happens when someone has not had enough food or food of adequate quality. If not appropriately treated, wasting in children is associated with a higher risk of death.
RUTF paste was invented by a French research scientist, André Briend, 25 years ago and became commercially available in the early 2000s. It is made from powdered milk, peanuts, butter, vegetable oil, sugar, and a mix of vitamins and minerals. One RUTF sachet combines 500 calories and micronutrients that have:
High nutritional value allowing malnourished children to gain weight quickly.
Two-year shelf life, making it convenient to pre-position in a warehouse.
Appealing taste and easy digestibility.
No need for preparation – children eat it directly from the packet.
Treatment recovery
Gilbert Dachi, Manager of UNICEF's Nutrition Programme in South Sudan responsible for the care and treatment of children with acute malnutrition, explains. "In South Sudan, UNICEF and partners treat close to a quarter of a million children every year with RUTF – averting potential deaths. Nutrition programmes for children with severe wasting in South Sudan achieve a treatment recovery rate of 95 per cent."
Malnutrition is a leading contributor to South Sudan's high mortality rate of 96.2 deaths for every 1,000 live births among children under five years old. Compare this devastating number with Denmark, Japan, Switzerland, and the UK, where the under-five mortality is between two to four deaths per 1,000 births. Each year South Sudan distributes about 2,600 metric tons (MT) or 190,000 cartons -185 truckloads of RUTF, procured by UNICEF or donated as contributions-in-kind.
Sustainable procurement and healthy markets
In addition to funding, the availability of RUTF depends on where RUTF is sourced. Global suppliers of RUTF are based in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Initially, the level of RUTF production was not sufficient to keep up with the increasing demand for RUTF. One way to help make RUTF more readily available is by supporting production in or close to countries that experience a high burden of malnutrition by local food manufacturers.
To create healthy markets and in line with its sustainable procurement strategy, UNICEF has partnered with other expert agencies to expand the supplier base with a focus on local production of RUTF. For example, in 2005, Niger began producing RUTF under a franchise agreement with the global supplier in France. Five years later, Niger no longer needed to import RUTF and, in addition, became a supplier for neighbouring countries.
By 2021, UNICEF's supplier base of RUTF grew to 21 – out of which 18 are based in countries where RUTF is used locally. UNICEF suppliers in Burkina Faso, Haiti, Kenya, Madagascar, Niger, Pakistan, and Sudan also provide RUTF for international procurement.
At the moment, all UNICEF-procured RUTF is peanut-based. However, UNICEF, nutrition partners, and industry are exploring the possibility of manufacturing RUTF using other nutrition-rich sources such as soy, chickpea, and oats. It will be essential to ensure that new formulations meet the high nutritional value, taste, and quality parameters that define success.
For the last four years, UNICEF has been procuring an estimated 75 to 80 per cent of the world's RUTF – equivalent to 49,000 metric tons (MT). Between 2017 and 2021, UNICEF procured some two million cartons for South Sudan.
Delivering RUTF to communities where children live is a complex exercise requiring foresight and fortitude. Supplies leaving the UNICEF warehouse in Juba are transported to warehouses in ten field offices across the country. Once commodities reach these field locations, UNICEF partners take supplies across the last mile – to community health programmes. Supply planning ensures that three-month buffer stocks are available in nearby warehouses in case there is a surge in demand or a delay in replenishment.
Meticulous planning is critical in countries where poor infrastructure directly impacts children's access to RUTF.
"The rainy season is dreaded in terms of logistics because road access is significantly constrained from May to the end of October," says Gilbert. "We need to map out our last-mile distribution points, and if we manage to pre-position RUTF in remote locations during the dry months, we can save significantly on transportation costs."
If this window of opportunity is missed, Gilbert and colleagues have only one alternative: delivery by air – a service managed by the humanitarian-based Logistics Cluster, operating on a first-come, first-serve basis.
"Unless you are prioritised, arranging shipments by air will cause a further delay," notes Gilbert. "Air delivery is five times more expensive than by road. However, for parts of the country where conflict and insecurity make it too dangerous to travel by truck, delivering RUTF by air is a permanent feature."
A violation of children's rights
Malnutrition is a violation of children's right to nutrition. Gilbert and other UNICEF colleagues are deeply moved by the relief and appreciation that mothers express when their children are saved by RUTF treatment. RUTF's irrefutable success in saving millions of children from dying has had the power to shock donors and partners to do whatever it takes to ensure RUTF is adequately pre-positioned wherever children are vulnerable to hunger crises.
