2020 May/June Biomass Magazine by BBI International

May/June 2020

OUT OF THE

WOODS Innovations in Feedstock Harvest, Transport PAGE 18

PLUS:

Reviewing the Pellet Heating Season PAGE 12

Exclusive Preview of Forisk Wood Fiber Review PAGE 26 BiomassMagazine.com

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MAY/JUNE 2020 | VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 3

04 EDITOR’S NOTE Pressing On By Anna Simet

COLUMNS 06 Biomass Power Association’s Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic By Carrie Annand

07 Wood Bioenergy, Forest Products Sectors Needed Now More Than Ever

28 STANDARDS Driving the Industry Forward

The Canadian Biomass Supply Chain Risk Standards will boost investment in the bioeconomy. By Jordan Solomon and Taylor Whitfield

30 BIOGAS From Open-Air Composting to Eﬃcient Anaerobic Digestion

After decades of open-air composting, Zurich’s anaerobic digestion facility now produces biogas for power generation and high-grade organic fertilizer. By Jim McMahon

By Brian Rogers

BUSINESS BRIEFS

FEATURES 12 DATA Crunching the Numbers

The 2019-’20 wood pellet heating season was overall considerably warmer than the previous year, but production, sales and revenue were up. By Anna Simet

ON THE COVER

This swinging gate trailer was developed by Auburn University Professor Tom Gallagher to allow whole trees to be transported and processed more eﬃciently.

16 PROFILE Making a Mark

With numerous projects underway across the U.S., Brightmark Energy is making a name for itself in the U.S. renewable natural gas market. By Anna SImet

18 INDUSTRY Delivering Eﬃciencies

PHOTO: AUBURN UNIVERSITY

¦ADVERTISER INDEX 2020 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo

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AGI Tramco

Airoﬂex Equipment

CONTRIBUTIONS

AMETEK Brookfield

26 FORISK WOOD FIBER REVIEW Canadian Wood Fiber: Availability and Impacts

Biomass Magazine's Webinar Series

How innovations in harvesting, hauling and transport can reduce the cost of biomass for end users. By Ron Kotrba

Increasing wood fiber costs continue to challenge western Canada’s export pellet sector. By Andrew Copley

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¦EDITOR’S NOTE

Pressing On

ANNA SIMET EDITOR

asimet@bbiinternational.com

Suffice to say, it has been an unprecented couple of months here in U.S. and the across world. At Biomass Magazine, we have quickly adjusted to an all-remote working dynamic, and we want you to know that we remain committed to bringing you exclusive, quality and up-to-date information, regarding all facets of the bioenergy industry. I highly recommend visiting our website, biomassmagazine.com, as our online news editor, Erin Voegele, has been working tirelessly to bring to our readers relevant, timely news each and every day. As you might imagine, we have included some commentary and information on COVID-19 in this issue, which is themed feedstock sourcing, harvest and transport. While heat and power, pellet/wood fuel, renewable natural gas and other energy producers have been recognized as essential workforces and continue operations, there are many questions as to what the near- and short-term future holds, and many unknowns. For example—the impact on new and under construction projects and continued market growth, fuel demand, consumption and competition with plunging oil prices, fiber supply and constraints, and the list goes on. While there are many unknowns at this point, we will be sure to get the best information we can from the experts, and we’ll follow these topics closely. Moving onto the stories we have for you this month, first I’ll mention the contribution on page 26, authored by Andrew Copley, senior analyst with Forisk Consulting. Forisk recently acquired the North American Wood Fiber Review, now known as the Forisk Wood Fiber Review, and moving forward will be providing us with exclusive previews to these quarterly reports. In this article, Copley discusses the availability and impact of Canadian wood fiber on the country’s wood pellet industry. Something important to note, Copley points out, is that the PFPI-CAN prices in the report “do not reflect the impact of COVID-19, which continues to accelerate throughout North America; further challenges to the fiber supply are expected.” As of the end of March 2020, Copley adds, no major Canadian wood pellet producer had noted significant impacts from the coronavirus, as operations at pellet mills remain largely unaffected and most capital projects continue to move forward. Moving along, on page 14, you will find a graphics- and information-packed feature, “Crunching the Numbers,” in which I compiled all kinds of data on the U.S. pellet heating season that has nearly come to an end. In it, you’ll find comparisons of heating degree days of this season to the last, differences in sales, revenue, fiber costs and more. A special thanks to the U.S. EIA and Pellet Fuels Institute for helping provide or compile some of that data. The final story I’ll mention is Senior Editor Ron Kotrba’s article, “Delivering Efficiencies,” on page 20, which explores some recent innovations in harvesting and transporting biomass feedstocks, both woody and ag, and their potential role in reducing costs of the biomass end user. Luke Plume, sales manager with Hydex, tells Kotrba the company’s innovations were the result of seeing “a gap where we could save companies a lot of money in operating costs.” From there, Hydex began focusing on designing equipment focused on reducing costs in the forest, such as its LH45 Log Hauler With Trailer, the benefits of which Plume discusses in detail. There is much more to read in this issue, but I will end on a note of thanks—to you, our readers, as well as our advertisers and supporters, expert interviewees, contributors and all the stakeholders who make these stories possible, for sticking with us during these uncertain times. We wish you continued wellness, and rest assured, our team is still here, working hard to bring you the news you want and need.

4 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020

INDUSTRY EVENTS¦

2020 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo AUGUST 24-26, 2020

EDITORIAL

EDITOR Anna Simet asimet@bbiinternational.com SENIOR EDITOR Ron Kotrba rkotrba@bbiinternational.com ONLINE NEWS EDITOR Erin Voegele evoegele@bbiinternational.com

ART

VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCTION & DESIGN Jaci Satterlund jsatterlund@bbiinternational.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Raquel Boushee rboushee@bbiinternational.com

PUBLISHING & SALES CEO Joe Bryan jbryan@bbiinternational.com PRESIDENT Tom Bryan tbryan@bbiinternational.com VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS/MARKETING & SALES John Nelson jnelson@bbiinternational.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Howard Brockhouse hbrockhouse@bbiinternational.com SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Chip Shereck cshereck@bbiinternational.com

JR. ACCOUNT MANAGER Josh Bergrud jbergrud@bbiinternational.com CIRCULATION MANAGER Jessica Tiller jtiller@bbiinternational.com MARKETING & ADVERTISING MANAGER Marla DeFoe mdefoe@bbiinternational.com SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING COORDINATOR Dayna Bastian dbastian@bbiinternational.com

CHI Health Center Omaha Omaha, Nebraska

From its inception, the mission of this event has remained constant: The FEW delivers timely presentations with a strong focus on commercial-scale ethanol production—from quality control and yield maximization to regulatory compliance and fiscal management. The FEW is the ethanol industry’s premier forum for unveiling new technologies and research findings. The program is primarily focused on optimizing grain ethanol operations while also covering cellulosic and advanced ethanol technologies. 866.746.8385 www.fuelethanolworkshop.com

2021 International Biomass Conference & Expo MARCH 15-17, 2021

Prime F Osborn III Convention Center Jacksonville, Florida Entering its 14th year, the International Biomass Conference & Expo is expected to bring together more than 900 attendees, 125 exhibitors and 100 speakers from more than 40 countries. It is the largest gathering of biomass professionals and academics in the world. The conference provides relevant content and unparalleled networking opportunities in a dynamic business-to-business environment. In addition to abundant networking opportunities, the largest biomass conference in the world is renowned for its outstanding programming—powered by Biomass Magazine—that maintains a strong focus on commercial-scale biomass production, new technology, and near-term research and development. Join us at the International Biomass Conference & Expo as we enter this new and exciting era in biomass energy. 866.746.8385 www.biomassconference.com

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Stacy Cook, Koda Energy Justin Price, Evergreen Engineering Tim Portz, Pellet Fuels Institute Adam Sherman, Biomass Energy Resource Center

Please check our website for upcoming webinars

www.biomassmagazine.com/pages/webinar Please recycle this magazine and remove inserts or samples before recycling TM

Subscriptions Biomass Magazine is free of charge to everyone with the exception of a shipping and handling charge for anyone outside the United States. To subscribe, visit www.BiomassMagazine.com or you can send your mailing address and payment (checks made out to BBI International) to Biomass Magazine Subscriptions, 308 Second Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203. You can also fax a subscription form to 701-746-5367. Back Issues & Reprints Select back issues are available for $3.95 each, plus shipping. Article reprints are also available for a fee. For more information, contact us at 701-746-8385 or service@ bbiinternational.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, please contact us at 701-746-8385 or service@bbiinternational.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 asimet@bbiinternational.com. Please include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and/or space.

