INSIDE: IS ARUNDO DONAX AN INVASIVE WEED OR ETHANOL FEEDSTOCK? February 2008
Biomass Makes the Grade University of South Carolina Replaces Natural-Gas-Fired Boilers With Biomass Heating System
US $24.95 year : www.BiomassMagazine.com
The future of fuel Transforming corn and other grains into biofuels is a major industry today. But what about tomorrow? The future of biofuels will also rely on the next generation of raw materials – biomass. At Novozymes we’re taking a fresh look at all types of biomass, and considering how we can turn it into something © Novozymes A /S · Customer Communications · No. 2007-35469-01
useful. And you know what? Corn cobs and wheat straw are just the beginning. Who knows what other types of waste we can transform into fuel? Novozymes is the world leader in bioinnovation. Together Novozymes North America, Inc. 77 Perry Chapel Church Road Franklinton, NC 27525 Tel. +1 919-494-3000 Fax +1 919-494-3485
with customers across a broad array of industries we create tomorrow’s industrial biosolutions, improving our customers’ business and the use of our planet’s resources. Read more at www.novozymes.com.
biomass@novozymes.com www.novozymes.com
INSIDE
MARCH 2008
VOLUME 2
ISSUE 3
FEATURES
..................... 20 TECHNOLOGY Biomass Goes to College The University of South Carolina campus has installed a new biomass-based heating system that should add up to millions of dollars in savings. By Jerry W. Kram
28 EMISSIONS Watering Down the Problem—Literally Oriented strand board, particle board and plywood veneer manufacturers are eyeing wet electrostatic precipitators as a way to capture fly ash before it damages regenerative thermal oxidizers. By Ron Kotrba
34 FEEDSTOCK The Risk of Biomass Invasion Some in the scientific community warn that many of the traits that make plants ideal as biomass resources are shared by plants that are considered invasive in some areas of the country. By Suesanne Retka Schill POWER | PAGE 42
42 POWER ‘Xcel’erating Biomass Power Xcel Energy Inc.’s Renewable Development Fund provides money to companies and
DEPARTMENTS
.....................
projects—either already operating or in the research and development stages—to advance renewable energy production at a reasonable cost to its customers. By Bryan Sims
06 Editor’s Note New Voice on the Biomass Block
07 Advertiser Index 09 Industry Events 12 Business Briefs
48 ENVIRONMENT Biofuels in Bali Climate change and the role that human activities play in it was the main focus of the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia. Biofuels supporters attended to make people aware of the benefits of renewable fuels. By Jessica Ebert
14 Industry News 55 In the Lab Chomping at the Bit By Jerry W. Kram
57 EERC Update Refueling Today’s Military: Reducing the Dependence on Oil, Part One By Darren Schmidt
3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 5
e d i to r ’s
NOTE
New Voice on the Biomass Block
T
hose of you who read this column on a regular basis will probably be surprised to see a new author. Biomass Magazine Editorial Director Tom Bryan thought it would be appropriate for the features editor to write a monthly column, and I agreed. So here it goes. When I was first thinking about what to write in this space, I thought about telling you that I am relatively new to the business of biomass, but that’s not exactly true. I grew up on a sheep farm in northeast North Dakota where slinging bales of straw and hay, and stepping around sheep manure was the norm. After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Dakota, I landed a job as a clerk for Agweek Magazine. I later became a staff writer and eventually editor. In the weekly agriculture publication distributed in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana and parts of Canada, we dealt with issues such as manure management and crop residue. We were always on the lookout for projects that turned agricultural residue into valuable products that could potentially create more income for our farmer-readers. Then BBI International hired me as the features editor for Ethanol Producer Magazine, Biodiesel Magazine and Biomass Magazine. The rest, as they say, is history. As you can see, I am familiar with biomass. What wasn’t as familiar to me when this magazine was first created were some of the processes being used to add value to biomass. After reading all of the features that have appeared in this magazine from its inception in June, however, I have learned a lot. Those of you involved in the industry should give yourselves a much-deserved pat on the back for the work you’re doing, which is keeping our staff writers on their toes. From producing renewable fuel for jet engines to turning poultry litter into a power source to plasma gasification of municipal solid waste to sourcing and transporting biomass, there is no shortage of technologies and topics that need to be covered. I wrote this column as somewhat of an introduction because I’m hoping you will feel comfortable enough to let me know what interests you about the magazine, if you think there’s something we should be covering that we’re not or if you have an idea for a feature. Just drop me an e-mail or give me a call at (701) 738-4962.
Rona Johnson Features Editor rjohnson@bbibiofuels.com
6 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
advertiser INDEX 2008 Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo
13
BBI Project Development
51 & 56
Biofuels Australasia
27
Biofuels Canada
11, 41 & 59
Morbark Inc.
32
National renewable Energy Laboratory
53
New Horizon Corp.
46
New World Biomass Conference
4
Canadian Renewable Energy Workshop
54
Novozymes
3
Christianson & Associates PLLP
24
Paul Mueller Co.
Competitive Energy Insight Inc.
30
Percival Scientific Inc.
52
Price Biostock Services
37
ConAgra Trade Group Inc.
2
47
Duratech Industries International Inc.
31
Rath, Young and Pignatelli PC
23
Energy & Environmental Research Center
19
R.C. Costello & Associates Inc.
39
Ethanol Producer Magazine
58
Robert-James Sales Inc.
60
www.ethanol-jobs.com
42
Rotochopper Inc.
FCStone
44
Taylor Biomass Energy LLC
45
Frontline BioEnergy LLC
38
The Teaford Co. Inc.
22
International Biomass ‘08 Conference & Trade Show
26
UOP LLC
10
Midwest Process Solutions
25
West Salem Machinery
33
8
E D I TO R I A L
PUBLISHING & SALES
Tom Bryan EDITORIAL DIRECTOR tbryan@bbibiofuels.com
Mike Bryan PUBLISHER & CEO mbryan@bbibiofuels.com
Jessica Sobolik MANAGING EDITOR jsobolik@bbibiofuels.com Dave Nilles CONTRIBUTIONS EDITOR dnilles@bbibiofuels.com Rona Johnson FEATURES EDITOR rjohnson@bbibiofuels.com Ron Kotrba SENIOR STAFF WRITER rkotrba@bbibiofuels.com Anduin Kirkbride McElroy STAFF WRITER amcelroy@bbibiofuels.com Jerry W. Kram STAFF WRITER jkram@bbibiofuels.com Susanne Retka Schill STAFF WRITER sretkaschill@bbibiofuels.com Bryan Sims STAFF WRITER bsims@bbibiofuels.com Jessica Ebert STAFF WRITER jebert@bbibiofuels.com Sarah Smith STAFF WRITER ssmith@bbibiofuels.com Kris Bevill STAFF WRITER bevill@bbibiofuels.com Hope Deutscher STAFF WRITER hdeutscher@bbibiofuels.com Timothy Charles Holmseth STAFF WRITER tholmseth@bbibiofuels.com Jan Tellmann COPY EDITOR jtellmann@bbibiofuels.com Craig A. Johnson PLANT LIST & CONSTRUCTION EDITOR cjohnson@bbibiofuels.com Amber Armstrong ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT aarmstrong@bbibiofuels.com
Kathy Bryan PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT kbryan@bbibiofuels.com Joe Bryan VICE PRESIDENT OF MEDIA jbryan@bbibiofuels.com Matthew Spoor SALES DIRECTOR mspoor@bbibiofuels.com Howard Brockhouse SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER hbrockhouse@bbibiofuels.com Clay Moore ACCOUNT MANAGER cmoore@bbibiofuels.com Jeremy Hanson ACCOUNT MANAGER jhanson@bbibiofuels.com Chad Ekanger ACCOUNT MANAGER cekanger@bbibiofuels.com Chip Shereck ACCOUNT MANAGER cshereck@bbibiofuels.com Tim Charles ACCOUNT MANAGER tcharles@bbibiofuels.com Marty Steen ACCOUNT MANAGER msteen@bbibiofuels.com Marla DeFoe ADVERTISING COORDINATOR mdefoe@bbibiofuels.com Jessica Beaudry SUBSCRIPTION MANAGER jbeaudry@bbibiofuels.com Jason Smith SUBSCRIPTION ACQUISITION MANAGER jsmith@bbibiofuels.com Tim Greer CIRCULATION COORDINATOR tgreer@bbibiofuels.com Erika Wishart ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ewishart@bbibiofuels.com Christie Anderson ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT canderson@bbibiofuels.com
A RT Jaci Satterlund ART DIRECTOR jsatterlund@bbibiofuels.com Elizabeth Slavens GRAPHIC DESIGNER bslavens@bbibiofuels.com Sam Melquist GRAPHIC DESIGNER smelquist@bbibiofuels.com Jack Sitter GRAPHIC DESIGNER jsitter@bbibiofuels.com
Subscriptions Subscriptions to Biomass Magazine are available for just $24.95 per year within the United States, $39.95 for Canada and Mexico, and $49.95 for any country outside North America. Subscription forms are available online (www.BiomassMagazine.com), by mail or by fax. If you have questions, please contact Jessica Beaudry at (701) 7468385 or jbeaudry@bbibiofuels.com.
Back Issues & Reprints Select back issues are available for $3.95 each, plus shipping. To place an order, contact Subscriptions at (701) 746-8385 or subscriptions@biomassmagazine.com. Article reprints are also available for a fee. For more information, contact Christie Anderson at (701) 746-8385 or canderson@bbibiofuels.com.
Advertising Biomass Magazine provides a specific topic delivered to a highly targeted audience. We are committed to editorial excellence and high-quality print production. To find out more about Biomass Magazine advertising opportunities or to receive our Editorial Calendar & Rate Card, please contact Matthew Spoor at (701) 746-8385 or mspoor @bbibiofuels.com.
Letters to the Editor We welcome letters to the editor. Send to Biomass Magazine Letters to the Editor, 308 2nd Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203 or email to jsobolik@bbibiofuels.com. Please include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and/or space.