Integrating nutrition supply chains into national supply systems to improve care for vulnerable children and support for the cost-effective and sustainable production of RUTF is a significant contribution of the supply function towards saving lives. However, UNICEF's Nutrition Programmes are based on evidence-informed protocols for the early detection and treatment of children with severe wasting. A holistic, preventive approach is at the heart of UNICEF's nutrition strategy (see below).
UNICEF's Nutrition Strategy 2020-2030
UNICEF/UNI358981/Fazel
To achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ending child malnutrition, UNICEF's Nutrition Strategy 2020-2030 calls for multisector programmes to strengthen the capacity and accountability of food, health, water and sanitation, education and social protection systems to deliver nutritious diets, essential nutrition services and positive nutrition practices for children, adolescents and women.
National governments have primary responsibility for upholding children's right to nutrition. But the path to nutritious diets, essential nutrition services and positive nutrition practices for all children, adolescents and women demands a shared purpose, with commitments and investments required from a range of government, societal, public, and private partners.
The lifesaving peanut paste
Infant and young child nutrition
A wonder 'food' for the world's children
RUTF has helped treat millions of children threatened by severe wasting. But what is it? And why is this treatment so amazing?
Proper nutrition provides a foundation for healthy lives and allows children to thrive.
Improving diets, services and practices for the prevention, early detection and treatment of wasting in early childhood.
Get the document
RUTF Supply Alert June 2022 and outlooks
A Supply Alert on RUTF price increase and market updates on global supply, demand, increased supplier diversity and UNICEF's procurement approach.
See the full report
UNICEF Supply Division
UNGM - United Nations Market Place

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


TYLER & TYLER Capsule Two-Tone Hide Burgundy Cufflinks. High quality turned part cufflinks with real leather hide inlay. Stunning anti-tarnish bright silver and gold two tone metal finish. Unique TYLER & TYLER signature T-bar fitting. Made in Birmingham, England.


text:
Adrian Garcia, Digital Journalist
Dillon Collier, Investigative Reporter
Tags: Local, News, Defenders
Authorities identify man found dead in Northwest Side neighborhood
Reinstated jail chief fired after failed inspection
Deputy Chief Ruben Vela recently cleared to return to work after suspension
SAN ANTONIO – Embattled Bexar County Sheriff's Office Deputy Chief Ruben Vela was terminated Wednesday, days after the one-time jail administrator was cleared to return to work after being suspended.
Vela's dismissal comes 10 months after he was appointed deputy chief of detention. His brief tenure in administration was marred by one incident after another inside the county jail.
Vela's firing was confirmed Wednesday afternoon in a press release that also announced the retirement of Chief Deputy Don Tijerina, who along with Vela was asked by Sheriff Javier Salazar to resign.
Tijerina will retire effective March 31, but Wednesday will be his last day at work, according to the release.
Salazar released the following statement:
In light of current and pervasive issues, this agency needs swift and decisive management. These former members of Command Staff, while they served this agency well during their many years of service, are no longer part of my strategy and vision moving forward. It is my commitment to the citizens of Bexar County to provide them with the most effective public safety services possible. Personnel changes are a difficult yet necessary part of the overall long term goal in helping me to lead this agency well into the future.
Vela, who was appointed acting jail administrator following the Sept. 2018 resignation of Assistant Chief Deputy Bobby Hogeland, was suspended in late Jan. after an inmate was mistakenly released without a GPS monitor.
The mistaken release was one of four that happened during a six-week period.
Additionally, an inmate ordered to go to an in-patient drug counseling program was instead mistakenly sent to a state prison.
Tuesday, BCSO officials announced that Capt. Avery Walker had been promoted to permanent jail administrator while also acknowledging that the jail had failed a recent inspection by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.
The state agency's full report is scheduled to be released later this week.
Audit identifies 18 areas of improvement
A BCSO internal audit conducted from late Jan. to early Feb. found 18 areas of improvement, including inconsistencies in training materials and current practices and a lack of oversight.
The audit found that BCSO's handwritten processing of release documents was "antiquated" and says that officials are currently reviewing the flow of documents.
A paperless system will be implemented in approximately two and a half years, the report says.