BIOMASSMAGAZINE.COM 5

How Biomass Power Association Is Responding to the Coronavirus Pandemic BY CARRIE ANNAND

First, we at Biomass Power Association hope this finds all Biomass Magazine readers in good health. Like every other industry in the world, the biomass power industry is affected by the outbreak of coronavirus. We are concerned about the health of our members and their employees and also the potential business impacts. We’ve polled our members and so far, it seems that biomass power producers are hanging in there as best as could be expected. Many of our members are preparing alternate plans for spring outages. They are also preparing for extended shelter-in-place mandates during which employees may be required to remain at the facility 24/7. Some are having to sell power in a market with significantly less demand than normal as offices shut down and people stay home. And all this is on top of preparing for potential worker illnesses and putting in place social distancing measures as much as possible. Amidst all this change and uncertainty, we are looking for every available opportunity for biomass companies to participate in government programs designed to keep the economy afloat. Biomass, along with forestry and agriculture, are deemed “essential critical infrastructure” by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, meaning that not only are they exempt from stay-athome directives but they also “have a special responsibility in these times to continue operations.” With this in mind, we are working with our contacts on Capitol Hill to make sure they understand the sacrifices that are being made by biomass power facilities to stay open and continue providing renewable, reliable power, no matter what. As Congress puts together legislation to address the many problems caused by coronavirus, its first priorities have been related to getting funds to laid off workers, ensuring testing and healthcare are available to the ill, and

6 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020

providing assistance to industries directly impacted by the virus. One already-passed measure that may benefit biomass power companies is the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, which enables companies with 500 or fewer employees to receive forgivable loans to cover payroll, mortgage interest, utilities and other costs. However, there will likely be some stimulus measures included in a future bill that will benefit the biomass industry. Some of the provisions may include: • A long-term extension of the Production Tax Credit and Investment Tax Credit • Direct payments to companies to incentivize construction of new facilities, similar to the Department of the Treasury’s 1603 Grant Program following the financial crisis of 2008 • Refundable tax credits for existing facilities We also continue to work toward getting funding to the EPA to process applications for biomass, biogas and waste-to-energy facilities to participate in the Renewable Fuel Standard. This year’s Fiscal Year 2021 Appropriations process appears to be moving ahead as normal, and we have champions in both the House and Senate advocating for eRIN funding. If you are curious about how your company can participate in current or upcoming stimulus measures, or what we are doing to get electricity producers to be able to generate valuable RIN credits, we’d love to hear from you. Please reach out. Contract: Carrie Annand Executive Director, Biomass Power Association carrie@usabiomass.org www.usabiomass.org

Wood Bioenergy, Forest Products Sectors Needed Now More Than Ever BY BRIAN ROGERS

During times of economic uncertainty like today, as many are projecting months of double-digit unemployment ahead, good-paying jobs and a stable energy supply are more important than ever. The wood bioenergy industry is a critical and essential component of the global economy and worldwide energy infrastructure, helping keep the lights on and power flowing in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. That’s why the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has identified the wood bioenergy sector as a “critical infrastructure industry” with a “special responsibility” to maintain operations during a national emergency such as today’s COVID-19 pandemic. First responders, hospitals, and medical professionals rely on the power provided by wood bioenergy to do their jobs and protect our communities. Wood bioenergy is a key component of the global effort to move away from fossil fuels – and the forest products industry is the economic backbone for millions of U.S. workers across thousands of rural communities. Wood bioenergy provides stable, secure jobs for rural communities in this time of crisis. The following are some notable facts about the wood bioenergy and forest products industries, and why the work we do is more important now than ever: The forest products and wood bioenergy industries support millions of jobs across the U.S. According to data compiled by Forest2Market, the forest products industry in the U.S. supports: • 2.9 million total jobs. This includes: 1.3 million jobs in the South, nearly 600,000 jobs in the Midwest, over 400,000 jobs in the Pacific Northwest, over 400,000 jobs in Appalachia, and over 140,000 jobs in the Northeast. • $128.1 billion in payroll • Over $107 billion in GDP Wood bioenergy is a pivotal component of the world’s low-carbon energy supply. As the European Commission has explained, bioenergy is a critical component of Europe’s energy supply. • Bioenergy is the “main source of renewable energy” in the EU, comprising a 60% share of the EU’s renewable energy. • Forestry is the “main source” of Europe’s biomass energy.

• Wood bioenergy is the “most important single source of energy from renewables” in many EU states. “Latvia (29%), Finland (24%), Sweden (20%), Lithuania (17%) and Denmark (15%) had the largest share of wood and wood products in gross inland consumption of energy.” • Bioenergy plays a “key role” in the EU’s 2030 re newable energy targets. • Bioenergy demand is expected to grow in Asia— a recent report from FutureMetrics estimates that Japanese demand for low-carbon wood pellets will rise in the coming years and could exceed 4.5 million metric tons by 2024. Importantly, wood bioenergy supports stable jobs because the bioenergy sector is relatively insulated from short-term economic changes. As William Strauss explains in a recent white paper, “the demand for industrial wood pellets is somewhat independent of drops in economic activity. Power demand may decline marginally in a slowdown, but the power generated by wood pellets in the major European, U.K., and Japanese importing markets will have a place in the grid even if other sources such as natural gas have to turn down to meet lower aggregate electricity demand.” In other words, in order to meet greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, countries that have added low-carbon wood bioenergy to their energy mixes will reduce fossil fuel usage, not bioenergy usage. Wood bioenergy is a necessary tool in the fight against global climate change, and the work of foresters, loggers, landowners, and biomass producers in the U.S. is more important than ever for countries to keep the lights on and the power flowing to support first responders and the global response to the coronavirus crisis. Author: Brian Rogers Spokesman, Future Forests + Jobs brogers@futureforestsandjobs.com www.futureforestsandjobs.com

BIOMASSMAGAZINE.COM 7

Business Briefs PEOPLE, PRODUCTS & PARTNERSHIPS

Dekker serving as EBA director

The European Biogas Association has appointed Harmen Dekker as its new director. In the position, which he began on April 1, Dekker will reinforce the activities of the organization in Brussels and is co-responsible for executing the strategy of the association in the coming years. Dekker As an advisory board member, Dekker was already providing the EBA with essential guidance on policy questions. He has worked for nearly 15 years in the sustainability sector and built his career in the water and gas sector, where he has held different managerial positions. He joins the EBA after five years of service at DMT Environmental Technology, where he was business development manager, working on the expansion of the biogas sector into new markets.

Vecoplan hires, promotes key staff

Vecoplan has hired a new marketing department head and has named a new director

Nelson

Wilhot

8 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020

Thompson

over its parts and service operation. Also in its employee news, the company has named its employee of the year. Kirsti Nelson has been hired as director of marketing and communications to lead the department into new and increased market concentration. She brings to Vecoplan over 15 years’ experience in industrial manufacturing industries including paper, furniture, recycling and waste. She has served in both marketing and sales roles for American businesses and German-owned companies with U.S. operations. Nelson earned an MBA in marketing and operations from Vanderbilt University and holds a public relations professional certificate from the University of Virginia. Additionally, Vecoplan’s after-market department has new leadership with the promotion of Mike Wilhoit to parts and service director. Wilhoit has worked for the company for 17 years, serving in the production and engineering departments, also holding for a time the position of vice president of operations. Also within the parts and service department, Phillip Thompson has been named Vecoplan’s 2020 Employee of the Year. Thompson has been with Vecoplan over 12 years. He began his tenure in 2006 doing quality control and delivery for mobile shredding trucks, then moved to the parts and service department. As part of his award as employee of the year, Vecoplan has given Thompson an all-expense paid trip.