Cert no. SCS-COC-00648
3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 7
Electric
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industryevents Washington International Renewable Energy Conference
March 4-6, 2008 Washington Convention Center Washington, D.C. This event will present the latest developments in renewable energy. Speakers will discuss the status of key renewable energy technologies, plus systems costs, economics, markets, manufacturing and financing. Biofuels will also be highlighted. A trade show will be included. (202) 393-0001 www.wirec2008.org
World Biofuels Markets Congress
March 12-14, 2008 Brussels Expo Brussels, Belgium The sessions at this event will focus on ethanol and biodiesel on a local and global scale. More detailed topics of discussion include biofuels feedstocks; heat, power and cogeneration; quality and distribution; and biorefineries, byproducts and bioproducts. Pre-congress conferences will address biofuels investment and finance, next-generation technology and science, certification and sustainability, policy and regulation, and bioplastics and biochemicals. +44 20 7801 6333 www.worldbiofuelsmarkets.com
Waste-to-Fuels Conference & Trade Show
International Biomass Conference & Trade Show
April 6-8, 2008
April 15-17, 2008
Wyndham Orlando Resort Orlando, Florida The Florida Biofuels Association will host this inaugural event to inform the public and private sectors of the economic and environmental benefits of converting waste materials to alternative fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol, as well as other energy recovery methods. Topics include municipal solid waste, biomass, waste oils and greases, landfill gases, and ag waste. (800) 441-7949 www.waste-to-fuels.org
Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis, Minnesota This inaugural event, which stemmed from the Energy & Environmental Research Center’s biomass conference last year in Grand Forks, N.D., aims to facilitate the advancement of near-term and commercial-scale manufacturing of biomass-based power, fuels and chemicals. Topics include biopower, bioproducts, biochemicals, biofuels, intermediate products and coproducts, which will be presented through general sessions, technical workshops and an industry trade show. (719) 539-0300 www.biomassconference.com
New World Biomass Conference
World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing
April 22-24, 2008 Albuquerque Convention Center Albuquerque, New Mexico This conference will explore new opportunities in the biomass industry and the reinvention of existing technologies. The agenda includes a pre-conference workshop, which will address the national energy plan, the national fire plan and the healthy forests initiative through woody biomass utilization; a general session, which includes Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez; manufacturer sessions; and track classes, which will be announced as the event approaches. www.newworldbiomass.com
30th Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals
May 4-7, 2008 Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel New Orleans, Louisiana Hosted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, this event will feature discussions of the latest research breakthroughs and results in biotechnology for fuels and chemicals. Twelve dual technical sessions will accommodate 80 presentations, and there will also be a plenary session and two poster sessions. Plus, an evening session will highlight international bioenergy centers. (703) 691-3357, ext. 26 www.simhq.org/meetings/30symp/index.html
April 27-30, 2008 Hilton Chicago Chicago, Illinois This event’s program tracks will focus on biofuels and bioenergy, including cellulosic ethanol; feedstocks, including forestry residues and energy crops; and chemicals and biomaterials. A tentative agenda includes plenary sessions, breakout sessions, exhibits and a poster reception, among many other events. (202) 962-6630 www.bio.org/worldcongress2008
24th Annual International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo
June 16-19, 2008 Opryland Hotel & Convention Center Nashville, Tennessee This conference will follow the record-breaking 2007 event, in which more than 500 exhibitors were on display and more than 5,300 people attended. The preliminary agenda includes general sessions, concurrent technical workshops and various networking opportunities. More information will be available as this event approaches. (719) 539-0300 www.fuelethanolworkshop.com
3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 9
renewables, refined
Ecofining™ from UOP and Eni integrates seamlessly with your operations to produce high-quality green diesel. Together with Eni, UOP has developed a feedstock-flexible hydroprocessing technology that converts a wide range of vegetable oils and other biologically-derived feedstocks into green diesel fuel. With cetane values in the 70 to 90 range and excellent cold flow properties, green diesel fuel produced by our Ecofining process is superior to both petrodiesel and biodiesel and an excellent blending component. Ecofining blends right into your existing refinery infrastructure for a profitable processing option. UOP continues to refine technology, providing real renewable solutions for today and tomorrow.
For more information about UOP Renewable Energy & Chemicals and Ecofining™, visit www.uop.com/ecofining ©2007 UOP. All Rights Reserved.
business
BRIEFS Verenium appoints chief legal officer
Georgia Power to buy wood-based electricity
Verenium Corp., which is building a cellulosic ethanol plant in Jennings, La., has appointed Gerald Haines to the newly created position of executive vice president and chief legal officer. His experience in business and legal matters with early-stage companies will be an asset to Verenium, according to President and Chief Executive Officer Carlos Riva. Before joining Haines Verenium, Haines was the executive vice president of strategic affairs and chief legal officer for a public network communications company. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from Cornell Law School and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Boston University. BIO
Georgia Power and Yellow Pine Energy Co. LLC recently signed a 20-year contract for electricity generated from timberharvesting residuals, noncommercial tree species, tree thinnings, lumber scraps and wood waste reclaimed from landfills. The biomass-fired Yellow Pine facility, which will be located near Fort Gaines, Ga., is expected to become operational in 2010 and produce 110 megawatts of electricity. Georgia Power is contracted to purchase approximately half of this capacity—enough to power 12,500 homes. BIO
Dynamotive names president Dynamotive Energy Systems Corp. recently appointed David McMillan president of Dynamotive USA. He will be responsible for the development and implementation of the company’s business plan for the United States. McMillan previously served as the director of corporate development and strategic planning at Eastman Chemical Co., where he was employed for the past 28 years. Canadian-based Dynamotive Energy Systems owns two plants in Ontario that produce bio-oil from wood waste. The company also has offices in the United States, Great Britain and Argentina. BIO
LiquidMaize founder joins climate change commission Paul Orentas, managing partner for LiquidMaize LLC, has agreed to serve on Virginia’s Commission on Climate Change. The newly formed, 32-person group was created under the Virginia Energy Plan, which was established to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy conservation and renewable energy use. LiquidMaize is an ethanol development and management company based in Denver, and Orentas has studied the feasibility of multiple biofuels projects across the United States. The commission is expected to issue a report by December. BIO
Wood waste to power Florida homes Progress Energy Florida has contracted with Atlanta-based Biomass Gas & Electric LLC to purchase electricity produced from gasified wood waste at two identical power plants to be built in Florida. Sites and regulatory permission are pending. Progress Energy Florida spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs said each plant will generate 75 megawatts of electricity—enough to power 46,000 homes—using materials such as tree bark, yard trimmings and paper mill jetsam. Commercial production at both facilities is slated for 2011. BIO
12 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
Sustainable Power partners with FSEI Sustainable Power Corp. and Quincy, Ill.-based Farmers Sustainable Energy International have formed a joint venture to convert biomass feedstocks into “green-based” products. The initial terms of the agreement call for two reactors and 10 of Sustainable Power’s biodiesel reactors to be shipped to a northern Illinois facility provided by FSEI, which will also secure the necessary feedstocks through its farmer-members, procure government grants and further promote the business of the joint venture. BIO
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industry
PHOTO: COSKATA INC.
NEWS Fermentation scientists Milind Patel and Seth Fishbein advance Coskata's fermentation process.
Cargill, Novozymes partner for product development
GM taps Coskata as cellulosic ethanol provider
Cargill Inc. and Novozymes AS have created a partnership to commercialize Cargill’s fermentation technology to produce three-hydroxypropionic acid (3HPA) to be used in large-scale acrylic acid production. The project is supported by a $1.5 million matching cooperative agreement with the U.S. DOE. Acrylic acid is used in many applications including plastics, fibers, coatings, paints and super-absorbent diapers. It is currently produced from propylene derived from petroleum, said Thomas Videbæk, executive vice president of biobusiness for Novozymes. The current market for acrylic acid is approximately 3 million tons per year. That market is growing at approximately 4 percent per year. “New plants will have to be built to serve the growing market, and our hope is that a lot of those new plants will be using our technology,” Videbæk said. Novozymes will be using its expertise in metabolic engineering to improve the yields from the bioengineered organism used to convert sugar into 3HPA, Videbæk said. “We will make sure we get enough product out of the fermentation,” he said. Cargill has several basic patents on the process for producing 3HPA and is a major provider of the feedstocks that will go into the production process. “Cargill has a lot of experience working with glucose and glucose-based materials,” Videbæk added. There are significant scientific hurdles facing the project. Videbæk said it will be four to five years before the technology is ready for commercial production. “So far, we are talking about a technology partnership,” he said. “Once we are close to a solution, we will decide how production will take place.”
General Motors has partnered with Coskata Inc. to run its fleet of vehicles on ethanol made from nonfood sources. The feedstock-flexible process will convert garbage, old tires, plastic and agricultural waste into ethanol through bacterial fermentation. The partnership was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. GM, the world’s largest automaker, will receive cellulosic ethanol from Illinois-based Coskata in late 2008 and begin testing it. Coskata, founded in 2006, plans to open a 40,000gallon facility at the end of 2008, according to Wes Bolsen, vice president of business development. “We will go from that facility to a 100 MMgy ethanol facility that we will break ground on this year,” he added. “We look to put as much as 10 billion gallons of ethanol on the market by 2022.” Coskata will use proprietary microorganisms to extract nearly all of the energy value from a biomass-based synthesis gas stream. The process will also recycle wastewater and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Coskata claims it can produce ethanol for under $1 per gallon, or as Bolson put it, “We are commercially viable [at half the cost of traditional ethanol production].” The process will lower production costs by using local waste materials and avoid the drawbacks of interfering with food supplies, he added. Bolsen envisions locating Coskata’s plants next to traditional corn-based ethanol plants, “taking in additional agricultural waste to make those plants more efficient,” he said. The microorganisms are the key, Bolson stressed. The gasification system “allows the feedstock flexibility,” he said. “You can put pretty much anything in it. The microorganisms are very, very efficient at converting it, and then we have some patented processes on the back end to separate the ethanol from the water.” Having the clout and funding of GM behind the technology is definitely a plus. “They want the rapid commercialization of this next generation of ethanol, as well,” Bolson said. Although Coskata’s gasification-to-ethanol technology is still in the embryonic stage, the company said it is ready to proceed and delayed unveiling the breakthrough because GM wanted to open the auto show with a bombshell announcement. In another auto show announcement, Toyota said it is conducting in-house research on the feasibility of producing wood-based ethanol.
-Jerry W. Kram
-Sarah Smith
14 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
industry
NEWS Xethanol to sell Georgia, North Carolina facilities Xethanol Corp. announced to shareholders in early 2008 that it was scrapping plans to develop two proposed cellulosic ethanol facilities and was losing money at its corn-based ethanol plant in Iowa. A building that Xethanol purchased nearly two years ago in Augusta, Ga., will go on the auction block. Xethanol bought the former Pfizer Inc. pharmaceutical plant in August 2006 and planned to convert it to a 35 MMgy cellulosic ethanol plant that would go on line in 2007. Before the project was complete, Xethanol announced the plant, which would initially use corn as a feedstock before switching to biomass, would expand its capacity to 50 MMgy. The company never produced any ethanol at the site. A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing indicated that Xethanol’s plans for a similar facility in Spring Hope, N.C., would be scrapped to save additional money. The company reported that it had lost $1.3 million in the fourth quarter of
2007. Its corn-based ethanol plant in Blairstown, Iowa, was “running at approximately 5.6 [MMgy] … and is operating at a loss,” the shareholder report stated. While the company noted that cornbased ethanol may not be economically viable anymore, it then announced in a separate news release the same day the investment in another corn-based ethanol plant in Pennsylvania. That deal entails a $500,000 stake in Consus Ethanol LLC in Pittsburgh, which plans to use waste coal to power the plant. Both companies estimate this will result in a considerable cost reduction. Xethanol also announced the receipt of a $500,000 Florida state grant to make cellulosic ethanol from citrus peels. The company plans to locate a demonstration plant at
one of the state’s largest citrus processors. A one-year analysis of Xethanol’s small-cap stock indicates a steep decline in value, and shares continued to fluctuate downward on the news of the sales, rebounding gradually over a two-week period. One year ago, Xethanol’s shares traded at $3.32. They are presently trading around 60 cents, which may trigger action by the American Mercantile Exchange. “If the stock is trading at a consistently low price, it would warrant action by the exchange,” said Amex trader Nick Pellicani. “If a stock has been below $1 or is around 50 cents for a month, then it gets on our radar. [In those circumstances], Amex requests that the company perform a reverse stock split by a certain period of time.” Penny stocks are considered risky, and subject to fraud and manipulation. That’s because relatively incremental price fluctuations result in large percentage swings. -Sarah Smith
USDA, DOE name biomass advisory committee The USDA and U.S. DOE announced in January the appointment of six new members to serve on the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee for a term of three years. In addition, seven members were reappointed. The committee was established by the Biomass Research and Development Act of 2000. Members provide: expert advice on strategic planning; technical focus and direction of requests for proposals issued under the Biomass Research & Development Initiative; procedures for reviewing and evaluating proposals for funding; and encouragement of closer collaboration among federal and state agencies, industry players and growers. Newly appointed members include: Gil Gutknecht, a consultant in Rochester, Minn.; Richard Hamilton, chief executive officer
(CEO) of Ceres Inc. in Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Jay Levenstein, deputy commissioner of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in Tallahassee, Fla.; Shirley Neff, president and CEO of the Association of Oil Pipe Lines in Washington, D.C.; Tom Simpson, executive director of the Railway Supply Institute in Washington, D.C.; and Richard Timmons, president of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association in Washington, D.C. Renewed members include: Bob Dinneen, president of the Renewable Fuels Association in Washington, D.C.; Douglas Hawkins, program manager of sustainable development for Rohm and Haas Co. in Spring House, Pa.; Charles Kinoshita, interim associate dean of academic and student affairs at the College of Tropical Agriculture and
Human Resources at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu; Eric Larson, affiliated faculty of the science, technology and environmental policy program at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J.; James Martin, senior associate of Omni Tech International Ltd. in Prairie Village, Kan.; Scott Mason, director of business development for emerging technology at ConocoPhillips Petroleum Co. in Bartlesville, Okla.; and Edwin White, dean of research at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, N.Y. For more information about the committee and the Biomass Research & Development Initiative, visit www.brdisolutions.com. -Jessica Ebert 3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 15
industry PHOTO: MIDWEST PROCESS SOLUTIONS
NEWS Connecticut recycler to build biomass-based electric power plant One of the fastest-growing recyclers in New England is planning to install a 12megawatt biomass-to-electric-power plant as part of an expansion. CT Waste Transfer LLC, based in Shelton, Conn., is in the middle of permitting a gasification system that would process clean wood from land-clearing, construction and demolition operations. Currently, the company sorts and processes 200 tons of municipal solid waste, and construction and demolition debris per day. It is expanding its current recycling facility by an additional 15,000 square feet, which will enable the facility to process another 800 tons of mixed debris per day. The gasification facility is included within the second phase of the expansion.