Click here if you are unable to see the timeline of incidents at the jail below:
Dillon Collier
Dillon is a Houston Press Club Journalist of the Year and Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Reporter of the Year. His relentless work includes uncovering the misuse of funds within a local housing authority and prompting a congressional inquiry at Fort Sam Houston.


Injured in a car accident? Get the compensation you deserve for medical bills, pain/suffering, and lost income.
Book an appointment with one our car accident lawyers now. We offer free consultation and charge nothing unless you case is won.
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Ready traditional ebru paints are made using traditional methods without additional treatment can be used immediately. Ready ebru traditional paints are made with traditional methods, without any additional treatment can be used directly Red (Ready to Use Traditional Ebru Paint) Traditional ebru paints are made using traditional methods and without casein paste form (pure nature). Paste paint is half use must still be processed ready.


select your preferred currency to complete your purchase. . Bitcoin payments cannot be reversed, so only transact with people you trust and business that have already established their reputation. Bitcoin, there are a few things that you need to know in order to use it securely and avoid common pitfalls. Dish has partnered with Coinbase for its bitcoin transactions. Find merchant services Accounting and taxes Merchants often deposit and display prices in their local currency. Since paying with bitcoin can be done using an app on your mobile phone, you can pay for our purchases anywhere you are as long as you have internet access. 07 of 13 Microsoft You can use Bitcoin to deposit funds into your Microsoft account. See here how mining has only left one guy with huge losses. Fly with CheapAir using your cryptocurrency. .
If yes, then you'll be happy to hear that electronic retail giant Newegg accepts bitcoin. What are the advantages? Fly into Denver and you can even pay for your parking with, bitcoin. A very common use for bitcoin is for online purchases. Before you start using. Cryptocurrency is not just for the unsavory criminal any more. In other cases, Bitcoin works similarly to a foreign currency. One way to find out if any of those smaller merchants are near your location is to check out the coinmap.0.
Bitcoin and, bitcoin, cash are secure currencies for the internet.
You can pay without handing out sensitive financial information, and you don t need an account.
The bitcoin payment option is now available for dish customers choosing to make one-time payments.
Customers will still have the option to make any payment online via credit card, debit card or bank account.


Heading to Chelsea Town Old Hall for Lauren and Nick's wedding, I knew that it was going to be an extraordinarily special day. This gorgeous, incredibly in-love couple met 3 years ago and planned an intimate wedding shared between themselves and their close friends and family.
"I want it small and Intimate," said Lauren about the way she always imagined.
I find that one of the best things about small weddings/ registry ceremonies is that they lend themselves to, especially tender moments. They also somehow feel a little more at ease, and that's exactly what the vibe was on this beautiful day in April. I'll leave you with a few more of my favourite moments from the day, and with a big congrats to the newlyweds!
Super work, love the smiles!
What a wedding – some lovely moments in there. I am sure the couple will be thrilled with these… Awesome job.


text:
Reconnecting The Legal Sector
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NSL COVID marshalls protecting local communities and keeping town centres safe.
NSL, the UK's largest parking enforcement specialist and part of Marston Holdings, is working in partnership with councils across the UK to help them manage the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The company is providing Covid Marshalls to support the police and council enforcement officers in monitoring and managing busy public areas, to protect local communities and ensure that town centres are safe places to visit.
Engage Services working with HSE to conduct COVID-secure spot checks.
Engage Services, part of Marston Holdings, is working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to carry out COVID-secure spot check visits. As an approved and appropriately trained supplier, the company's agents will undertake spot check visits on business premises on behalf of the HSE and local authorities across England, Wales and Scotland.
Marston launches Inclusion Initiative
Our recent Investors in People Platinum assessment report found that 87% of respondents had seen developments across the business in recruitment, selection, retention and diversity.
Marston partners with homeless charities to help people back into the workplace
Marston Holdings has partnered with the homeless charity St Mungo's and Radical Recruit, a not-for-profit organisation which bridges the gap between disadvantaged job seekers and the business world. This partnership is helping some of London's homeless people back into the workplace.
Marston becomes Beacon member of Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse
Marston is pleased to announce that it has become one of the pioneering Beacon members of the Employers' Initiative on Domestic Abuse (EIDA).
Marston achieves Platinum Investors In People accreditation
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I would much rather struggle to accept my natural appearance than struggle to maintain an image that is not true to who I really am.