BUSINESS BRIEFS¦

Morbark introduces two new horizontal grinders

Morbark LLC a leading manufacturer of forestry, biomass, tree care, sawmill and Morbark 2400X Wood Hog horizontal wood recycling equipment, grinder has debuted the 2400X and 3000X Wood Hog horizontal grinders. Ideal for niche markets like municipal solid waste, pallet recycling, sawmills, nurseries and tree care debris, Morbark 3000XP Wood Hog horizontal both grinders are perfect for grinder processing yard waste, brush and other mixed woody feedstock into saleable product. Designed to be modular and available in multiple configurations for various applications, these grinders can take businesses to the next level. These newest models in the X Series of next-generation horizontal grinders from Morbark follow the successful launches of the 3400X in March 2017 and 6400X in May 2018 and maintain Morbark’s focus on versatility, transportability and operator friendliness.

One of the most important features of the 2400X and 3000X is their compact size. Their standard width makes them within the legal transport width in any country. The models also share design features like the sloped infeed sides, which improve operator sight lines for more efficient loading of material, and easy-to-load grate systems.

Campbell joins FutureMetrics

FutureMetrics has hired Hanna Campbell as a logistics specialist. Campbell brings a new dimension to the company’s ability to provide due diligence studies for existing and proposed industrial wood pellet projects, feasibility analyses for project developers, and CIF costing analysis for pellet buyers and intermediaries. Campbell Campbell is a 2012 graduate of the US Air Force Academy. After graduation, she served in the Air Force as a logistics readiness officer on several teams focused on maintenance support, logistics readiness and mission support. While serving, she received several commendations for superior and highly effective work. Her Bachelor of Science degree from the Air Force Academy was built around an engineering core curriculum. Her major was in political science and foreign studies with a focus on Asia. Campbell also has a minor in Chinese language.

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COVID-19¦

Permitting process for AEG CoalSwitch plant impacted by COVID-19

U.K.-based Active Energy Group plc announced on March 30 that the public comment period for the construction and air permit needed for the company’s proposed CoalSwitch plant in Lumberton, North Carolina, has been extended through April 27 due to the COVID-19 crisis. AEG announced the following day that it has entered into an agreement to acquire 100 percent ownership of the saw mill and saw log export activities at the Lumberton site. According to AEG, the extension of the comment period was issued in response to the cancellation of a public meeting that had been scheduled for March 16. The company said the North Carolina Division of Air Quality will continue to accept public comments on the draft permit before final action. A previous extension had been granted through March 27. Active Energy’s CoalSwitch technology produces high-calorific, high-bulk-density biomass pellets, according to the company.

Gevo to push forward with project funding amid COVID-19 layoffs

Gevo Inc. announced that due to the impact the COVID-19 virus has had on the economy and the company’s industry, it has suspended production operations at its production facility in Luverne, Minnesota, for the foreseeable future. In connection with the suspension of operations and the overall economic disruption caused by COVID-19, Gevo also made the difficult decision to terminate 30 employees, cutting across Agri-Energy’s operations at the Luverne facility and Gevo’s headquarters in Colorado.

Gevo expects to continue the production of renewable isooctane and sustainable aviation fuel from the plant in Silsbee, Texas. Additionally, Gevo intends to continue developing its hydrocarbon business, including the planned expansion of the Luverne facility, Furthermore, Gevo plans to continue the development of its biogas projects in Northern Iowa.

COVID-19 delays construction of UK biomass plant

Construction on the Tees Renewable Energy Plant, a 299MW biomass power plant in the U.K., was suspended on March 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A small number of critical maintenance staff remain onsite. MGT, the owner and operator of Tees REP, did not indicate when construction on the facility might resume. The Tees REP facility has been under development for several years. The European Union approved U.K. state aid for the facility on January 2015. MGT Teesside announced in August 2016 that financing arrangements for the plant had been finalized. That same month, Enviva announced its previously announced take-orpay offtake contract to supply wood pellets to the facility was firm. Tees REP was scheduled to become operational in 2020. MGT did not comment on how the COVID-19-related delay could impact that timeline.

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Drax: Operations continue during pandemic

Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax Group, released a statement on March 25 explaining how Drax and its employees are working to ensure the U.K. is supplied with the power it needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gardiner thanked Drax and employees, contractors, supply chain workers and their families for their support and hard work during difficult and uncertain times, noting all of Draxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sites have implemented strategies to reduce the chance of spreading the virus and have operational plans in the place to ensure power continues to be delivered to the grid. At Drax Power Station, the company has had as many employees as possible work from home. The company has also arranged for the separation of key operational teams and employees so that they are physically distanced from each other, Gardiner said. Strict controls have been implemented for visitors, contractors and suppliers. The company is also working closely with wood pellet suppliers and rail and port infrastructure groups to ensure continuity in the supply of biomass fuel. Gardiner said the Drax executive committee is meeting regularly via video conference to discuss contingency plans as the situation changes. The company is also working closely with the U.K., U.S. state and Canadian governments, National Grid and Ofgem, he said.

USIPA: US wood pellet exports continue uninterrupted

During the global coronavirus pandemic, U.S. industrial wood pellet producers continue operations, ensuring no supply disruptions for global customers depending on their product for renewable wood heat and power production. In a March 20 statement, the U.S. Industrial Pellet Association said that to date, its members are reporting that wood pellet production has not been impacted, and the full U.S. supply chain continues to operate without disruption. â&#x20AC;&#x153;During these unprecedented times our thoughts are with all of those affected, as well as those around the world working to contain the COVID-19 virus,â&#x20AC;? said Seth Ginther, USIPA executive director. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With new details emerging daily on the spread of COVID-19, our industry is focused on ensuring the safety and well being of our work force, the local communities where we operate, and business continuity and reliability of supply for our customers globally.â&#x20AC;? At the federal level, Ginther said, the U.S. government issued guidance and identified the energy, timber and wood products industries, among others, as essential critical infrastructure. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Initial action from state governments indicates that wood pellets are considered a strategic asset for COVID-19 response in the delivery of power and heat generationâ&#x20AC;ŚWe are working closely with U.S. federal and state agencies, as well as our members and partners around the world to ensure U.S. wood pellets continue to provide reliable power and heat during this challenging time.â&#x20AC;?

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Crunching the

NUMBERS Year over year, the 2019-’20 heating season in the U.S. was warmer, but production, sales and revenue were up. BY ANNA SIMET

.S. wood pellet producers experienced a warmer than average winter, alleviating concerns of dwindling wood pellet inventory and potential shortages after coming off the 2018-’19 heating season. Despite above-average temperatures, about 122,595 more tons of wood pellets were sold in 2019 than in 2018, resulting in an increase of about $46.3 million in sales year over year.

Heating Degree Days

According to data from the U.S. National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, on average, the 2019-’20 heating season was 10.4 percent warmer than 2018-’19 and approximately 8.9 percent warmer than normal, when comparing the number of heating degree days from September through February. While November and December trended close to the heating degree day values for the same months in 2018, September and January were significantly warmer, at 26.9% and 14.4% warmer in 2019 than in 2018, and 56.3% and 18.5% warmer than normal, respectively. The Mountain region (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico) and Pacific region (Washington, Oregon, California), trended closest to normal range with heating degree day val-

Heating Wood Pellet Sales, 2018 & 2019 Month

2018 tons sold 2019 tons sold

2019 sales

January

235,220

211,452

$36,402,647

$34,348,263

February

137,202

169,714

$20,725,734

$28,131,793

March

122,727

157,906

$18,313,323

$25,594,984

April

119,636

109,915

$17,518,299

$17,244,564

May

94.018

103,614

$13,324,231

$16,729,516

June

116,046

134,440

$17,229,350

$21,901,620

July

132,686

181,291

$19,482,285

$29,673,711

August

197,250

218,293

$30,696,045

$36,821,663

September

218,008

229,327

$34,349,340

$39,368,556

October

289,032

283,061

$46,808,732

$48,777,072

November

238,913

224,095

$38,436,323

$38,737,062

December

196,931

197,156

$32,095,814

$34,352,461

2,097,669

2,220,264

$325,382,125

$371,681,275

TOTAL

SOURCE: U.S. EIA FORM EIA-63C, DENSIFIED BIOMASS FUEL REPORT

U.S. Heating Degree Days, September 2019-February 2020 Months

% Change From 2018-’19 to 2019-’20

% Warmer than Normal (2019)