“For phase two, we want to convey ground wood right to the biomass-to-electricity plant, which would be adjacent to the processing building,” said company owner Joe Salemme. “It would eliminate trucking wood off the property, which is one of our advantages.” The company has identified proven gasification technologies and expects a contract with a technology provider to be finalized this spring, Salemme said. The last of four permits—the air permit—will likely be issued in 2009, after which the company will begin construction, which should take three to six months.
16 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
Biomass may power dryers at corn-fed ethanol plants
modifications to distribution infrastructure or engines. The NCSU tests used demonstration reactors and a feedstock similar to soybean oil. Further development, optimization and testing activities are being planned. In separate news, Diversified Energy and Velocys Inc. were selected by the U.S. Department of Defense to design a portable renewable fuel production system for the conversion of waste products generated at military installations to renewable fuels such as diesel and aviation fuel. The first phase of this DoD Small Business Innovative Research project will include bench-scale test data analysis, conceptual design of the production system, economic analysis, and a detailed assessment of system modularity and transportability.
Kansas-based Midwest Process Solutions is marketing the concept of using cellulosic biomass to heat a corn-based ethanol plant’s rotary drum dryer, provide steam to boilers or use steam to generate electricity. “We have some collaborative relationships and ideas of how to use biomass to fuel the [distillers grains] dryer burner rather than using natural gas, and also how to use biomass for boilers to generate steam or use that steam to generate electricity,” said David Corley, president of Midwest Process Solutions. “I wouldn’t say its proprietary, but I’d say we’ve got the capabilities to put together the system to do this.” A typical rotary drum dryer requires 1,500 to 1,700 British thermal units per pound of water removal. Systems vary in cost depending on inputs and system design layout, but there are payback scenarios of one to three years when replacing conventional natural gas with solid fuel cyclonic burners, Corley said. Midwest Process Solutions is currently involved in the construction of Show Me Energy Co-op in Centerview, Mo. The facility plans to take agricultural biomass from local producers and create fuel pellets to sell to a local utility company or the retail pellet-stove market. The agricultural biomass includes straw, seed hulls and corn stover. At full capacity, the plant will produce approximately 100,000 tons of fuel pellets annually.
-Jessica Ebert
-Hope Deutscher
-Anduin Kirkbride McElroy
Diversified Energy announces Centia process, DoD contract Diversified Energy Corp. recently conducted tests at North Carolina State University to demonstrate it trademarked biofuels production technology, called Centia. The process converts renewable oil from sources such as agricultural crops, algae, animal fats and waste greases into a transportation fuel that can replace petroleum jet fuel, diesel or gasoline. Diversified Energy is the exclusive licenser of the process, which was developed at NCSU in 2006. The process involves three main steps. In the first step, feedstock oils are heated under pressure to separate the fatty acid chains from glycerol. The latter is burned to produce energy while the free fatty acids are heated, pressurized and passed through a catalyst. In the final step, the fatty acid chains are reformed into biofuels with a chemical structure similar to their petroleum-derived counterparts. This feature enhances the performance of the fuels and reduces the needed
Bales of straw enter Midwest Process Solutions' horizontal grinder in western Kansas. There are only a few manufacturers of large, high-capacity bale grinders in North America.
industry The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services awarded 12 companies with $25 million in grants from the “Farm to Fuel” program in January, part of the 25x'25 initiative spearheaded by Agricultural Commissioner Charles Bronson. The initiative is designed to spur the state’s agricultural industry to produce 25 percent of Florida’s energy needs by 2025. The grant awards included $4 million to Liberty Industries, which plans to construct a $38 million ethanol plant in Liberty County, just west of Tallahassee. The plant will produce ethanol and electricity by using forest waste products as a feedstock. Liberty Industries President Sam Hatcher said grant money will be used for equipment and the construction of the plant. The company is in the pre-permitting process and plans to begin construction in 2009. The University of Florida received $500,000 toward the research and development of a catalytic chemical reactor system to convert woody biomass into biodiesel. Sigarca Inc. was awarded nearly $500,000 to aid in the construction of a demonstration plant that will process horse waste into renewable energy. The $1.5 million plant will be located on the grounds of the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala. The University of Central Florida received $498,000 that will partially fund a research project designed to demonstrate technology developed by the university that uses an advanced thermocatalytic process to convert farm and animal waste into renewable energy. The Florida Institute of Technology received a $415,000 grant for researching various strains of microalgae capable of producing biodiesel. Neptune Industries received $158,000 to develop a pilot-scale floating algae production system in quarry lakes in south Florida that will supply the feedstock to the biodiesel industry. Southeast Biofuels LLC, a subsidiary of Xethanol Corp., received $500,000 for a pilot plant that will convert citrus peels to ethanol.
NEWS
PHOTO: MARK FOLEY
Florida ag department announces grant recipients
Grant recipients were announced by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson, right, at a press conference as Florida Gov. Charlie Crist listens.
These companies are required to match the grants with their own money or otherwise raised funds. They are actually contributing more than $150 million of their own resources. “We’re not looking to build our own state-funded ethanol or biodiesel plants, or completely fund other projects,” said Deputy Agricultural Commissioner Jay Levenstein. “We like to be in a position where we can help out, but they’ve got to come to the table with some of their own assets. I know from talking to some of these companies that funding like this really puts them over the top of the hill as far as being able to complete their projects." -Kris Bevill
Big money, names fill sails at Ze-gen January was a month of big money, big names and high hopes at Massachusetts-based clean energy company Ze-gen Inc. A $2.5 million investment boost from California-based Pinnacle Ventures LLC, in addition to a facility tour and endorsement by U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., brought fresh momentum to the endeavor. Kerry recently toured Ze-gen’s facility in New Bedford, Mass., which uses gasification to convert municipal waste streams into synthesis gas. He said he was inspired to see this type of operation in the state. “Ze-gen’s cutting-edge work is a great experiment in developing methods of solid waste disposal and alternative fuel production,” he said. “After my tour of the Ze-gen facility, I walked away inspired by the innovation and ingenuity harnessed right here in Massachusetts, and its potential at home and across the world.” Patrick Lee, a partner at Pinnacle Ventures, said his company’s
investment decision was solid. “We’re confident in the design and technology that we’ve witnessed at the Ze-gen test facility in New Bedford, and we believe our decision to help fund the preliminary permitting and development for its next facility will prove to be a sound investment,” he said. Ze-gen’s goal is to alleviate the global stress being felt as a result of the 350 million tons of municipal waste that is generated each year. Ze-gen hopes to offer an economically viable and environmentally superior alternative to traditional landfills and incineration processes, said Bill Davis, chief executive officer and president. “We are pleased to have the senator’s support on this project,” he said. -Timothy Charles Holmseth
3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 17
industry
NEWS NBPA to demonstrate cellulosic ethanol production As interest in the cellulosic ethanol industry increases, the National Biomass Producers Association plans to educate Midwestern farmers about the process of converting non-grain feedstocks to renewable fuel. The Half Way, Mo.-based grassroots organization created last year by a network of producers, farmers, students and various other research entities intends to use a mobile trailer-mounted demonstration unit to demonstrate the thermochemical process that produces cellulosic ethanol. According to NBPA President and board member Ed Cahoj, the organization will showcase the unit’s performance in multiple locations throughout the Midwest and beyond as early as this summer. “The [demonstration unit] should help [farmers]
make a more-informed decision on whether they want to use this type of equipment on their property," he said. “This unit will be able to process tons of biomass feedstocks compared with the ‘test-tube scale’ that we’re seeing in development now.” Although switchgrass will be the most likely feedstock, the thermochemical process will be able to take in other forms of agricultural biomass such as wood chips, sawdust, wheat straw and corn stover, Cahoj said. In addition, the unit requires minimal to no water with a clean water discharge. “The environmental impact is minimal,” he said. “We’ll show [farmers] how it works and what it can
accomplish, and then they can make their own decisions. I can’t think of a better approach than that.” The thermochemical process also produces a byproduct called biochar, which serves as a viable soil amendment with important fertilizer properties that could offset farmers' high fertilizer costs. Due to the mobility of on-site production, logistical issues associated with feedstock collection and transportation would also be eliminated. “It’s what’s going to work best for everyone involved, including the wildlife,” Cahoj said. “It brings a lot of variables into the picture that people need to be thinking about, and the time to act is now.” -Bryan Sims
Tiger Ethanol aims to convert sugar beets to ethanol Tiger Ethanol International plans to begin cultivating sugar beets for an ethanol plant in the District of Hami in the Xinjiang Province of China. The company holds 90 percent ownership of Xinjiang Yajia Distillate Co. Ltd., which is currently building an ethanol facility for Tiger Ethanol in Hami. Tiger Ethanol President and Chief Executive Officer James Leung said his company has conducted research that determined sugar beets are a viable crop in Hami, and will bring additional income to the company and local farmers. Leung said the ethanol plant should be operational by the end of March. The facility will have a start-up capacity of approximately 10,000 tons per year. Leung said capacity is scheduled to double within the first year of operation. The initial feedstock will be corn, but by 2009, the company will switch to sugar beets. The district has 500,000 acres of farmland suitable for growing sugar beets, 18 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
and according to the company, farmers will be able to switch from single-crop to double-crop fields by growing barley from March to June and sugar beets from July to October. Leung said there was previously a state-owned sugar plant in Hami, so farmers in the area are already familiar with growing sugar beets. Tiger Ethanol will implement its plan in three phases. Phase one involves collaborating with the local government to utilize 100,000 acres of farmland and produce 500,000 tons of sugar beets by 2009. The company will expand the ethanol plant to produce 50,000 tons per year and will also build a $15 million sugar refinery next to the existing ethanol facility. During phase two, Tiger hopes to expand its ethanol plant to 75,000 tons per year and will add 100,000 acres of farmland for the feedstock. By 2012, production of sugar beets is expected to reach 1 million tons per year. The final phase of the plan calls for a
Xinjiang, a large province in the western corner of China, shares borders with Mongolia, Russia and Kazakstan, among others.
total of 300,000 acres of farmland producing 1.5 million tons of sugar beets annually by 2014. “We are benefiting from a healthy increase in the price of ethanol in China, and our securing an ongoing supply of biomass at a reasonable price places us in a favorable situation," Leung said. -Kris Bevill
technology
Three gasifiers are the heart of the biomass-based heating system that keeps students at the University of South Carolina warm in the winter. SOURCE: NEXTERRA ENERGY CORP.
