Biomass

Biomass Opportunities Significant growth opportunity Industrial wood waste Industrial mill residues Forest residues

Biomass Fuel Boiler fuel – direct firing with wood Co-fire with coal Wood pellets Gasification with pyrolysis Torrefaction – still in development Cellulosic ethanol – still in development Gasification with plasma – still in development

Forest Residues Small trees, limbs and tops are reduced with a drum chipper or grinder depending on the operation Grinders are needed if the material is too contaminated for a chipper Grinders can use carbide bits for contaminated material or sharp bits for clean material

Industrial Mill Residues Bark, chip rejects, sawdust, slabs and end-cuts, shavings, rejected lumber Clean sawdust often has a higher value as pellet fuel than boiler fuel Bark may also have a higher value as landscape cover More mills are selling these higher value products and using lower value forest residues for boiler fuel

Urban Wood Residues Wood pallets, wood crates, furniture, cabinets, yard and tree trimmings C&D materials are often taken to a recycling center for separation The wood separation is reduced for fuel with a grinder

Direct Combustion Used for combustion of solid fuel Pile systems Suspension Combustion Systems Fluidized bed combustion Systems

Typical Biomass Burner

Boiler Fuel Requirements Consistent size Overs can plug conveyers and hoppers Common specification is three inch minus for 90% of product Minimize dirt Minimize fines (most boilers)

Direct Combustion Biomass Energy Plant

Direct Combustion Biomass plant

Co-fired Coal & Biomass Energy Plant in England

Slash burning Still a common practice in many areas Burning bans becoming more common

No longer accepted!

Wood Pellets Standard grades are used in large industrial boilers or coal plants and can contain ash Premium grades need to be low ash which means debarked wood Premium pellets are mostly bagged and sold through retailers Pellet feedstock typically comes from sawdust however with increased demand pulpwood logs are being used

Wood Pellets

Home wood pellet stoves

Pellets made from different feedstocks

Gasification Thermo chemical gasification uses heat to decompose the woody feedstock under oxygen-limiting conditions Gasification removes ash including most alkali metals The gaseous form has a wider range of energy applications vs. solid fuel

Biomass Gasification Plant

Biofuels production plant

Biomass Markets Some loggers will expand into biomass Trucking efficiency will be a key to profitability

Transportation Cost Number one cost

Every other load is water at 50% moisture content

Drying the Forest Residuals Will increase the wood heating value

Transportation Cost Some loggers will expand into biomass Trucking efficiency will be a key to profitability

Peterson Benefits Biomass market High production Consistent product size Minimum fines High density with sharp bits and slower rotor speeds