2018-’19

2019-’20

September

26.9 % warmer

56.3

October

301

295

2 % warmer

4.8

November

653

644

1.4 % warmer

9.3 colder

December

786

778

1 % warmer

January

944

808

14.4 % warmer

18.5

February

835

757

9.3 % warmer

7.5

SOURCE: U.S. NATIONAL OCEANIC ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

12 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020

2018 sales

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The 2019-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;20 heating season from September through February was 10.4 percent warmer than 2018-â&#x20AC;&#x2122;19, and 8.9 percent warmer than normal. Fiber Costs

The 84 manufacturers reporting to the U.S. EIA for December purchased 1.46 million tons of raw biomass feedstock and produced 770,000 tons of densified biomass fuel. In comparison to December 2018, respondents purchased 1.11 million tons of raw biomass feedstock produced 710,000 tons of densified biomass fuel, equating to a year over year increase of 360,000 tons of raw biomass feedstock and 60,000 tons of densified fuel. For specific fiber stream costs, in December 2019, the per ton cost of roundwood/pulpwood averaged $28.77 in 2019 compared to $29.98 in the same month of 2018, sawmill residuals averaged $32.47 compared to $41.65, wood product manufacturing residuals averaged $35.19 per ton compared to $34.42, and others sourcesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;including bark, logging residue, wood chips, post-consumer and other unmerchantable woodâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;averaged $28.83, compared to $30.02 in 2018.

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By NOAA definition, degree day compares the average of the high and low outdoor temperatures recorded for a location to a standard temperature, usually 65 degrees fahrenheit (F) in the U.S. The higher the daily heating degree day value (DDV), the more heat energy is required. When the mean or average daily temperature exceeds 65 degrees F, there are no heating degree days, which brings the number to zero.

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ues 141 and 183 lower than normal from September through February, respectively. The Middle Atlantic, East-North Central and New England regions saw the biggest (lower) variations from normal values from September through February, with differences of 488, 452 and 439.

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U.S. Heating Pellet Production (tons) 2018

2019

January

136,593

154,778

February

122.561

139,176

March

111.662

142,344

April

114,115

151,134

May

132,432

164,964

June

145,268

165,589

July

127,617

171,295

August

162,603

195,822

September

152,587

186,559

October

175,305

218,864

November

149,153

178,976

December

136,249

165,606

1,666,145

2,035,107

TOTAL SOURCE: U.S. EIA

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Overall, feedstock costs averaged 8.6 percent less in December 2019 than in 2018.

Production, Sales, Inventory and Personnel

The 84 wood pellet manufacturers reporting to EIA in December produced 770,000 tons of densified biomass fuel, sold 840,000 tons had an equivalent of 2,333 full-time employees, compared to production of 710,000 tons in 2018, sales of 790,000 tons and 2,130 full-time employees. In December 2019, inventory of domestic pellets was 68,640 tons, with production at 197,000 tons with an average per-ton selling price of $174.24, compared to 94,550 tons of inventory, and 196,931 tons sold at an average price of $162.98 per ton in December 2018. Industrial wood pellet inventory was 320,026 tons with an average price of $178.17 in December 2019, compared to 229,042 at $167.89 per ton in the same month in 2018. Domestic wood pellet production for the year topped out at 2,035,107 tons, compared to 1,666,145 in 2018. Industrial wood pellets hit 7,436,738 in 2019, compared to 4,088,221 in 2018. Author: Anna Simet Editor, Biomass Magazine 701-738-4961 asimet@bbiinternational.com

14 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020

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Brightmark's 1.5-MW project in Sumter, South Carolina, uses methane biogas generated by customer Pilgrim Pride’s poultry processing facility to produce electricity and hot water. PHOTO: BRIGHTMARK

MAKING

A MARK In less than four years, Brightmark has made big accomplishments in the U.S. renewable natural gas market.

hen Brightmark Energy was founded three and a half years ago, it set out with an experienced team that intended to focus on projects that would help tackle environmental issues such as greenhouse gas and waste reduction. That ambition led to its current work in renewable plastics, and though initial assumptions were that wind and solar would constitute the bulk of the company’s work, Brightmark went in a different direction—renewable natural gas (RNG). “When we formed the company, we really wanted to be thoughtful about what

16 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020

BY ANNA SIMET

we were doing,” says Bob Powell, president and CEO. “Many of the people who were there when we founded the company had experience in renewable energy and waste projects, financing, owning, operating and engineering, but as we got further into it, we realized we wanted to be more focused on the mission, as opposed to prejudged technology solutions.” Many of Brightmark’s employees had been involved with solar and wind projects for many years, Powell says, but the company came to realize there was opportunity in other markets that weren’t fully matured. “What we saw with RNG was potential to

create projects that have negative carbon intensity—wind and solar have slightly positive carbon intensity,” he says. “We felt that this was a good, viable way to help solve some GHG issues, and that we had the expertise to help RNG grow in the states. We’re very humbled by the success we have had so far in this area, and in the plastics area.” The success Powell refers to includes multiple concurrent RNG projects across the U.S., which include partnerships with 20-plus dairy farms in six states over the past two years.

Project Portfolio

Brightmark’s debut project came online in Sumter, South Carolina, in September 2016, at a poultry processing facility. It utilizes chicken waste to generate methane, which is used to provide power and hot water to the facility, rather than upgraded to RNG and injected into the pipeline. “That was one of the smaller applications, but it was a really good start for us,” Powell says. In Yakima County, Washington, the Augean RNG Project will convert 150,000 gallons per day of dairy waste from up to 7,000 cows at George DeRuyter & Sons Dairy into 160,000 MMBtu of RNG annually. Brightmark’s investment in the Augean project has enabled DeRuyter to upgrade its 2007 manure collection system and digester to increase its capacity. The project also includes construction of new gas pipeline infrastructure. The Yellowjacket Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) project in upstate New York will convert 265,000 gallons per day of dairy into 260,000 MMBtu of RNG each year. “This project will utilize waste from 15,000 dairy cows spread over five farms,” Powell says. Though the farms’ existing digesters had been producing electricity that was used onsite and sold to the grid, some of the digesters were 10-plus years old, Powell explains, and the cost of maintaining and operating began outweighing what they were generating in value. “Digesters that have previously been used to generate electricity most often have not been designed to maximize the value of RNG,” he says. “In these types of applications, we usually spend a lot of time retrofitting so they can be optimized. And many of instances, the farmers were having to run the digesters and equipment. The problem is that most farmers don’t want that to be their business, and don’t have the time—they want to focus on dairy products—and in some cases, you end up with digesters that might not have been maintained at a quality level.” Farmers that upgrade their digesters will gain much better economics than previously, Powell says, and without the burden of having to run and maintain them. “If our partners are not making money or creating sustainable solutions, our partnerships won’t be sustainable,” he says.

BrightMark's Demeter RNG project in Madison, Wisconsin, will upgrade existing digesters to annually convert 90,000 gallons per day of dairy waste from three area farms into 50,000 MMBtu of RNG. PHOTO: BRIGHTMARK ENERGY

In addition to the aforementioned, Brightmark also has active RNG pipeline projects in western Michigan, Minnehaha County in South Dakota, Okeechobee County in Florida, and in Madison, Wisconsin. And for its renewable plastics business, Brightmark has a facility under construction in Ashley, Indiana, which will divert 100,000 tons of plastic waste each year from landfills and incinerators and convert it into 18 million gallons of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and naphtha blend stocks, as well as 5 million gallons of wax.