20 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
technology
BIOMASS ON CAMPUS
It’s a big job keeping 27,000 students warm though the winter. The University of South Carolina in Columbia looked to a new source of heat and found that the savings would be measured in the millions of dollars. By Jerry W. Kram
W
hen the University of South Carolina decided to see what steps it could take to reduce the carbon footprint of its Columbia campus, the three natural gas-fired boilers that provide heat to more than 27,000 students was an obvious choice. As part of a comprehensive energy conservation plan, the university has built a biomass heating system to replace two of the campus’s fossil fuel boilers while providing its own electrical power. The university hired Johnson Controls Inc. to do a comprehensive energy audit of the school’s campus and implement projects to increase energy efficiency, says Helen Zeigler, USC associate vice president for business and facilities. Johnson Controls is a $36 billion a year diversified company with core businesses in building efficiency and control and power technology. After four months of study, Johnson Controls submitted a list of 18 projects that would reduce the consumption of fossil fuels on campus and would pay for themselves in a 10-year period, which was a criteria set by the university. “We are trying to keep the campus warm and do it in a greener and less costly way,” Zeigler says. In July 2006, Johnson Controls began construction of the biomass-fired steam system. The original contract to build the facility was for $16 million, but changes made in response to residents’ concerns over noise and dust added another $1 million to the cost. The facility was enclosed in a shell that complemented the architecture of the campus. An 3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 21
technology electrostatic precipitator was added to control emissions. The final change was that fuel deliveries were rerouted and rescheduled to minimize traffic congestion and noise in the residential neighborhoods surrounding the campus. “We decided to invest
the additional money to meet those concerns and be a good neighbor while we built this,” Zeigler says. Education was the key step to gaining community acceptance of the project, Zeigler says. “First we had to educate our-
selves because we had never heard of a facility like this prior to Johnson Controls proposing it,” she says. “Once we were comfortable with the technology, we began meeting with neighborhood groups about what we were going to put on the site. Once
Three Nexterra Energy gasifiers supply enough syngas to provide 80 percent of the USC’s peak winter heat demand plus generate 1.38 MW of electricity. SOURCE: NEXTERRA ENERGY CORP.
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technology we met all the concerns of the neighborhood groups, they have become very supportive of the project. They see that we are a university and if anyone is going to take a leadership role of trying new technologies, we should and will do that.” The original permit for the plant didn’t require air quality control equipment, although the U.S. EPA was reviewing its regulations for biomass plants as the plant was being designed. The particulate control system was added in part to anticipate it being required in the new regulations and to ease community concerns. Many other issues were also addressed in the permitting process. “The plant is in a very sensitive location as far as nearby residences, a flood plain, railroads and a nearby airport,” says Ken Detwiler, senior project manager for Johnson Controls. “So we have had to address permitting issues regarding all of those things.”
A Big Job Supplying heat to the university campus was a major undertaking, Detwiler says. The campus is spread out across much of the community and includes more than 170 buildings. “All of the steam distribution system is underground and very extensive,” he says. The facility will run on wood waste from the International Paper Co. plant in
Newberry, S.C., about 40 miles from the campus. The fuel will be primarily bark, which is a byproduct of the wood chipping process. “There is a tremendous amount of waste wood when they strip the trees of their bark,” Detwiler says. “We are getting that bark ground up and shipped to our plant. We will store the bark on site.” The facility will require 57,000 tons of wood per year—about 10 semi-trailer loads a day— for fuel. The biomass gasifier and boiler were built by Nexterra Energy Corp., a Canadian firm. In October 2007, during the project in South Carolina, Johnson Controls and Nexterra formed a strategic alliance where the two companies will jointly develop and implement biomass gasification projects. The USC system will have the capacity to produce enough steam to provide about 80 percent of the heating needs of the campus. The waste wood is turned into synthesis gas in a low-oxygen pyrolysis process. The gas is reformed at the top of the gasifier into a mixture of methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The gas is fed into an oxidizing chamber where air is added to produce combustion. “You are actually burning gases rather than burning wood,” Detwiler explains. “It is a much cleaner process when we do it that way.” The combustion process raises the temperature of the gases to about 1,900
The Nexterra gasifier breaks biomass down into combustible gases which are burned to heat high pressure boilers. SOURCE: NEXTERRA ENERGY CORP.
degrees Fahrenheit. The hot gases are fed into a waste-heat boiler that generates steam at 600 pounds per square inch (psi) at 740 degrees F. The system can generate 60,000 pounds of steam per hour. The gasifier produces steam at a higher pressure than is needed for the heating system. That extra pressure is used to turn a
Got wood? • Legal work on more than 100 energy projects in over 20 states, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Mexico, Peru and United Kingdom • Assisting developers, owners, operators, investors and lenders • Projects include wood-burning, landfill gas and other power/fuel projects that use biomass or waste materials • We know biomass Contact Attorney Charles G. Willing, Jr. cgw@rathlaw.com National Impact. Uniquely New Hampshire. Rath, Young and Pignatelli, P.C. www.rathlaw.com Concord (603) 226-2600 3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 23
PHOTO: NEXTERRA ENERGY CORP.
technology
The biomass gasifiers and boilers produce 60,000 pounds of steam an hour, enough to provide 80 percent of the campus’ heat requirements in the dead of winter.
backpressure turbine generator to produce electricity. The generators will produce enough electricity to power the biomass facility and to power another energy facility on the same side of campus. The system has a generation capacity of 1.38 megawatts. “That power offsets the amount of power in the biomass plant that we need to generate the steam,” Detwiler says. “We have a little bit of excess capacity that we send up to the university grid to offset what they take
24 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
off the utility grid.” The backpressure turbine reduces the pressure of the steam to 130 psi for distribution to the campus. The steam then flows through more than seven miles of pipes in the underground distribution system to dorms, classrooms, labs, offices and other facilities. “We had to add 3,300 feet of piping just to interconnect to the existing energy plants,” Detwiler says. In the original plan the facility was
housed in a simple shelter leaving much of the plant equipment exposed, Detwiler says. “The university decided it wouldn’t be beneficial to leave it exposed like that,” he says. “They decided to enclose the whole facility and we provided quite a few architectural upgrades to make it more pleasing. It turned out to be quite a showplace and we have gotten a lot of positive feedback from the neighborhood.” The biomass facility was completed in early December 2007. The first few days of operations showed that some of the systems supporting the gasifier needed adjustments, but the core system was running well, Zeigler says. “We’ve been pleased when it has been up and running,” she says. “It has been producing the steam just as it was designed to do. We have had to tweak the conveyer system that feeds the wood fuel into the gasifier unit. We’ve also had some issues with the reverse osmosis unit that treats the water that goes through the boiler. The things we have been dealing with don’t focus on the primary thing, the gasification technology.”
Save the Planet, Save Some Money When the plan was finalized in 2004, the university projected it would save $2 million a year. Those savings will be used to pay for the project over 15 years. “After the debt is amortized, then the savings will accrue to
PHOTO: NEXTERRA ENERGY CORP.
technology
Neighborhood concerns led Johnson Controls to enclose the biomass plant and design the building to blend better with nearby residential areas.
the university,” Zeigler says. “Actually, based on the current price of natural gas, we think the savings will be closer to $2.5 million a year.” The uncertainty of natural gas supplies made the project even more attractive to the university, Zeigler says. “Shortly after we entered this contract, there was a fairly large increase in the cost of natural gas,” she says. “It has largely stabilized since then, but we never know what the next month is going to bring. It is one of the commodities that is hard to budget for because prices can change drastically with little notice.” At a cost of $10.65 per 1,000 cubic feet (Mcf), the university’s annual natural gas
costs topped $5.3 million. The biomass plant will provide the same amount of heat at a cost less than $1.5 million a year. That works out to an equivalent cost of $2.4 per Mcf of natural gas. Along with the biomass project, Johnson Controls implemented many other money saving projects on campus. They upgraded the campus’ existing energy plants including replacing chillers and cooling towers. The steam distribution system was upgraded with piping repair and replacement of condensate pumps and steam traps. In 100 buildings low-flow fixtures were installed to save water. Energy efficient lighting was installed in 107 buildings.
Building management was improved by replacing pneumatic temperature controls with direct digital controls that can be monitored and controlled from a central location. Johnson Controls implemented many other smaller projects including thermal swimming pool covers, high-efficiency transformers, new air handlers, variable speed drives and VendingMiser power controls which power down vending machines when the surrounding area is vacant while maintaining the temperature of the vended product. One aspect of the project that Zeigler appreciates is how it has multiple positive impacts for the people of South Carolina. The project will lower the university’s energy costs which will mean lower tuition and taxes. It provides a market for what is now a waste product which will help the state’s forestry industry. “It also helps our country as a whole to lessen our dependence on fossil fuels,” she adds. “We are proud of having forged the way on this. We would encourage parties who would like to see this technology in place to get in touch with us.” BIO Jerry W. Kram is a Biomass Magazine staff writer. Reach him at jkram@bbibiofuels .com or (701) 738-4962.
3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 25
Explore the Opportunities, Experience the Technology
.
15-17 April 2008
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
The objective of the
International Biomass ‘08 Conference & Trade Show is to act as a catalyst for the sustainable advancement of biomass utilization on a global scale.
The program will focus on technological advancements, commercial scale manufacturing, and near term research and development.
Technical sessions will include:
. . . . . .
Biopower Gasification Feedstock Processing Pretreatment for Cellulosic Ethanol Policy and Project Implementation Biopower: CHP Technologies International Perspectives on Biomass Utilization
. . . . .
Permitting and Lifecycle Assessment Alternative Bio-syngas Production Water Issues for Biomass Utilization Feedstock Alternatives Alternative Biofuels: Biobutanol, Green Diesel, and Jet Fuel
. . . . . .
Feedstock Supply Commercial Applications Anaerobic Digestion Project Finance Bioproducts Biorefining
The full program agenda is posted on the website.