I know a lot of people who wouldn't dream of going out in public without makeup on. As for myself, I prefer to go without. Sometimes I might wear lipstick, but nothing more than that. I feel more comfortable in my natural state. But it's not always that simple. It's taken a long time for me to accept that my natural appearance, though perhaps not the best as far as societal standards go, does not need to be changed. Over the years, I've struggled with makeup and how it makes me feel. Did it make me feel more confident, or did it make me feel more self-conscious and aware of my "flaws?"
When I was in elementary school, I loved to play dress up and pretend I was someone famous. Of course, I didn't think there was anything weird about it then, but now I realize that it probably wasn't the healthiest game to play as far as self-esteem goes.
Eventually, I grew out of that phase and existed as a carefree child, fully myself. That didn't last very long, though.
During my first two years of high school, I painted approximately ten pounds of eyeliner onto my eyes before leaving the house. It drove everyone crazy, especially my parents. I knew this wasn't how I was "supposed" to apply makeup, but it was part of my teenage-angst phase. I was satisfied with the fact that I was making myself "different." But even though I wasn't applying makeup in the way most people would, I was still pretending to be someone I wasn't.
After my sophomore year of high school, I gave up on my alternative, contrary, "emo" image, because I realized I thought was making myself stand out, but in reality, I was just painting over my true self and subscribing to another stereotype.
Throughout the past couple years, I've had an on-and-off relationship with make up. At some point, I decided to try concealer, and that's where I ran into some trouble. First of all, it felt really gross on my face. But it also occurred to me that the point of concealer is to cover up "flaws," and that idea just made me feel worse, because my mind took that as confirmation that my flaws needed to be covered up if I was to be considered acceptable. I felt a lot of pressure to make myself into something I wasn't. But sometimes I tried. Without fail, I ended up washing it all off in a fit of frustration before the day was over.
When I wear make up, I don't feel like myself. I feel constricted and trapped. For me, it is physically and mentally stressful to put on make up and keep it on for the day. I would much rather struggle to accept my natural appearance than struggle to maintain an image that is not true to who I really am. I want my skin to be able to breathe, and I want to be able to breathe in my own skin.
Tattoos with meaning you can't deny.
It's tough to find perfect tattoos with meaning.
You probably want something permanent on your body to mean something deeply, but how do you choose a tattoo that will still be significant in 5, 10, 15, or 50 years? Over time, tattoos have lost much of their stigma and many people consider them a form of art, but it's still possible to get a tattoo you regret.
So here are 20 tattoos you can't go wrong with. Each tattoo has its own unique meaning, but don't blame me if you still have to deal with questions that everyone with a tattoo is tired of hearing!
SEE RELATED: "Please Stop Asking What My Tattoos Mean"
1. A semicolon indicates a pause in a sentence but does not end. Sometimes it seems like you may have stopped, but you choose to continue on.
2. "A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor."
3. Top symbol: unclosed delta symbol which represents open to change. Bottom symbol: strategy.
4. "There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls."
5. Viking symbol meaning "create your own reality."
6. Greek symbol of Inguz: Where there's a will, there's a way.
7. Psalm 18:33 "He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights."
8. 'Ohm' tattoo that represents 4 different states of consciousness and a world of illusion: waking (jagrat), dreaming (swapna), deep sleep (sushupti), transcendental state (turiya) and world of illusion (maya).
9. Alchemy: symbolizes copper, means love, balance, feminine beauty, and artistic creativity.
10. The Greek word "Meraki" means to do something with soul, passion, love, and creativity or to put yourself into whatever you do.
11. Malin (Skövde, Sweden) – you have to face setbacks to be able to go forward.
12. Symbol meaning "thief" from "The Hobbit." It was the rune Gandalf etched into Bilbo's door so the dwarves could find his house.
13. "Lux in tenebris" means "light in darkness."
14. Anchor Tattoo: symbolizing strength and stability, something (or someone) who holds you in place, and provides you the strength to hold on no matter how rough things get.
15."Ad Maiora" is translated literally as "Towards greater things." It is a formula of greeting used to wish more success in life, career or love.
16. A glyph means "explore." It was meant as a reminder for me to never stop exploring.
17. "Aut inveniam viam aut faciam," meaning roughly, "Either I shall find a way, or I will make one."
18. Lotus Flower. It grows in muddy water, and it is this environment that gives forth the flower's first and most literal meaning: rising and blooming above the murk to achieve enlightenment.