Focusing on Partners

While some companies tend to target specific regions for development, Brightmark is equipped with the expertise to handle varying environmental, air quality, zoning and permitting regulations, and is more focused on finding the right partners, Powell says. “There are complexities [across different regions] that people tend to trip over, but it’s one of the areas we excel in—we’re experienced in working in different locales and solving the issues. What’s important is establishing a level of trust with someone

you’ll be doing business with for 10 to 20 years—do they believe in you, and do they believe that the value proposition you offer is a fair value proposition? While there are a lot of nuances in different locations, mostly the farmers just want to know you’re good people offering them a fair deal, and that they can have the confidence in you to execute the project now, and over the next decade or two. That’s the commonality.” Word of mouth travels fast in small dairy communities, and good projects serve as a model for others interested in doing the same thing, Powell says. “We’re really excited about how the RNG industry is taking off,” he adds. “We really think we’re going to help solve some of the air quality concerns with methane emissions.” Author: Anna Simet Editor, Biomass Magazine 701-738-4961 asimet@bbiinternational.com

BIOMASSMAGAZINE.COM 17

¦INDUSTRY

eedstock costs for biomass power plants and combined-heat-and-power systems represent a significant percentage of operational expenses, and harvesting, hauling and transportation costs constitute a vast majority of feedstock costs. Innovations upstream, therefore, may ultimately play a big role to reduce the cost of biomass to the end user. “That makes perfect sense,” says Tom Gallagher, a professor of forest operations at Auburn University. “The problem is, there are so many limitations on what we can do. Biomass is a lowvalue commodity. The market is significantly worse than it used to be.” Gallagher says in the “heyday,” biomass deliveries were fetching $28 a ton, even for “dirty” chips. “Now they’re lucky to get $20,” he says. “They can [barely] afford to make it for that, so there are limitations on what efficiencies can do.” One efficiency Gallagher sees as crucial to lowering costs is moving more biomass at once. To do this, trailers can be adapted to accommodate greater loads. But first, regulations must be updated.

This swinging gate design trailer modification was developed by Tom Gallagher, a forest operations professor at Auburn University, to allow whole trees to be transported in hopes of gaining efficiencies. The gates secure forward on the third bolster when not in use, then swing back around the tops to keep them on the truck and within trailer width allowances. PHOTO: AUBURN UNIVERSITY

18 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020

DELIVERING EFFICIENCIES Innovations in harvesting, hauling and transport can reduce the cost of biomass for end users. BY RON KOTRBA

BIOMASSMAGAZINE.COM 19

Hydex Solutions began commercial production of the LH45 Log Hauler with Trailer three years ago, as the company saw a gap where it could save operators time and money. PHOTO: HYDEX SOLUTIONS LTD.

“We have great roads in the U.S., but we also have the lowest weight vehicles in the world,” Gallagher says. “In Europe, the weight limit is 132,000 pounds. We are at 80,000 pounds. Where does that limit come from? It was chosen in 1953 with the launch of the interstate system when we had biasply tires, trailers with no suspension, and

drum brakes. Now we have steel-belted radials, trailers with airbag suspension systems and airbrakes.” Gallagher says discussion is ongoing in Washington, D.C., to eventually permit trucks to haul more weight. If and when this happens, it could be a gamechanger for the wood and biomass industries. Gallagher says Auburn has been part of

a larger USDA Forest Service grant project with other schools, including North Carolina State University and the University of Tennessee, to investigate more efficient movement of biomass. The study involved utilizing timber processing depots to relocate the processing of tree limbs and crowns from in-woods logging sites to a central location.

INDUSTRY¦ “By processing all of the timber at one central location, researchers believe they can optimize the amount of biomass fuel material yielded from each tree by reducing the amount of usable biomass fuel material that is left behind on the harvesting site, and by reducing the ash content of the biomass fuel material to produce a higher-quality energy fuel product,” the researchers write. However, for this to work, unprocessed whole trees must be delivered to the site, which requires trailer modifications. Two designs were conceived for the modification of the log trailers: a swinging guide design and an extendable bolster design. Total weight, load force analysis, ease of attachment and detachment, modification cost and overall feasibility were considered before choosing one modification over the other for payload capacity utilization testing. The swinging guide design was chosen, and Gallagher says UT and NCSU are still running the economics of the study. “We’re on the tail end of that study right now,” he says. “I’m a harvesting guy, a forester by trade. My part of the picture was to develop the trailer

design to handle whole trees, tops and all. This was one way we feel is the best opportunity for efficiency gains across the system. One could argue it allows for the hauling of biomass down the road for free, while transporting pulpwood, saw logs or whatever. Personally, I was not a big fan of the depot idea. [NCSU and UT] came up with that, and they’re having a hard time making the economics work. Biomass is a low-value commodity, and it’s economically challenging to move once, let alone twice.”

'We saw a gap where we could save companies a lot of money in operating costs.' Luke Plume, Hydex

Hydex LH45

U.K.-based Hydex Solutions Ltd. says its LH45 Log Hauler with Trailer has been specifically designed to transport harvested logs easily and safely from the stump or log-

ging site to a processing area. “Due to the high flotation of this type of machine, the LH45 can run infield in areas of timber harvesting operations saving material handling and processing operations,” reads the spec sheet. The Hydex LH45 is built on the Caterpillar 745C long wheelbase chassis utilizing the Caterpillar C18 engine rated at 496 horsepower, and it features a top speed of 30 miles per hour for faster cycle times. The company says its automatic traction control eliminates wheel slip for maximum traction and increased productivity. The LH45 trailer bunk dimensions allow safe transportation of maximum harvested loads, according to Hydex. The trailer’s sliding hitch setup allows for up to a 50-degree turn while loaded, and the LH45 combination truck and extension trailer can accommodate logs up to 60 feet long. Incorporated into the LH45 is the Hydex Weight Monitoring System, which weighs the loads on the LH45 and trailer separately with load cells. An in-cab display shows weights for the LH45 and the trailer

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¦INDUSTRY individually, and combined. This information can be printed using an in-cab printer and be stored on the LH45’s heavy duty USB storage key. Hydex says this saves operators time and money by eliminating the need to use a weigh bridge, while increasing safety at the site. “The LH45 came across from knowledge of the market, our good friends, and once the idea was made, we started to construct the machine,” says Luke Plume, sales manager with Hydex. Plume tells Biomass Magazine that Hydex began production of the LH45 three years ago. “We saw a gap where we could save companies a lot of money in operating costs,” he says. According to Plume, the largest benefit provided by the LH45 over conventional forwarders is the strength of the machine. “Our competitors have real problems with the trailer bending when overloading the machine,” he says. “The machine we have put together is a cut above the rest. We tested our equipment, against other manufacturers for quality and we believe we are the best for quality and price.”

When asked how innovations in harvesting, hauling and transport by companies like Hydex ultimately reduce the cost of biomass to the end user, Plume says, “Our aim to reduce costs for the biomass end customer lies in the forest. The costs of chopping down the trees, logging to roadside and to the sawmill is very expensive, if done wrong. This is where Hydex comes in with our log hauler to help, as it takes the responsibility of multiple machines.”

Columbia Timber Co.

Jib Davidson is a certified forester. In the late 1980s, he and another forester, Norman McRay, founded Columbia Timber Co. The firm is multifaceted and encompasses land management, logging, real estate and, more recently, biomass harvesting. Today Columbia Timber has three biomass crews. “We started harvesting biomass when the biomass power plant was built in Gainesville, Florida,” Davidson says. The Gainesville Renewable Energy Center—one of the largest biomass power facilities in the U.S. at more than 100 MW of generating capac-

ity—began operating in 2013. In 2017, it was sold to Gainesville Regional Utilities for $750 million. “We are currently their largest supplier of biomass,” Davidson says. “It’s been good business for us, and for them.” Columbia Timber’s clients are varied, and with Davidson and McRay’s land management and real estate development focuses, moving into the harvesting of biomass was a natural fit. “Before the land goes on the market, we harvest the biomass by cleaning up the property of oak thickets and brush to make it look nice,” he says. “The biomass plant benefits—they get a cheap source of fuel—we benefit, and the seller benefits because it increases the value of their land, and it looks better.” Originally, GREC had its biomass fuel procurement divided into two baskets—urban and forestry wood, according to Davidson. “We were on the forestry side of things,” he says. “Because of our land management practices and timber procurement, we produce treetops, limbs and branches that can go into the chipper and be sold as biomass fuel. We’re sending the roundwood