REGISTER TODAY! www.biomassconference.com Presented by
In partnership with
BBI INTERNATIONAL
green event Conferences & Events
. 719-539-0300 . conferences@bbibiofuels.com
emissions
Green Circle Bio Energy Inc.’s 500,000-ton-per-year wood pellet plant in Cottondale, Fla., is one of the first utility-sized wood pellet mills emerging to satisfy demand from European power plants to increase renewable energy production.
28 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
emissions
Watering Down the Problem— Literally Burning solid fuels to heat biomass dryers produces two broad types of emissions: fly ash and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Before the dryer exhaust stream is introduced to the regenerative thermal oxidizer for VOC destruction, fly ash must be abated to avoid irreparable damage downstream. Biomass Magazine details an increasingly popular and effective way for biomass processors to accomplish this.
PHOTO: GREEN CIRCLE BIO ENERGY INC.
By Ron Kotrba
B
efore a veneer manufacturer applies heat, pressure and glue to make its final product, the moisture content of the incoming green wood must be dried down considerably. Green wood contains up to 50 percent water by weight and needs to be reduced to 5 percent moisture before becoming veneer, particle board or wood pellets. Many of these companies burn their wood waste as a means to dry the good wood. The combustion of wood produces fly ash subject to control by environmental regulations or the plant itself, especially if costly emissions controls are jeopardized by particles downstream. But the amount of wood a plant handles will determine in large part the extent to which its emissions are regulated, and the throughput of most wood-pellet mills has been relatively low so far. These plants produce 30,000 to 50,000 tons of wood pellets a year, helping fuel a wood-stove renaissance in residential heating.
3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 29
emissions Companies are now taking this to another level. Utility-sized pellet plants have begun to emerge. Case in point: The 500,000-ton per year Green Circle Bio Energy Inc. facility in Cottondale, Fla. (see November 2007 Biomass Magazine). “In addition to the Green Circle Bio Energy plant, there are four or five more U-sized pellet mills under development,” says Ron Renko, regional sales manager with Geoenergy, a division of A.H. Lundberg Associates. Geoenergy is the emissions-controls provider for the Cottondale
30 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
pellet plant. “We’re seeing a lot of activity in this direction and, frankly, it’s all offshore money,” he says. “Green Circle is from Sweden, and we’re tracking other jobs with financing from Germany. These newer facilities are geared for utility boiler fuel augmentation in Europe.” With European directives in place, U-scale pellet mills are being developed to serve these renewable energy demands; and project development activity is expected to rise sharply when U.S. power companies are eventually persuaded by carrot
or stick to follow suit. For those investigating such a U-sized biomass endeavor, it is important to learn what state-of-the-art in emissions abatement is today—and tomorrow.
ESP The electrostatic precipitator or ESP is not as sexy as extrasensory perception, but a sixth sense will not protect a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) from fouling. A wet ESP, however, can capture fly ash to protect important downstream equipment. In the wood products industry, hot gas from wood combustion is usually routed to the dryer for heat. “Burning wood or biomass gives rise to inorganic particulate matter or fly ash, so right off the bat your dryer is going to have fly ash,” says Steve Jaasund, professional engineer and manager of Geoenergy. The wood is dried aggressively with heat—an environment conducive to the formation ofvolatile organic compounds (VOCs). Therefore carry-over fly ash from combustion and VOCs born in the dryer constitute the two major categories of emissions from dryers heated by wood. “The best and most efficient way to destroy VOCs is with a regenerative thermal oxidizer,” Jaasund says. But exhaust from the dryer cannot go straight into the RTO for VOC destruction because of the fly ash particles present in the stream. In most cases, the fly ash from wood combustion is high in alkaline earth metals like sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium, which Jaasund says are aggressive against the heat-exchange media in the RTO. Gerry Graham from PPC Industries agrees. In a technical paper explaining various controls for stack emissions, he states, “The wet precipitator may be a necessary pretreatment item for … [downstream] systems which do not handle particulate emissions very well.” The point of an ESP system—wet or dry—is to effectively isolate and trap particles in a hassle-free system that “cleans itself ” as needed, and protects the RTO from those abated particles. “The gas goes into the electrostatic precipitator and it pass-
es adjacent to a high-voltage discharge electrode, which charges all the particles,” Jaasund tells Biomass Magazine. There are three types of particles: fly ash; larger-thanfine particles introduced from the highvelocity air in the dryer; and condensed organics from drying biomass (wood). “Because of the high voltage on the discharge electrode, it gives off electrons and the electrons attach to the particles. Then, because of the electric field—the high voltage on the discharge electrode versus the ground potential of the collecting electrode—those particles are all pushed over to a collecting surface where they accumulate.” Essentially it works like a giant particle magnet. When it’s time to unload the material for disposal, the magnet reverses its charge to force the particles away instead of attracting them. Upon exiting the ESP, the gas stream is largely free of particles and ready for the RTO where the VOCs will be thermally oxidized and released.
Make it Wet While Graham notes wet ESPs have found “renewed interest from OSB (oriented strand board), particle board, and plywood veneer manufacturers for controlling dryer exhaust,” he also says dry ESPs are still considered the best available control technology for wood-fired boilers. Jaasund gives
PHOTO GREEN CIRCLE BIO ENERGY INC.
emissions
While several different particulate matter abatement technologies could have been employed at the Cottondale facility, Geoenergy and other emissions-control equipment providers say wet electrostatic precipitators work better than most for wood pellet plants and other biomass-burning operations such as this.
three compelling reasons why a wet ESP is recommended for U-scale pellet mills. “Biomass dryers typically operate near the dew point of the gas stream,” he says. “In other words, you want your dryer to be as efficient as possible, so you don’t want to be spitting red-hot gases out of the dryer— that’s just money down the drain.” Jaasund
says if a dry ESP is employed to treat the gas stream at a near-dew-point condition, condensation is coating the machinery all the time. This leads to excessive corrosion and build-up on the equipment. Also, a dry ESP must still contend with the larger combustible particles coming out of the dryer. Given the high oxygen content of the dryer
3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 31
emissions off-gases and the sparking characteristics of any ESP “it’s a big invitation for a fire,” Jaasund adds. Condensing tar-like materials and heavier solids from the drying process can also present problems downstream when a dry ESP is in play. The heavier materials will condense at relatively high temperatures and cause trouble in the RTO. “They build up on the front of what’s called the cold face of the heat-exchange media,” he explains. Facing those three problems—fire, condensation and condensible organics—“that’s when you throw in the towel and make the whole sys-
32 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
tem wet,” Jaasund says. You spray water in there and quench it down to the lowest possible temperature and you just deal with the goo.” Here’s how the wet ESP system Geoenergy installed at GCBE works. Hot gas from the dryer enters the system. It’s not saturated or at the dew point yet, so large quantities of recycled water are sprayed to quench the gas to its dew point between 140 and 170 degrees Fahrenheit, thus cooling it down but not losing energy. “This is an axiomatic process so we’re just exchanging
sensible heat—temperature—for latent heat, which is the evaporation of the energy tied up in evaporating water,” Jaasund says. Below the ESP unit sits a pool of recycled water. A pump carries the water to spray nozzles for quenching and it drains back down into the pool. The heavier solids mixed in the spray water descend to the pool while other condensed solids make their way in the fan-driven exhaust stream to the ESP system above. The particles moving upward accumulate inside the surface of the ESP’s array of tubes. Eventually the material amassed on the ESP’s charged surfaces tubes must be discharged, which occurs as little as once every four hours or as often as every 90 minutes. The removal process lasts about a minuteand-a-half. From above the system hot water flushes the tubes free of particles. Geoenergy also mixes caustic soda in the ESP flush water to help dissolve the material from the collecting surfaces. “All that stuff runs down off the tubes and then feeds into that recycle tank,” Jaasund says. “So all solids from the quench step and the precipitation step end up in that recycled water,” which must also be cleared to avoid clogging in the tank, pump or spray nozzles. A decanter centrifuge is constantly treating a side stream of the recycled water, isolating and removing the “organic goo” while returning the centrates–—the nonsolids—back to the tank. While the centrifuge removes the suspended solids, the plant needs to bleed-off a gallon or two per minute to keep a dissolved-solids equilibrium in the tank. Where that bleed-off stream goes is plant specific, but in GCBE’s case it goes back into the dryers. “One might say, ‘Now you’re just going to get it back,’ but you don’t because that stream is water with dissolved solids and the dryer will dry off the water but leave the solids in the dryer with the biomass—it actually goes out with the product,” Jaasund says. A wet ESP is not the only method to control particulates. PPC Industries’ Graham covers the competition. First there is the dry ESP, the challenges to using a dry ESP in applications such as U-sized pellet
emissions mills have already been discussed. What’s called wet scrubbers work, but Graham says they increase labor and operational costs. “The energy necessary to separate the particulate from the gas stream can require 15 to 20 inches of WC (water column) pressure drop through a typical venturi. These are huge and wasteful power consumers, increasing the plant’s overall operating cost.” Baghouses are another common particle containment device. However, “The high temperatures and periodic cinders from the plant boiler can cause fire problems with baghouses,” Graham writes. “Periodic bag replacement is a definite operating cost consideration.” Geoenergy’s Renko says there are many reasons baghouses reside at the bottom of the list for particle collection. “One big one is fire,” he says. Other concerns with baghouses are condensation and tars plugging the filter media.
RTOs and Beyond The whole point of an RTO is to oxidize VOCs with heat as a nonregenerative thermal oxidizer does, but using less energy to do so. Through the utilization of heatexchanging media the plant consumes less energy thereby dropping operational costs, but the RTO costs more than a TO does. “The RTO is what I call a box of rocks,” Renko says. “It’s a heavy-metal structure filled with ceramic media and you have burners and sands and your typical electrical motor controls.” Jaasund says as energy gets more precious and margins thin as more Usized pellet mills come on line, people will begin to look for ways to reduce costs. “The next logical thing is to make an RTO a catalytic system,” he says. “The way an RTO becomes a catalytic RTO is you put a layer of catalyst on top of media beds so now you’ve got 8 feet of stoneware media and 1 foot or 6 inches of catalytic media.” A catalytic RTO can be made using base metals, typically manganese dioxide, or noble (precious) metals such as platinum or palladium. “Either approach would allow the oxidization to occur at much lower temperatures,” he continues. “So the combustion chamber is no longer really a combustion chamber
because you can set your burner operation down from 1,600 degrees to 800 degrees— the catalytic RTO consumes way less energy.” However, the capital costs are higher for a catalyzing oxidizer. With a wood-fired dryer, is catalytic oxidation feasible in the presence of even small amounts of sub-micron inorganic particulate? “We believe that the answer lies in the performance of the upstream wet ESP,” Jaasund says. “While today’s wet ESPs provide good RTO media protection they are not sized to clean the incoming gas to a level
that will also protect the catalyst. However, they can be. The important technical hurdle is not whether we have the tools to operate catalytically but rather how to adapt them. This information will come as we go down the road so that when future energy prices get too high, operators will be able to consider solid-fuel-fired dryers with catalytic RTOs.” BIO Ron Kotrba is a Biomass Magazine senior writer. Reach him at rkotrba@bbibiofuels .com or (701) 738-4962.