19. The zen (or ensō) circle to me represents enlightenment, the universe and the strength we all have inside of us.
20. Two meanings. The moon affirms life. It looks as if it is constantly changing. Can remind us of the inconsistency of life. It also symbolizes the continuous circular nature of time and even karma.
The science is unanimous: climate change is real, and it's only getting worse.
While the conversation surrounding climate change is often plagued by alarmist statements and perilous precautions, there is a practical and hopeful narrative that can be found in its solutions. As much finger pointing as society likes to do, the causes of climate change would take all ten fingers and more to point out the root issues. One of the culprits that hit closest to home is the fashion industry. As an aspiring design major, I've been directly faced with the reality of the industry's harmful habits. Quick turnaround, high demand, and evolving expectations make the production environment very complex to navigate at the least.
Although the fashion industry caters to just about 7 billion people, it doesn't excuse companies, brands, and labels from producing at the expense of our world. Despite the long-held attitude of indifference towards its side-effects; as of late, climate science has left no choice for the industry but to change course. The science has made it evident that we've run out of time to be apathetic; action must be taken, and it must be taken now.
Enter the side of the climate change conversation that's introduced a variety of initiatives to promote change. Whether it's recycling ocean plastic into tennis shoes like Adidas, using up waste fabrics from larger companies like Zero Waste Daniel, or Kate Hudson's Happy x Nature, which has been developed from sustainable materials, the fashion industry is venturing into a greener future.
Adidas first announced its plans to create a sneaker from recycled ocean plastic in 2015, "Parley for the Oceans." Since the release of their first tennis shoe four years ago, they sold 5 million pairs in 2018, and they're aiming to turn out 11 million pairs in 2019. Ocean plastic is a huge threat to marine life, and it's not enough to just stockpile it in a landfill. Adidas's product development team cleverly provided a solution for at least some of that plastic. What's great about the shoe, too, is that it retails right around the price point of most of their other styles at around $130.
Alongside Adidas's recycling, Zero Waste Daniel, a designer based in Brooklyn, NY, has made it his mission to use excess fabric scraps from the industry in his own designs. Using a number of techniques, Daniel combines these remnants into new fabrics, fashions them into appliqués or mosaics, or creates whole garments. Alarmingly enough, it's reported that about 21 billion pounds of waste textiles are going to the dump from the US alone. By gathering up the leftovers from other companies, his products are helping to prevent the wastes from continuing to end up in landfills.
Although not made from reused fabrics, Kate Hudson's latest fashion venture, Happy x Nature, is produced solely from sustainable materials. The fibers of the fabrics are made from recyclables like plastic bottles, and the packaging is stated to be biodegradable. Not only is the new line eco-friendly, but it's also relatively affordable with prices ranging from $45 to $150. Let me tell you, Hudson really knocked it out of the park with this concept. I've browsed through the pieces and have fallen in love with the majority. The pieces are seriously adorable and so trendy, but the biggest seller is that I can feel good about purchasing them.
While recycling ocean plastic and sourcing waste fabrics are important strides in the right direction, consumers play an enormous role in this issue. For any of these initiatives to work, there must be consumer demand at the other end of the product. Companies and brands need to see potential consumers for greener products in order to place such products on the market. As such, as consumers, we should reevaluate our own shopping habits in regards to the apparel industry. We must take accountability for how much we purchase, how often we purchase, and how we manage the clothes after we've bought them. Our demands as customers must also align with the push for greener production and shopping patterns.


text:
In-Depth Roleplay
National RP Archive
History of Grand Pulse
By Clarke, May 7, 2016 in In-Depth Roleplay
Clarke 1041
Knight of Etro
Leader Name:Clarke
Nation Name:Gran Pulse
An Origins Story
In the time before this universe began this space our now galaxy occupies was empty darkness where complete and utter nothingness was all this part of space knew with no sign of light on the horizon.
But that all changed when a sudden bang sparked light and life into this empty dark space, the materials created by this bang went on to form everything we see today wherever we look. It is not known how this bang started but we do know we're not the only universe that exists. Orbis is one of the great planets created by this bang and is where our great nation resides on. When Orbis was created life took eons to develop, grow and to mature into the Orbians that populate these great lands. Every nation and every nation leader is from Orbis except for one. When life of Orbis matured it attracted the attention of a goddess from another universe, the only of her kind in existence at the time to descend down to Orbis and experience this new world with us. This goddess revealed her name to be Emily Thorne and promised the people of Orbis that if they follow and worship her they will be rewarded and prosper under her wing.