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INDUSTRY¦ to the local pulp mills and we’re providing site preparation for landowners, who no longer have to pay the costs of raking, piling and burning the biomass residues. We take all that stuff.” Some common forestry practices make foresters like Davidson cringe. “One of the worst things we do as foresters when we’re logging is, we have a ramp and we take the skidder blade and push all the debris into a giant pile,” he says. “What this does is push all the topsoil into a giant pile. We shouldn’t be removing topsoil. This should stay on the ground. So, when we (Columbia Timber) remove tops and branches, we don’t produce big piles by the skidder. And in the next phase, during site prep, we don’t need a rake, as we do no piling or windrowing and, henceforth, no burning, and we leave the topsoil where it is. We may leave behind small twigs and branches, which makes this a better site from both sustainability and nutrient retention perspectives. That’s a big deal if you’re a forester.” The new name of Gainesville’s biomass power plant is the Deerhaven Re-

newable Generating Station, and Davidson says if running at full steam, the facility can consume 1 million tons of biomass a year. “Currently we take about 5,000 tons a week, or between 200,000 and 250,000 tons per year,” he says. “They run an ash content test on every load that goes into it, and of course a major component of ash is sand, and we’ve never once been dinged on a single load for high ash content.” All of Columbia Timber’s equipment is operated in the woods. The company relies on chippers from Bandit Industries Inc. “We settled on Bandit because of their service, and we feel they do a good job with a minimum amount of complexity—the simpler, the better. As soon as you bring in any complications, the crews begin to have problems, and we don’t want that.” Columbia Timber owns and operates three inline horizontal whole tree chippers, one 2590 model with a 22-inch capacity and two 3590 models with 36-inch throats. “We did production studies with our 3590,” he says. “We got ourselves in position with perfect conditions—the wood lined up and the

loader man rocking—and we can blow an entire van (trailer) in eight minutes. That’s 28 tons. Clearly that is ideal conditions, but more realistically, we can do four loads an hour per chipper. We hot load. We can’t drop the trailer—that takes too long.” Loading 28 tons of biomass chips into a trailer in eight minutes seems quite efficient, but when Davidson is asked how innovations in harvesting, hauling and transport by companies like his ultimately reduce the cost of biomass to the end user, he says, “I wish I had a great magic wand to create things to be more innovative. I go to association meetings, events and check out other crews to see what they do, and I’ve not found any great new wonder pill.” Davidson says if done right, a logging or biomass crew can be run with five people. This includes one to two skidder operators, an operator manning the “cut down machine” or feller buncher, a deck hand, and a loader operator. “The loader operator loads the roundwood and runs the chipper,” he says. “The chipper is operated through remote control by the loader op-

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Modern balers can pack crops like switchgrass, shown here, at much higher densities—up to 15 pounds per cubic foot—than older models, which improves logistics and increases efficiencies. PHOTO: GENERA INC.

erator. He’s doing a lot throughout the day, and it’s important to do the job right.” The chipper is controlled remotely via Bluetooth technology. “The more computerized Bandit makes its chippers, the happier we are,” Davidson says. “The loader monitors the chipper, so if he can load, chip and log separate at the same time, we’ve got a great situation.” Remote control chipping is “common nowadays,” Gallagher says. “It’s not hard to have a remote-control chipper, but it still requires a manual start. That technology is 10 to 15 years old. Back in the day, when people were doing more biomass harvesting, a lot of crews were running these.” Columbia Timber only utilizes aluminum trailers since they are lightweight. “We wear out standard trailers quickly,” Davidson says. “We don’t want steel trailers. We like the lightweight aluminum trailers.” The company owns the trailers and has historically contracted haulers who supply their own trucks. “We tried to depend on independent contract haulers because it keeps us out of the trucking business,” Davidson says. “We’re not truckers, we’re foresters.” The problem, he says, is reliability. “If we can come up with a solution to the trucking problem, that’d be wonderful,” Davidson says. “But we recently acquired three trucks, owned and operated by Harrison Logging. We formed a partnership with them. Maybe 24 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020

it costs more to have these trucks, but on the other hand, with Harrison employees and Harrison trucks, because Harrison Logging manages our entire logging crews, perhaps we can do better with reliability.” Gallagher has reached out to Davidson and plans to monitor his operations as part of a new study involving a number of universities and regions. “Jib’s making it work, but he recognizes he can’t just harvest biomass,” Gallagher says. “He’s harvesting stands, taking off the sawtimber and pulpwood, and to finish up the job, he throws the residuals in the chipper. We’ve been doing that for a long time. In the mid-2000s, this was very popular. Between the Great Recession and cheap natural gas, the markets are all gone. But there’s a strong market in Gainesville with the biomass plant.” One advantage for Columbia Timber, Gallagher says, is “he makes his job look nice. When he’s done, it’s a bare site—a clean field. Most loggers without biomass markets leave piles of limbs and tops, and it’s worthless to them so they light a match and it all goes away. He’s got a market for that material, and it looks like a ballpark when he’s done. Most others can’t do that.”

Ongoing Research

About a decade ago, Gallagher was instrumental in the development of a trailermounted slash bundler. “We put together the machine and it was successful, and once

it was completed, the biomass market collapsed,” he says. “We can’t justify the costs associated with that—maybe if the market returns. But now, it’s a dead issue.” A new project Gallagher is currently working on is a unique feller buncher. “We want to put one of those on a small boomtype machine that can efficiently go down, reach into the stand and cut small-diameter trees for a small skidder to take out,” he says. “We put this on a boom machine, so it doesn’t have to be driven around so much. And we want to use smaller equipment.” Loggers typically focus on economies of scale, Gallagher says, but with forest fragmentation increasing as older-generation landowners bequeath parcels of land to children divided up into smaller segments, it becomes harder for loggers to justify activity on small, segmented lands. “They don’t want to move but once a month, so the loggers don’t want to [touch] these smaller-acreage stands,” he says. “If we develop an efficient way to cut and remove smaller volumes using smaller machines, this gives landowners the option to grow timber, and small-scale harvesting can be employed. It’s a limited-area feller buncher that allows more nimble movement.” Gallagher is a big believer in smallscale harvesting. Another idea of his is to change silvicultural practices, particularly in the Southeast. “Once a lot is clearcut, instead of replanting with 500 trees per acre, plant 1,000 per acre,” he says. “Now, instead of coming in after 13 years and harvesting the pulpwood trees and leaving 200 standing for another 10 years for sawtimber, after eight years you could go in and harvest half for biomass, leaving 500 trees for pulpwood and timber. You could get a biomass commodity off the same track of land in less time.” The nimble feller buncher Gallagher is developing could help make this vision a reality.

Ag Biomass

The world of biomass is often dominated by woody materials, but significant gains have been made over the years in harvesting, hauling and transport of agricultural residues and dedicated energy crops. Genera Inc. is depending on those innovations to make the economics work for its

INDUSTRY¦ new ag fiber facility under construction right now. The company closed financing in July and shortly afterward began retrofitting a brownfield facility near its headquarters in eastern Tennessee. The plant will consume 50,000 tons per year of switchgrass and sorghum to produce ag fiber, half of which will be sold into the market as nonwood fiber, while the other half will be molded onsite into various sustainable containers—compostable and biodegradable bowls, plates, takeout containers and consumer packaging. The pulping technique employed is different than the Kraft process. “It’s more mechanical than chemical,” says Sam Jackson, vice president of business development for Genera. “It’s a sustainable process that uses dramatically less water and energy than the Kraft process.” Genera’s ag fiber facility is expected to come online by end of year. “The supply chain is at the heart of what we do,” says Jackson, who is also a forester. “Transportation eats you up. It’s a challenge. Over the past 10 or 12 years, we have participated in grant-funded research on supply chains, how to improve harvesting at the field, how to improve the logistics of overall systems, and how handle the material in more bulk format. There has been significant improvement made over time, but there’s always still gains to be had. By no means is it a perfect system, but there have been lots of improvements.” The agronomic understanding of dedicated energy crops and residues has improved significantly, Jackson says. “Things like how to best utilize nutrient inputs to minimize cost and encourage good growth for high yields,” he says. “The more yield per acre, the more effective our harvesting is.” Notable gains have also been made in harvesting by ag equipment manufacturers. “Round and square balers, those have come a long way,” Jackson says. “Today, balers pack the bales at much higher densities—10 pounds per cubic foot, and some are getting up to 15 pounds. When you improve the density, you improve logistics. For our plant in eastern Tennessee, we want to use mostly round bales. This isn’t optimal for transport, but it’s good for storage. They shed water, so when they’re out on the field edge, there’s not a lot of degradation. Square bales must be covered. Round bales fit the climate and

equipment people already have here. In other areas that have lower rainfall, large square bale systems may fit better.” Despite the appreciable gains in ag Jackson biomass understanding, growth, harvesting and hauling, Jackson says there is more to be had. “We’ve been at this a short period of time in the grand scheme of things compared to corn or beans, where they’ve had decades of breeding and selection,” he says. “There’s still a lot we can do with the crops themselves to increase efficiencies.” Another key area that can be better addressed is enhancing long-term storage of ag biomass to prevent degradation. “This is biological material, so when you store it, you’re going to lose quality and dry matter material—even in the best scenario,” he