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feedstock
34 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
feedstock
Risk Biomass Invasion The
of
Arundo donax, commonly known as giant reed, has tremendous potential as a biomass crop. It also illustrates the emerging issues around the potential for unintended weedy invasions. By Susanne Retka Schill
Arundo donax growing along a roadside in July PHOTO: JAMES H. MILLER, USDA FOREST SERVICE, BUGWOOD.ORG
3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 35
feedstock
36 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
PHOTO: LASO MARTON, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
S
outherners joke that kudzu is the plant that ate the South. Initially introduced as a forage crop and once widely used for erosion control, kudzu has spread throughout the Southeast becoming a major invasive weed problem. Johnsongrass is another infamous perennial grass initially introduced as a forage crop and now considered a noxious weed in 19 states. Some in the scientific community are sounding the alarm that the push for bioenergy crops could have the unintended effect of creating new biomass invaders potentially even more troublesome than kudzu or johnsongrass. The November 2007, commentary published by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, “Biofuel Feedstocks: The Risk of Future Invasions,” warns that many of the same traits making a particular plant an ideal biomass crop are shared by plants that become invasive. To make it potentially worse, efforts are underway to enhance new biomass crops to produce more biomass, improve their performance in poor soils and growing conditions, and reduce lignin content to make the conversion process more efficient— efforts that could compound the ecological impact if the biomass crops escape cultivation. The nation has a huge conflict of interest says Jacob Barney, co-author Barney of the CAST report and a post-doctoral scholar in the Department of Plant Science at the University of California-Davis. On the one hand, is the renewable fuels standard just passed in the new Energy Bill which will rely upon cellulosic feedstocks for the fuels of the future. On the other hand are the Invasive Species
Although it looks like bamboo, the stems of the perennial grass Arundo donax are easier to cut. A standard corn header should work for harvest say University of South Carolina researchers.
Act and other legislation trying to control invasive species. Sorting out the competing goals will also be a challenge because a weed in one place isn’t a weed everywhere. Growing Arundo donax as a biomass crop in California would be unadvised because it’s one of the state’s worst weeds, Barney says. “Taken to another place it has the potential to be grown safely,” he adds. Some people in California raise concerns about switchgrass, the widely touted model biomass feedstock, which is native to the states east of the Rocky Mountains, but not to California and the Pacific Northwest. Rice growers are particularly concerned that switchgrass could create problems if it were to get established as a weed in rice fields, Barney says. “Now, we have no evidence to suggest it will, but it is a concern,” he says. Studies evaluating switchgrass’s potential as an invasive weed are beginning in California. “However, the assessment we conduct here in the Central Valley of California will not be applicable to other regions,”
he adds. Indeed, the scientists involved in the CAST report recommend that new biomass crops and even new genotypes be evaluated in every region before being introduced commercially. The evaluations they recommend include: A weed risk assessment of each potential genotype targeted for cultivation within a particular region A climate-matching analysis to determine regions of agronomic suitability and identification of regions climatically suited to potential invasions Evaluation of cross-hybridization potential with related species to assess the risk of genetic invasion Determination of the susceptibility of native and managed ecosystems to biomass feedstock escapes from cultivation Multiyear studies in regions susceptible to weedy encroachments to evaluate the interactions between proposed feedstocks and native and agronomic species
PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
feedstock
Laslo Marton, left, and fellow researcher, Mihaly Czako, are dwarfed by the Arundo donax canes they are studying.
Establishment of management practices to eradicate unwanted stands prior to introduction
Promising Traits Arundo donax, commonly known as giant reed, is one of those crops being developed as a new energy crop but is considered invasive in some areas. Giant reed originated in India and was carried around the world for use as a windbreak, for construction cane and as the source of reeds for woodwind instruments. Brought to the United States 300 years ago by Spanish missionaries, giant reed looks like bamboo, but actually is a perennial grass that grows 20 to 30 feet tall. University of South Carolina professor of biology Laslo Marton remembers using the long, strong canes as fishing poles when he was a child in his native Hungary. In central and southern Europe, giant reed was widely used to soak up excess water and nutrients from backyard septic systems, he says. At the University of South Carolina,
Marton began studying giant reed for its potential to remove contaminants from the soil. One test plot in South Carolina is being used to study the plant’s effectiveness in cleaning up sewage water and diluted sludge. For many sewage sludge disposal projects, accumulations of phosphorus are becoming a problem, he explains. “Arundo has the potential to remove 200 kilograms [485 pounds] of phosphorus per acre per year.” Giant reed also removes halogenated organic compounds, such as dioxin and agricultural pesticides, from contaminated soils. “In Arundo, most of these organic pollutants are metabolized, broken down to carbon dioxide or, in the worst case, hydrochloric acid which is neutralized by the soil,” he says. Using giant reed as a biomass feedstock solves one of the major limitations of its use for phyto remediation—what to do with the 20 to 50 dry tons per acre of biomass that’s produced. Marton is enthusiastic about Arundo’s potential as a biomass crop. “This is a plant which gives you high biomass, has very low maintenance and very high resistance to environmental factors and biological pests,” he says. “No known herbivore eats it. The literature says Indian elephants eat it, but it very seldom happens that there are free Indian elephants roaming around the United States.” The plant has high energy content at 8,000 British thermal units per dry pound, and the cellulose is easily separated from the lignin so it can be digested with enzymes and converted to liquid fuel. Arundo stands stay productive for decades and can be eradicated by cutting and spraying the young shoots. “It’s a crop for the future,” he says. Texas and California have areas where Arundo has become a significant weed problem, he admits. “Texas and California were human mistakes which gave it a bad reputation as a
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feedstock
An Arundo donax infestation crowds out native vegetation in this photo taken near Escondido, Calif., where the grass is considered an invasive weed.
potentially invasive plant,” he says. In both places, giant reed was planted along streams and irrigation canals to stop soil erosion. In flooding conditions, the canes and roots were dislodged and carried by the water to colonize new areas. When kept away from running water, Marton argues, the plant doesn’t spread. “How could [Arundo] be invasive when there are no seeds, its rhizomes aren’t running, and the major problem in planting required developing a special technology to plant it?” he asks. A sterile plant with no pollen and no seeds, Arundo has been limited to small commercial plantings worldwide because the roots must be dug up, split apart and hand planted. Marton developed a micro propagation technology which uses embryonic stem cells. The cultures of stem cells can be stored in a Petri dish, and when needed, treated with hormones to begin developing tiny propagules. Those are planted in greenhouse flats and tended until ready for transplanting with conventional tree or tobacco transplanting equipment.
38 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
South Carolina Targets South Carolina economic developer Joseph James is working to transform Marton’s work into an economic opportunity for South Carolina farmers. James helped form the South Carolina Biomass Council James and chairs the feedstock committee, which is looking at a variety of feedstocks for the Southeast. “When you get out of the Midwest where you have these huge industrial-sized farms, you have multiple small farms and multiple ownerships,” he says. “You might need 50,000 acres of biocrops to supply a cellulosic ethanol operation. If so, you might have to have 300 to 500 farmers involved. The challenge becomes coordinating the crops that they grow, and the harvesting and shipping. That tends to put pressure on having the most productive biocrops in terms of tons per acre.” James hopes to recruit farmers
feedstock around South Carolina to plant Arundo this spring. With one eye on the invasive species concerns being raised, they intend to keep plantings on dryland fields with tilled borders to keep the planting contained, James says. “We would love to have federal funding to help us do that,” he adds. “There are plenty of grants to get switchgrass projects going, but executive order 13112 essentially prohibits the use of federal funds when you have any crop that has invasive potential unless the secretary that heads the agency deems the plant acceptable.” James has become quite frustrated in his attempts to get federal agencies such as the Agricultural Research Service and the Invasive Species Council to study the crop. “The leadership of the U.S. DOE and the USDA need to get moving on tests, growing a number of acres of these kinds of crops under controlled situations to get comfortable with them,” he says. James sees great potential in Arundo crops for South Carolina farmers. He has sent samples to Iogen Corp., a Canadian ethanol producer, which has conducted preliminary tests and finds it promising for the company’s cellulosic ethanol program. The state’s paper industry is quite interested in using Arundo as a pulp source because the cane’s long fibers make particularly high-quality paper, he says. A paper plant recently outbid a utility that wanted to cofire Arundo with coal using the limited Arundo supplies now available, he says. Another company is testing it as a biomass source to compliment wood in its production of fuel pellets for the European market.
Other State, International Projects There are other Arundo projects under development, says Michael Birch, managing director of Orapa Ltd., based in Athens, Tenn. He is
working with the South Carolinans to license and commercialize the patented propagation and planting technology. A project in Florida is looking at planting 20,000 to 40,000 acres of Arundo for a biomass power plant using gasification technology, he says. A six-year evaluation of Arundo in Florida didn’t find invasive tendencies in any stand, he says. However, Florida did add some safeguards. “Soon after the assessment Florida issued a new set of rules,” Birch says. “You have to apply and get approval for growing dedicated energy crops.” Progress Energy Florida, a utility company, signed an agreement in mid-2006 to purchase electricity from the proposed 130 megawatt biomass power plant in central Florida using a variety of Arundo trademarked as E-grass. The original agreement was with Biomass Investment Group Inc., which has since become part of the Innovative Energy Group with main offices in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Birch has also been involved in discussions with oil and chemical companies in Texas that are interested in exploring Arundo’s potential for phyto remediation of contaminated soils. Several Central American countries are developing Arundo projects to grow biomass for power, many of which have high electrical energy costs due to a lack of local energy sources. Other projects are underway in Europe and Australia. Birch expects to be making further announcements this spring on other projects in development. BIO
BIOMASS
GASIFICATION
TURN
OFF & TURN
ON
BIOMASS
Susanne Retka Schill is a Biomass Magazine staff writer. Reach her at sretkaschill@bbibiofuels.com or (701) 7384962.
Call us at 515-292-1200 www.frontlinebioenergy.com 3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 39
power
42 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
power
‘Xcel’erating
Biomass Power Energy Xcel Energy Inc.’s Renewable Development Fund has disbursed more than $100 million in funding for renewable energy projects, companies, and research and development efforts since 1999. Biomass Magazine talks with the fund’s advisory board members about the selection process and its potential impact on the biomass industry. By Bryan Sims
3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 43
power or nearly a decade, Minneapolis-based utility service provider Xcel Energy Inc. has trod a proactive path to complement its electric and natural gas portfolio with renewable energy resources. To perpetuate growth and demand in the renewable energy sector, the company looks to its Renewable Development Fund. The RDF provides funding for innovative renewable energy projects and companies in Xcel Energy service areas. It’s also designed to stimulate research and development in renewable energy technologies. Both mechanisms are intended to increase the market penetration of renewable energy at a reasonable cost, according to Deb Paulson, manager of regulatory affairs for Xcel Energy. “The whole purpose is to get renewable energy projects going,” says Paulson, who also oversees the daily administrative activities of the fund. Currently, Xcel Energy has a base of 5.1 million customers in eight Western and Midwestern states. “We want to go ahead and incentivize them, to develop the whole economy, to support it in the state and just to help give renewable energy the wherewithal to get moving on its own,” Paulson says. Project funding to date has been disbursed in the form of grants and renewable production incentives (REPI) payments. The grants are provided to support commercial technologies, and research and development. The REPI are paid to qualifying small wind, biogas, solar, biofuels and biomass projects operating and generating electricity in Minnesota. Currently, more than 23 megawatts of renewable energy are under development from fund initiatives. Prior to its role as a contributor to multiple renewable energy research entities, the RDF had a somewhat checkered past. In 1999, the fund was created in accordance with a 1994 Minnesota law that permitted storage of spent nuclear fuel in
F
44 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
‘We had a very interesting round of projects this time around and we’re hoping to learn a lot from them in the future.’
steel casks at Xcel Energy’s (then called Northern States Power) Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant near Red Wing, Minn. Xcel Energy, under provisions of Minnesota Statute, section 116C.779 passed by the state legislature, was required to transfer $500,000 into the renewable development account (now the RDF) annually after Jan. 1, 1999 for each dry cask full of spent fuel. Ratepayers reimburse Xcel Energy for the money it puts into the RDF. In 2001, the RDF had its first funding cycle and awarded grants to candidates that brought forward requests for proposals (RFPs), according to Paulson. In 2003, the Minnesota legislature changed the mandatory $500,000 per cask donation to a flat $16 million and about $5.1 million of that is set aside by the state government to fund the state’s renewable energy production incentives, which leaves about $10.9 million for Xcel Energy to work with, according to Paulson. “It sounds like with $16 million a year we should be able to do this more frequently, but there are a lot of people interested in using that money,” Paulson says. Since 1999, the RDF has disbursed more than $100 million in grant money to selected recipients with intentions of advancing the renewable energy sector. “It’ll take several years before we build up enough of an unencumbered amount to actually have something to do with from now until the next funding cycle,” she says.
power Deciding which projects are deserving of funding is the arduous, yet rewarding task of the RDF advisory board.