Chapter I: Small Beginnings
Many followed Emily Thorne and worshiped her, in return she gave them a place to call home and helped them make something of their lives by giving them talents to better help all the people. Life was good for all the people in this newly formed nations for many years under the supreme rule of Emily Thorne. During her rule Emily Thorne conquered many foreign lands and their stole riches to better her people which was praised by the citizens who saw themselves and Emily Thorne as superior to others and deserving of their conquests. War occurred many times during this period but none of the wars were more significant than when the alliance of nations ruled by Emily Thorne was attacked by another group of nations who took issue with them, this group of nations were known as the Seven Kingdoms. The war lasted a year and never officially ended due to the great catastrophe that hit Orbis killing almost all of the population and thus ending all wars. The Lost Kingdom of Yamatia was shattered into pieces with many of the regions sinking into the sea killing most of the population. All the great cities of the kingdom were lost and were never truly recovered. Orbis tried to recover from this massive loss but it was soon it hit with another major catastrophe that destroyed the entire planet of much of its life, even more so than the previous purge of life caused by the shifting of plates. The Lost Kingdom of Yamatia was no more and Emily Thorne and everything connected to her had disappeared after the second catastrophe strike.
Chapter II: Darkness Is Here
A shadow has clouded over the Underlying Lands from a time long since past, it has being over 7 years since the destruction of the old kingdom. The survivors from the aftermath of the destruction fled to the Underlying Lands to begin anew without their precious leader who guided them since the birth of the old kingdom. As an act of remembrance much of the Underlying Lands was named after the old kingdom as the survivors tried to hold onto their old culture and its ways, but without guidance from their leader it became a harsh life with much despair. The shadows heard their sadness and so appeared Diabolos sent from the darkness to bring purpose and guidance to the survivors who settled in these dark lands. Diabolos gave gifts and became friendly with the survivors as though appearing to be a kind figure looking out for the betterment of these people. Diabolos helped them progress and prosper but it was merely in the interest of the shadows that sent the beast. As time passed the Underlying Lands grew greatly and so did the power of Diabolos as he corrupted the minds of the leaders of the Underlying Lands bending them to his will and making them his loyal disciples to rule over each of the great cities of this new civilization.
There were 10 loyal followers per each city and they oversaw the operation of those cities and further corrupted the civilization with their influence. Life was good for many people in the Underlying Lands as everything was peaceful until one day Diabolos sought the treasures of foreign lands to his betterment. It was then that Diabolos trained huge armies to claim these treasures by sending the Underlying Lands war machine to many lands killing millions and enslaving thousands to fuel the war machine. Lands were explored, conquered and pillaged during this time, many victories and defeats were incurred in the name of the Underlying Lands leaving millions dead on all sides that met in battle. A high number of civilian deaths came from these wars launched by Diabolos. The armies of the Underlying Lands were known as the armies of darkness, sent to all corners of the world to conquer, plunder valuables and inflict suffering. The people of the Underlying Lands suffered greatly as a result of the constant war that has plagued their lands killing many.
Two years. Two long years. That's how long it took for the wars to stop and for cracks to emerge in the Underlying Lands as it citizens started to rebel against the rule of Diabolos. After many purges and great losses Diabolos's power was dwindling leaving only the corrupted 80 followers loyal to Diabolos. Diabolos promised the people of the Underlying Lands that the expeditions would stop and peace would once again be known in these lands, but many knew better and that the future would bring more destruction and suffering. With no one left to lead the people in an uprising it was thought any hope to truly relive the glory of the old kingdom had been lost. It was in that moment a lost child of the last great leader from the old kingdom emerged from the ruins of the great kingdom seeking it's people to bring them back to the old kingdom to rebuild what once lost in a devastating earthquake that shattered the kingdom in half and brought the ocean upon them flooding their lands while other parts of kingdom sank into the ocean thought to be forever lost to the water and its inhabitants. This child found the Underlying lands, a land corrupted and filled with darkness. Disgusted by what happened a plot was made to rid the beast from the lands and end the darkness for once and for all.