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says. “So, we need to look at what we can do to improve the lifespan or durability of this feedstock through storage, such as adding preservatives to extend shelf life.” Jackson says preliminary work has been done to this end, but the concept has yet to be commercialized for biomass. “If we can extend the shelf life, this provides the downstream user flexibility.” He says alfalfa is sometimes treated with chemicals to preserve the integrity of the feed for overseas shipping. “We can use something like that in biomass feedstock to give us longer shelf life, so the material will be more durable in open storage,” he says. “There’s a significant cost to using tarps or covered, open buildings. If we can maintain preservation uncovered, this would reduce the overall cost.” Author: Ron Kotrba Senior Editor, Biomass Magazine 218-745-8347 rkotrba@bbiinternational.com

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BIOMASSMAGAZINE.COM 25

FIGURE 1

Canadian softwood lumber production and residual fiber as a percent of export pellet feedstocks. SOURCE: FORISK CONSULTING, WWPA

CANADIAN WOOD FIBER:

AVAILABILITY AND IMPACTS Increasing wood fiber costs continue to challenge western Canada’s export pellet sector. BY ANDREW COPLEY

anadian pellet producers continue to struggle with fiber availability and quality as a result of sawmill curtailments in British Columbia. The Canadian Pellet Feedstock Price Index (PFPI-Can), published in the Forisk Wood Fiber Review, rose year-over-year under the relentless pressure of increased fiber costs in British Columbia and the increased reliance on roundwood as sawmill residual

fiber availability continued to decline. The overall price rise was moderated by additional production from eastern Canada, where cheaper fiber was available. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could intensify fiber supply challenges in Canada that have been looming for years. British Columbia lost nearly 60% of its merchantable pine volume to the mountain pine beetle outbreak that began in the 1990s

and affected more than 44 million acres of forest. The diminished supplies―as well as additional challenges from increased wildfire activity, reductions in annual allowable cuts, and U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber exports―have caused sizable losses to one of the largest lumber industries in North America. Canadian softwood lumber production has been declining since 2017, with east-

CONTRIBUTION: The claims and statements made in this article belong exclusively to the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Biomass Magazine or its advertisers. All questions pertaining to this article should be directed to the author(s).

26 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020

FORISK WOOD FIBER REVIEW¦

ern Canada suffering smaller losses than FIGURE 2 CANADIAN PELLET FEEDSTOCK PRICE INDEX western Canada. In 2019, 10 mills in British Columbia were shuttered or intended to close (with plans to rebuild at least one), and additional facilities announced permanent shift reductions or variable operating schedules (e.g., West Fraser). The closures and shift reductions totaled more than 2.7 billion board feet of lost capacity in the province. As a result, production in western Canada declined every quarter, falling 20% year-over-year, while eastern Canada declined 2.2%. The percentage of sawmill residuals as a feedstock for Canadian export pellet mills has trended lower since the fourth quarter of 2017, as demonstrated in Figure 1. The reduction in sawmill residuals, a primary feedstock for many B.C. pellet mills, The Forisk Wood Fiber Review pellet feedstock price indices for Canada and the U.S. (PFPI-Can and show a quarterly volume-weighted price for the fiber consumed by each country’s pellet sector. has put upward pressure on fiber prices. PFPI-US), The feedstock mix (roundwood, sawdust, shavings, microchips, and biomass), production capacity, and The PFPI-Can increased 0.4% in Q1 2020, operating rates are gathered to calculate the regional price index. The price indices include the cost of reaching $70 CAN per oven dry metric ton chipping the roundwood and the hammering but not the drying costs. SOURCE: FORISK CONSULTING, WWPA (ODMT), a new high for the Index (Figure 2). After longer than two years of increases, the pace of rising fiber costs slowed in Q4 further challenges to the fiber supply are PI-Can and PFPI-US), show a quarterly vol2019, as mills reduced their operating rates expected. As of the end of March 2020, no ume-weighted price for the fiber consumed by each and diversified their feedstocks. The overall major Canadian wood pellet producer had country’s pellet sector. The feedstock mix (roundprice increase in Canada was also moder- noted significant impacts from the corona- wood, sawdust, shavings, microchips, and biomass), ated by production from eastern Canada, virus, as operations at pellet mills remain production capacity, and operating rates are gathwhere two new mills opened in 2019 with largely unaffected and most capital projects ered to calculate the regional price index. The price lower cost feedstocks. The Index is up 30% continue to move forward. Other forest indices include the cost of chipping the roundwood since Q1 2017, coinciding with the decline products industries, however, are already and the hammering but not the drying costs. in sawmill production. Higher costs of lim- reacting to contracting aggregate demand. 1 ited supplies diminish B.C. pellet produc- Softwood lumber production capacity in Conifex sold the Fort. St. James mill to Hampton Lumber, which plans to re-build the mill and have it operational by 2022. ers’ profitability. Many mills are upgrading Canada, which was 28.4 billion board feet 2The dryer upgrade at Pinnacle’s Williams Lake facility is on hold as to allow more flexibility in feedstock inputs at the start of 2020, has been reduced by a result of COVID-19. to counteract the loss of sawmill residues 20% within the last month. Many of these in the province. In addition to expanding announced sawmill curtailments are for a Author: Andrew Copley Forisk Consulting LLC pellet production capacity by 80,000 metric week or two, with operating decisions being 770-725-8477 acopley@forisk.com tons, Pinnacle’s Meadowbank and Williams constantly revisited. Given the uncertainty Lake plants, like other B.C. pellet mills, have around the impacts the virus will have, furongoing capital projects to allow for more ther and more prolonged reduction in softdiverse feedstocks. wood lumber capacity is possible, further Current PFPI-Can prices do not reflect constraining residual availability. the impact of COVID-19, which continues The Forisk Wood Fiber Review pellet feedto accelerate throughout North America; stock price indices for Canada and the US (PF-

BIOMASSMAGAZINE.COM 27

DRIVING THE INDUSTRY FORWARD The Biomass Supply Chain Risk Standards will boost investment in the bioeconomy. BY JORDAN SOLOMON AND TAYLOR WHITFIELD

28 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020

he push to expand renewable energy development globally is undeniable, but without supporting mechanisms to de-risk investment and accelerate capital flow to new projects, renewable energy potential will never be fully actualized. This is where effective standardization frameworks come into play, and where the Biomass Supply Chain Risk (BSCR) Standards take center stage. In 2017, the U.S. DOE funded this major step forward in the arena of biomass finance. With the support of Idaho National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, Ecostrat developed the new Biomass Supply Chain Risk Standards. These standards help capital markets more effectively quantify biomass feedstock risk, allowing capital to properly structure around bioprojects and driving investment into the sector. As the BSCR Standards is proven more efficacious, support and adoption from industry and government is accelerating. Recently, the Standards Council of Canada began the accreditation process for the Canadian BSCR Standards as an official national standard of Canada. Harmonized accreditation of the BSCR Standards by the American National Standards Institute is also on track for 2021.