RDF Recipients for Biomass Research and Development
And the Winners (Potentially) Are The seven-member RDF board is composed of representatives from two environmental organizations, one from the Prairie Island Indian Community, one from the industrial/commercial sector, a residential customer representative and two representatives from Xcel Energy. Board members thoroughly vetted 91 renewable energy proposals in response to the latest RFP issued in May 2007 and narrowed the list to 17 proposals involving research and development— 11 biomass based—and five energy production projects that are eligible to receive $23 million in funding. Eligible energy production technologies included biomass, solar photovoltaic and solar thermal resulting in electricity production and hydrogen production from a biomass or solar energy source. Owners of energy production projects can sell the energy to Xcel Energy or use it themselves. The 22 projects have been submitted for final approval to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. The MPUC is expected to issue its decision on individual proposals later this spring. “That’s a hoop we have to jump through first,” says Bill Grant, associate director of the Isaak Walton League and RDF advisory board member. “We had a very interesting round of projects this time Grant around and we’re hoping to learn a lot from them in the future.” The board was especially interested in funding a diverse mix of research projects that ranged from early- to advancedstage biomass research. Although preference was given to
Energy & Environmental Research Center, Grand Forks: test and develop a novel biotechnology additive to convert biomass into biogas by way of anaerobic digestion University of Minnesota, Minneapolis: evaluate and address economic and technical issues related to biomass integrated gasification combined cycle technology in electricity generation at ethanol-producing plants Coaltec Energy USA Inc., Carverville, Illinois: prove the feasibility of biomass gasification using turkey manure and agricultural waste in a commercial turkey farm setting to generate electricity and heat University of Minnesota, Morris: develop an efficient system for the production, preprocessing and delivery of biomass feedstock for energy production that minimizes feedstock cost for energy facilities while maximizing landowner income and the environmental benefits of biomass production Community Power Corp., Littleton, Colo: adapt current proven modular biopower technology to produce and demonstrate a biomass/natural gas hybrid (dual fuel) power generation system that will integrate with on-site electrical and thermal loads to deliver electricity and heat Energy & Environmental Research Center: demonstrate the performance of a mobile integrated indirect wet biomass liquefaction system gasifier at one-fourth commercial scale continued on page 46
3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 45
power continued from page 45
Minnesota Valley Alfalfa Producers, Raymond: research the application of a new energy-efficient technology to process a variety of biomass feedstock to expand the resource options for biomass energy production Bepex International LLC, Minneapolis: examine, evaluate and reduce the capital and operating costs of utilizing a thermochemical biomass pretreatment regime called torrefaction. Biomass used will be corn stover with the resulting product densified into briquettes for electricity generation Energy & Environmental Research Center: develop an economical biomass power system by combining previous bench-scale work in thermally integrated gasification systems with developmental work on a low-British thermal unit gas turbine University of Minnesota, Minneapolis: explore the feasibility and potential of algae-to-biofuel technology
Proposed Biomass Energy Production Project American Crystal Sugar Co., Moorhead, Minn.: to design, develop and construct a 3-megawatt electricity cogeneration plant utilizing methane, which currently is produced as a result of sugar beet processing and integrate with the company’s current biogas collection system
46 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
‘Obviously, we’re hoping that we’ve picked some winners and that some of those technologies will bear fruit as a result of our funding.’
Minnesota projects, the board also considered biomass technology research from out-of-state as well within Xcel Energy’s affiliated service areas. Besides Minnesota, states that received funding included Illinois, North Dakota and Colorado. “Each of these projects was treated the same,” Paulson says. “There wasn’t any consideration necessarily given to its location, particularly with regard to research and development. There’s great research happening all over the country, not just in Minnesota.” The Energy & Environmental Research Center in Grand Forks, N.D., if chosen, could receive more than $3 million to explore various biomass gasification processes. “We have a very well established biomass program,” says Tom Erickson, associate director for research. “We’re doing a lot of cuttingedge research for clients throughout the U.S. This is just one more example of some projects that we’re doing maybe closer to home. Xcel Energy has been a very proactive company in dealing with renewable energy technologies and trying to advance renewable energy technologies and we appreciate the partnership with them.” The board utilized the services of Princeton Energy Resources International LLC, a small business technology management services consulting firm headquartered in Rockville, Md., to provide independent third-party consulting in renewable energy technologies and evaluation methodolo-
power gies. PERI first evaluated and scored both the proposed energy production and research development projects. Subsequently, at least one RDF advisory board member scanned PERI’s scoring methodology to offer personal feedback. Scoring and ranking criteria were based on factors such as the strength of the team conducting the research or energy production, management performance, technology in the context of the status of the industry, what the need was and so forth, according to Mike Bull, assistant director of the Minnesota Office of Energy Security and RDF advisory board member representing residential customers. “All the projects that we selected were ranked fairly well based on their scoring,” says Bull, a new comer to the advisory board, “We didn’t necessarily go with the top ranks for various reasons.” Because Minnesota already has an established wind industry and a budding solar resource, particular consideration was given to technologies that could heighten the biomass area. For Bull, choosing the right biomass research projects that could somehow tie back to Minnesota residents was an integral element in his evaluation process. “I wanted to make sure I was looking at things that were applicable across Bull biomass industries,” Bull says. “I wanted to focus on things that will help make these resources more cost effective for Minnesota consumers.”
Goal Oriented
for expanding renewable electricity capacity. Xcel Energy’s RDF falls in line with contributing to Minnesota’s RPS, which was inked early last year. The RPS requires that 25 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2025. Currently, half of Minnesota’s power is coal generated and renewable energy accounts for only about 5 percent. The RPS replaces Minnesota’s nonmandated renewable energy objective enacted in 2003 that required utilities to make a good-faith effort to generate or to procure 10 percent of their power from eligible renewable energy technologies by 2015. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia now have some form of RPS. Some, like Minnesota, are proposing increases. Colorado, for example, which currently has a 10 percent renewable energy by 2015 RPS, is considering a 20 percent renewable energy by 2020 standard. Under Minnesota’s new standard, Xcel Energy is expected to meet a 30 percent renewable energy benchmark by 2020. Of that 30 percent, 25 percent must come from wind. The remaining 5 percent is where biomass is expected to play a major role in the future of energy source distribution, according to Grant. “A lot of it is a wait-and-see proposition,” Grant says. “We’re funding in a space where researchers are looking at some technologies that aren’t out of the lab yet. Obviously, we’re hoping that we’ve picked some winners and that some of those technologies will bear fruit as a result of our funding.” BIO
Bryan Sims is a Biomass Magazine staff writer. Reach him at bsims @bbibiofuels.com or (701) 746-4962.
At the state level, renewable portfolio standards (RPS), which require a minimum percentage of electricity supplied to be renewably generated, have become a popular mechanism
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3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 47
environment
Plenary sessions of the U.N. FCCC met in this conference room at the Bali International Convention Centre.
48 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
environment
Biofuels in
Bali
With the end of the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol just four years away, representatives from more than 180 countries recently met in Nusa Dua, Indonesia, on the island of Bali to agree on a new path toward the adoption of a second-generation protocol. Included in this group were biofuels industry spokespeople.
PHOTO: IISD/EARTH NEGOTIATIONS BULLETIN
By Jessica Ebert
3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 49
environment
H
igh drama defined two weeks in early December when some 11,000 government officials, environmentalists, industry lobbyists and journalists met in Bali, Indonesia, for the launch of negotiations on a climate change deal for a post-Kyoto Protocol world. Emotions welled and spilled over into tears, boos, hissing, insults and threats. Most of these were directed at, or in response, to the obstructionist positions taken by U.S. delegates to the U.N. Climate Change Conference. However, as tempers flared and the last minutes of the summit ticked away, the United States made a turnaround that secured the adoption of what is being dubbed the Bali Roadmap. The tension at the summit was said to be palpable; the culmination of a year marked by reports and conferences that brought an increasing urgency for action to mitigate the most devastating effects of climate change. “It was a very intense atmosphere with constant debates,” says Oliver Schaefer, policy director for the European Renewable Energy Council, an umbrella group for Europe’s renew-
able energy industry. “Everybody was aware that this was a really important meeting; that we could be somewhere where a decisive decision was made for future generations.” The summit came fast on the heels of the release of the final installment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report and a U.N. event for heads of state and other top officials to advance the global agenda on climate change, which was held at U.N. headquarters in New York City. At this one-day, high-level event, Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the IPCC, which recently won the Nobel Prize for its work, reviewed the panel’s report. “To start with, let me say that we, the human race, have substantially altered the Earth’s atmosphere,” he said. “Adaptation alone will not do. We need to bring about mitigation actions to start in the short term even when benefits may arrive in a few decades.” This is the first report in the IPCC’s nearly 20-year history that asserts with more than 90 percent certainty that greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide in particular, are rising as a result of human activities and that these gases are the
‘I see a greater role for biofuels within any kind of framework, if the framework is going to be serious and ambitious.’
main cause of the planet’s recent warming. Without action to curb emissions, millions of people will be affected by weather extremes such as longer droughts, heavier precipitation, more severe storms, rising sea levels, floods and heat waves. According to a consensus document signed by more than 200 scientists and released at the Bali conference, to stave off the worst of these effects, global emissions must peak and decline in the next 10 to 15 years and ultimately must be reduced by at least 50
PHOTO: IISD/EARTH NEGOTIATIONS BULLETIN
continued on page 52
Delegates were able to watch a live feed of the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony from Oslo, Norway, during which former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and IPCC Chair Rajendra Pachauri received their prizes.