During a ceremony worshipping Diabolos an assault occurred during it sending the Underlying lands into chaos as citizens took up arms to overthrow Diabolos and those loyal to the demonic entity. Diabolos quickly escaped from ceremony before it was overrun and proceeded to begin working on a plan to stop the attacks from inside a heavily fortified fortress safe from a direct attack. The child followed Diabolos and tore through the fortresses defences destroying everything in the path and eventually breaking into the war room and slaying Diabolos's general leaving Diabolos as the only one left alive. Diabolos cowardly fortified himself deep inside a bunker beneath the fortress in an attempt to escape his fate.
The child proclaimed herself as Clarke, daughter of beloved leader Emily, before using her divine powers inherited from her bloodline to send the sinister creature Diabolos into the abyss.
Edited May 9, 2016 by Lightning
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text:
Children & Family Programs
Household Income Guidelines
About Cape
Staff Office 365 Login
Staff Webmail Login
Tobacco Prevention & Control
THE COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM OF EVANSVILLE & VANDERBURGH COUNTY, INC.
The Mission of The Community Action Program of Evansville & Vanderburgh County, Inc. (CAPE) is one that encompasses the community as a whole. Our Agency addresses the customer's needs in a non-judgmental and respectful manner to promote economic and social self-sufficiency. This mission is supported by employees committed to addressing the needs of the community we serve. Our objective is accomplished by collaboration with the community to provide tools, skills and services through programs that meet individual needs.
The Community Action Program of Evansville and Vanderburgh County, Inc. (CAPE) is a private non-profit corporation which was established in 1965. Originally under the auspices of the city of Evansville, CAPE became a non-profit corporation in 1970. CAPE is governed by a tri-partite Board of Directors consisting of representatives from the private and public sector as well as the communities served.
Providing services to customers in Vanderburgh, Posey, and Gibson Counties in southwestern Indiana, both CAPE services and funding have grown immensely during the past 45 years. Programs include the Head Start and Early Head Start programs, Weatherization, child care, homeless housing services, Foster Grandparents, and the state of Indiana's Energy Assistance Program. Also provided are tutoring services at the Learning Center for those wishing to enhance their reading/math/computer skills or prepare for GED testing, as well as the Individual Development Accounts (IDA) program, whereby qualified customers may save earned income that will be matched on a 3:1 basis to be utilized to buy a home, start a small business, or continue their education. Homeownership Counseling/Down payment Assistance programs and Financial Literacy classes are also available to make homeownership a reality for customers who previously may not have qualified for homeownership.
In recent years, CAPE has developed various affordable housing units, both for rental and purchase. The 24 unit Brumfield Place apartment complex in Princeton, Indiana offers two and three bedroom rental units for low and moderate income households. The Paradise Estates senior rental complex in near downtown Evansville offers low income senior citizens one bedroom rental units which include screened-in porches. CAPE also recently constructed four homes in Evansville providing affordable three and four bedroom houses for purchase.
To address the ever expanding Hispanic population in our service area, the CAPE Hispanic Center was established in 2003, assisting assisting families with translation services in seeking education, housing, and employment, and providing Basic Spanish classes for local financial institution staff.
CAPE's operating budget during the past several years has increased from $2 million to a current budget of $12 million provided through a variety of federal, local, private and state funding sources allowing services to more than 72,000 low-income families, elderly, and children in the communities it serves. Current funding sources include the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Agriculture, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Department of Energy, the Indiana Department of Community and Rural Affairs, the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority, the city of Evansville, and other local, state, and federal programs.
"The war on poverty is not a struggle simply to support people, to make them dependent on the generosity of others. It is a struggle to give people a chance. It is an effort to allow them to develop and use their capacities, as we have been allowed to develop and use ours, so that they can share, as others share, in the promise of this nation."
~President Johnson's address to Congress in March 1964
The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964
authorized the formation of local Community Action Agencies as part of the War on Poverty.
Acronyms, Programs/Funding Sources & Definitions
All services are provided without regard to race, age, color, religion, sex, disability, national origin, ancestry, or status as a veteran.
Copyright © 2019 CAPE | Web Design by Kitch & Schreiber


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London : Printed for John Stafford, and are to be sold at his house ..., 1662.
Great Britain > History > Civil War, 1642-1649 > Anecdotes.
Ornitho-logie, or The speech of birds.
by: Stafford, John, bookseller in London.
White-Hall fayre, or, Who buys good penniworths of Barkstead the fayre proclamed.
by: Barkstead, John, d. 1662.


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