50 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
environment
Climate Change Action 1979
• First World Climate Conference in Geneva, Switzerland
1988
• The U.N. General Assembly declares climate change a “common humanity concern” • Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change established to vet the evidence on global warming • Toronto Scientific Conference on the Changing Atmosphere calls for a 20 percent reduction to 1988 greenhouse gas emissions by 2005
1990
• First IPCC report says that the planet seems to be warming and human activity seems to be causing it but more time is needed for confirmation
1992
• At the second Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the world’s governments adopt the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change recognizing the threat posed by rising greenhouse gas emissions
1995
• The first meeting of the U.N. FCCC parties called the Conference of the Parties or COP 1 takes place in Berlin; parties launch new round of talks to determine commitments needed by industrialized nations • The second IPCC report says that the “balance of evidence” points to a “discernible human influence on the global climate system”
1997
• After about two years of intense negotiations, U.N. FCCC COP 3 adopts the Kyoto Protocol, which binds developed countries and those in transition to a market economy to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5 percent below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012
1998
• U.N. FCCC COP 4 adopts Buenos Aires Plan of Action, which finalized the rules and operational details of the Kyoto Protocol
2001
• The third IPCC Assessment Report concludes that there is scientific evidence of man-made global warming but that the subsequent effects on climate are hard to determine
2004
• Russia ratifies Kyoto late in 2004
2005
• Kyoto enters into force on Feb. 16 • At the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, leaders acknowledge that climate change is “a serious and long-term challenge”
2006
• The movie, “An Inconvenient Truth,” helps raise global warming to a more significant position on the U.S. political agenda
2007
• The Fourth Assessment of the IPCC brings new urgency for action to the climate change issue by calling global warming “unequivocal” and maintaining that human activity is “very likely” the main driver • The U.N. hosts a one-day summit in New York City for heads of state and other top officials to secure political commitment and build momentum for the Bali negotiations • U.N. FCCC COP 13 meets in Indonesia to begin negotiations on a protocol to replace Kyoto 3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 51
environment
PHOTO: IISD/EARTH NEGOTIATIONS BULLETIN
continued from page 50
Residents of Tanjung Benoa village, Bali, Indonesia, delegates and local Red Cross volunteers plant mangroves to help stop coastal erosion in the village. Indonesian Red Cross is planting a total of 10,000 mangroves in the village—one for every participant at the U.N. Climate Change summit.
52 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3|2008
percent below their 1990 levels by the year 2050. “A large part of the solution is available to us today, what we need is political will,” said Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change at a preconference press briefing in Bali. “I sense an incredible growing international awareness of the importance of climate change and recognition among the general public that politicians need to come to grips with this issue,” he said. “Millions of people around the world will be focusing their attention on what will be the response of the politicians to that very clear message given to them by the scientific community.”
How Do Biofuels Fit In? Although biofuels didn’t play a significant role in the plenary sessions of the conference, the specialized workshops and side events were littered with speakers representing the interest of the biofuels industry. “We went there to talk about renewables as much as possible, and to make people aware of renewables ranging from wind to solar to biofuels,” Schaefer explains. “If you were there you would realize that the awareness about any kind of renewable sources is not very high. People tend to talk more about nuclear and clean coal and carbon sequestration.” In past negotiations, Schaefer says, the nuclear and coal industries were strongly represented. “They pushed themselves into people’s brains so now we’re trying to counter that a little bit,” he says. In addition to injecting new ideas into the mix in Bali, biofuels supporters had to contend with the concerns of certain green groups about the social and environmental costs of producing biofuels. “As in most public debates, on the one side biofuels are blessed for being a solution to security, supply and climate goals,” Schaefer says. “On the other hand, they are seen by many envi-
environment Efforts to gain support for sustainably produced biofuels will be critical as the world moves toward negotiating a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. “Although biofuels haven’t played a major role in the Kyoto Protocol yet, if we see the ambitious goals and the ambitious actions that are necessary to effectively fight climate change you will see that there is a much broader portfolio of technologies and resources necessary to meet these challenges,” Schaefer says. “I see a greater role for biofuels within any kind of framework, if the framework is going to be serious and ambitious.” ronmentalists as something terrible.” In a survey released by The World Conservation Union mid-way through the Bali talks, of 1,000 climate decision makers and influencers surveyed from across 105 countries, first-generation biofuels from agricultural crops were found to be the least likely of 18 technologies to play a significant role in lowering overall carbon levels in the atmosphere. Topping the list were solar, wind, cogeneration and wave energy technologies. Coming in at a respectable No. 7 was second-generation biofuels from waste residues. This distinction between first- and second-generation biofuels and between sustainably and unsustainably grown feedstocks is one that D1 Oils plc, the UK-based biodiesel producer brought to the forefront at the Bali talks in a call for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to stop their generic condemnation of the global biodiesel industry. “Environmental and development NGOs are right to be critical of soya and palm that are produced unsustainably in areas such as Brazil and Indonesia,” said Karl Watkin, founder and nonexecutive director of D1 Oils. “Because these attacks don’t differentiate the sustainable biofuel crops like jatropha from the less sustainable like soya and palm, the NGO campaigns are undermining the industry as a whole.”
The Road Ahead These are the same words that de Boer used to describe the efforts in Bali. “In terms of the future, Bali has delivered what it needed to deliver, a very ambitious agenda going forward,” he
said in a closing briefing. “What I’m especially pleased about is the fact that that road forward is ambitious, that it is transparent and that it’s flexible.” Although the Bali summit was never intended to set firm greenhouse gas reduction goals, the final text of the Bali agreement did recognize that “deep cuts in global emissions” were needed and that developed nations need to consider “quantified” reductions while developing countries need to consider “mitigation actions.” In the end though, the roadmap paves the way for more talks over the next two years starting in April and concluding in Copenhagen in late 2009 where a new accord will be negotiated. BIO
Jessica Ebert is a Biomass Magazine staff writer. Reach her at jebert@bbibiofuels.com or (701) 738-4962.
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3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 53
IN THE
LAB Chomping at the Bit
PHOTO: NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
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One challenge for researchers at North Carolina State University is to keep this 54,000-pound biomass harvesting machine from sinking into the soft soils of the coastal plain.
PHOTO: TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY RESEARCH AND EXTENSION CENTER
o be a profitable biomass company, the first step in the manufacturing process has to be collecting the biomass, and some biomass is simpler to gather than others. In particular, millions of acres of understory brush in eastern U.S. forests and mesquite overrunning Texas rangeland are a bit more complicated to harvest and collect. Clearing underbrush in the forest of North Carolina’s coastal plain can cost between $500 and $1,000 per acre, according to Joseph Roise, a professor of forestry at North Carolina State University. Mechanically clearing mesquite that infests millions of acres of Texas rangeland has a similar cost, says Jim Ansley of Texas A&M University’s Research and Extension Center. Finding a way to reduce those costs is why both men are working on equipment to automate the harvest of smalldiameter trees for wildfire prevention and wildlife habitat development, as well as the collection of biomass feedstocks. Although their goals are similar, the two projects face significantly different challenges. Roise is trying to develop a machine that can chew through underbrush while not sinking into the perpetually wet, boggy soil— called pocosin—that dominates the North Carolina coastal plain. Ansley’s goal is to develop a collector that can handle the remains of mesquite mechanically harvested by a commercial mulching machine. The size of the pieces that he is trying to collect ranges from a few inches to three feet long and are six inches in diameter. Both projects have completed and tested prototypes, but there is a lot more work to be done before the harvesting machines will be ready for commercialization. Roise says NCSU will start testing a second-generation prototype of its harvester this summer. He believes the new machine will be much more efficient at harvesting biomass than the current model. “We saw all the problems [with the first model], and we know a lot of ways to correct those,” he says. “So we are putting that in a new design. This truly is research because we are testing this equipment under many sets of parameters. Hopefully that research will lead to a better second generation.” Ansley says the Texas biomass collector worked in trials but wound up leaving too much wood on the ground. He believes that if the equipment can pick up between 60 percent and 70 percent of the wood, it will make collecting mesquite for biomass production economical. So far, the prototype can collect approximately 40 percent of mesquite mulch. Ansley is seeking further funding to make improvements on his design. “Until we get more funding, we aren’t going to make much more progress,” he says. “In addition, we will be looking at the ecological impact of employing such a harvesting system.” Both men say the resources they are looking to harvest are unlikely
Trying to collect pieces of mesquite that range in size from inches to three feet long is proving to be a challenge for researchers at Texas A&M University.
to be large enough to fuel large-scale biorefineries on their own. However, clearing brush is vital in order to reduce fire hazards, and improve wildlife habitat and rangeland, and these machines could provide an important supplemental feedstock to a cellulosic ethanol industry fueled by timber waste or energy crops. “This is a biomass source that is somewhat on the fringes,” Ansley says. “It isn’t a mainline source like corn or switchgrass. [Mesquite] occurs in areas where we have depressed rural communities, and one reason they are depressed is that mesquite has invaded and hurt the livestock industry. So there is a lot of grassroots interest in taking this pest or weed—however you want to look at it—and turn it into something that has some value.” BIO —Jerry W. Kram
3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 55
EERC
UPDATE
Refueling Today’s Military: Reducing the Dependence on Oil, Part One
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oday’s U.S. military is highly effective for many reasons, the most important of which are directly related to the character and abilities of the men and women who serve in it. Another important reason is access to high-quality, energy-dense liquid fuel, which today comes from oil. Desire for the control of oil was a major cause of World War II, and a lack of access to oil was a major contributor to the loss of the war by the Axis powers. Because our military fuel is mission-critical and so much of it comes from unstable regions of the world, military leaders are calling for replacement of imported oil-derived fuel with domestic non-oilderived alternatives to guard against the real threat of battlefield fuel supply interruption. Depending on the mission, today’s military consumes somewhere between 5 billion and 10 billion gallons of fuel per year, and replacing even 50 percent of this much oil will not be easy, quick or cheap, but it is vitally important. In developing a viable oil replacement strategy, it is essential to consider exactly what is needed. The military is aggressively pursuing the goal of a “single battlefield fuel,” the achievement of which will mean that every fuel-powered battlefield unit will run on a single fuel. The rationale is simple: using the wrong fuel can get you killed, and if you only have one fuel, you’ll never use the wrong one. Aulich The single fuel being pursued is known as JP-8, a jet fuel similar to kerosene that is heavier than gasoline and lighter than diesel. To qualify as JP-8, a fuel has to be light enough to flow at minus 53 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure against gelling at the low temperatures experienced in high-altitude flying. It must also be heavy enough not to generate spark-ignitable vapors at 100 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure against explosion in the battlefield. In addition to these fuel property requirements, the military specification for JP-8 ensures the best possible balance between performance and safety. What are the options for getting our military off oil? Three options that come quickly to mind are natural gas, coal and biomass. The key is that, regardless of what the fuel is produced from, it still must meet the JP-8 specifications. This month’s column briefly discusses the natural gas and coal options. Next month’s will cover the biomass option in terms of new research developments. Because we are already importing ample natural gas, much of it from the same marginally stable regions that sell us oil, the natural gas option does not appear to improve our nation’s security benefits. The United States has extensive coal resources. Many estimates give us hundreds of years of energy independence if we were to completely replace petroleum and natural gas with coal. However, even though we have plenty of coal that could conceivably compete economically with today’s high oil prices, coal comes with its share of challenges. Although lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions from a gallon of coal-derived diesel are at least double those from petroleum-derived diesel because of the high energy input required to convert coal to liquid, many in the U.S. military are supportive of coal-to-liquids technology. Significant members of the leadership have advocated that any major coal-to-liquids push must deal with the resulting carbon dioxide, which likely means underground sequestration. In next month’s issue, we will zero in on one federal agency that is pursuing an entirely new angle—renewable domestic JP-8 from biomass. BIO Ted Aulich is a senior research manager at the EERC in Grand Forks, N.D. He can be reached at taulich@undeerc.org or (701) 777-2982. 3|2008 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 57
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