A Proven Solution

We know that standards work to create efficiencies for capital markets and drive investment because standardized credit ratings are a staple of the modern economic infrastructure and support $10 trillion in investments and lending to new developments around the globe every year. At their base, credit ratings consist of a standardized approach to analyzing risk; a scoring system to calculate risk and alphanumeric ratings (i.e. AA, A, BB) to efficiently signal the credit risk to investors. This is exactly what we don’t have in the biomass sector – and it is a major reason why investment into biomass-based renewable energy is slower and more expensive than it could be.

STANDARDS¦ The Next Step

By identifying over 125 common risk indicators across dozens of risk factors, the BSCR Standards offer something that has long been missing from the bio-industry: a reliable and accurate way for the capital markets to price feedstock risk. But this is only the first step towards achieving the more comprehensive goal of spurring capital flow to biomass projects. In order to do for the bio-economy what credit ratings do for capital markets, the BSCR Standards need to be combined with the world’s first Biomass Risk Ratings System. Biomass Risk Ratings will enable capital markets, insurance companies, and governments to take the array of information in a particular biomass project and translate it into a single alphanumeric score which accurately, reliably and efficiently “signals” overall biomass feedstock risk. In the same way any company’s credit worthiness can be understood simply by looking at the rating given to it by Moody’s or S&P, Biomass Risk Ratings will allow capital markets to understand a project’s feedstock risks through a simple rating. Capital markets may not be able to easily understand the complexities and risks associated with a biomass supply chain, but they will certainly be able to understand that a clean fuel project with a AA Biomass Risk Ratings system is less risky than one with a B rating—and because the ratings methodology is transparent, investors can trust that suitable due diligence of feedstock risk has been carried out and no major pathway of risk missed. Support from the finance sector for a better system to quantify and signal biomass feedstock risk is strong and lends credibility to biomass risk ratings. More than 50 top capital market players sit on the Risk Ratings Review Committee and collectively represent organizations with over $50 billion in deployable capital to the bio-economy. The Ratings Review Committee will help ensure that biomass risk ratings become a standard tool used by the finance sector in evaluating biomass-based investments.

This effective signaling of feedstock risk will create efficiencies in the market, allow capital to more effectively structure around feedstock risk and accelerate investment in biomass-based projects. Creating a better risk evaluation infrastructure will increase the size and scope of investments in projects that have previously been priced out of the market or dragged down by inflated debt costs of up to 100 to 250 basis points.

Putting it to the Test

To test the efficacy of the BSCR Standards, it was recently applied via case study to a wood-to-electricity plant in Florida. Using three feedstock reports from 2010, 2011 and 2017, perceived feedstock risk was evaluated before and after application of the BSCR Standards to the plant as it was prepared for sale. Ultimately, the case study showed that 41% of biomass supply chain risk factors and 34% of risk indicators were not previously addressed as part of due diligence efforts. In total, capital market perception of project risk was shown to decrease by 29% after application of the BSCR Standards. For decades, risk misperceptions have inflated costs and slowed biomass growth to the tune of tens of millions of dollars at the expense of renewable energy development. As we head into a new decade, we will leave behind antiquated financing structures and move towards new mechanisms that enable more efficient funding of renewables and clean energy. Authors: Jordon Solomon President and CEO, Ecostrat Taylor Whitfield Project Manager, Ecostrat www.ecostrat.com/Standards

BIOMASSMAGAZINE.COM 29

Source-segregated MSW in Switzerland includes an array of household and commercial organic wastes. PHOTO: HITACHI ZOSEN INOVA

ERZ Entsorgung+Recycling Zurich is adjacent to the city’s wastewater treatment plant along the Limmat River.

On site, sludge from wastewater digesters supply thermal energy to run the facility. PHOTO: HITACHI ZOSEN INOVA

PHOTO: HITACHI ZOSEN INOVA

FROM OPEN-AIR COMPOSTING

TO EFFICIENT ANAEROBIC DIGESTION

After 35 years of open-air composting, Zurich’s recently-opened anaerobic digestion facility can process 25,000 tons of organic municipal solid waste annually, producing biogas for power generation and high-grade organic fertilizer. BY JIM M C MAHON

ince 1978, the city of Zurich, Switzerland has collected green waste through its recycling and waste management unit, ERZ Entsorgung+Recycling Zurich, and processed it into compost at its Werdholzli facility in western Zurich, adjacent to the city’s wastewater treatment plant along the Limmat River. The source-segregated organic municipal solid waste (MSW)

is collected from the city’s 400,000 residents, businesses and from surrounding communities. It includes waste from households such as tree and lawn cuttings, and organic kitchen waste like fruits, vegetables and foodstuffs, as well as organic wastes from restaurants and food processors. Until 2013, up to 25,000 tons of organic waste was collected annually and open-air composted at the facility, which

30 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT¦

created ongoing concerns from local urban residents because of odors. As early as 2002, the Zurich City Council began studying the odor problem, as well as a broader solution to address a better utilization of the organic wastes collected from in the city, in support of the 2,000-Watt Society. The 2000-Watt Society is an environmental vision, first introduced in 1998 by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, which postulates that Swiss citizens reduce their overall primary energy usage to no more than 2,000 watts per year, per resident, by the year 2050, without lowering their standard of living. The concept addresses the total energy consumed for the whole society, divided by the population. Two thousand watts is approximately the current world average rate of total primary energy use, whereas, Swiss usage is approximately 5,000 watts annually—still considerably lower than most industrialized nations. A component of the 2,000-Watt agenda is that carbon-based fossil fuels would be reduced to no more than 500 watts per person within 50 to 100 years. The vision was developed in response to concerns about climate change and the future availability of energy supplies. In 2011, Biogas Zürich AG was commissioned by the Zurich City Council, with the mandate to decommission the open-air compost yard at Werdholzli, and recycle the organic waste collected from the city and outlying communities of Zurich. This would be done by constructing an enclosed anaerobic digestion process to convert the organic waste into organic high-grade fertilizer, and produce environmentally-friendly biogas to supply the city with carbon-neutral energy, in support of the 2000-Watt Society vision.

Engineering a Solution

“The plant for organic waste digestion opened in 2013 to provide environmentally friendly organic waste management, which includes production of high-quality compost, fertilizer and the recovery of biogas as an energy source,” says Helmut Vetter, managing director, Biogas Zürich AG. “The objective was to contribute to the sustainable development of the region.” Biogas Zurich selected Kompogas’s continuous dry anaerobic digestion technology from Hitachi Zosen Inova, for its conversion of organic waste to biogas and fertilizer. ZI is a Swiss-based global engineering, procurement, constructio contractor for thermal and biological energy-from-waste plants. The idea was to build the new Kompogas anaerobic digestion facility on the former composting site at Werdhölzli, close to the wastewater treatment plant where the city already had digesters in place for sewage sludge. “The overall energy-generation concept was to link the new Kompogas plant with the adjacent wastewater treatment works, so that the sludge from the wastewater digesters would supply thermal energy to support the operation of the Kompogas plant,” Vetter BIOMASSMAGAZINE.COM 31

¦PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

The Biogas Zurich digester has a capacity to treat 25,000 tons of waste per year. PHOTO: HITACHI ZOSEN INOVA

says. “In Switzerland, sewage sludge cannot be converted to fertilizer—it must be incinerated. Part of that heating energy could now be utilized to heat the Kompogas digester.” The Kompogas continuous dry anaerobic digestion process is based on the dry digestion of solid organic waste in an oxygen-free environment. Anaerobic digestion is a multi-step biological process with four fundamental steps that include hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis. Throughout the entire process, large organic polymers that make up biomass are broken down into smaller molecules by microorganisms. Upon completion of the anaerobic digestion process, the biomass is converted into biogas, as well as into liquid and solid digestate. The anaerobic digestion process recovers and recycles the nutrients contained in this organic material. Biogas is composed primarily of methane and carbon dioxide, with trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. Typically, biogas is saturated with water vapor and may have trace amounts of hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. Biogas can be directly combusted, such as in a combined-heatand-power plant, thereby generating environmentally friendly electricity and heat, which is typically fed into the public power supply or local heating network. Alternatively, the biogas can also be processed and upgraded for use as CO2-neutral vehicle fuel, or a natural gas replacement and fed into the gas grid. 32 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | MAY/JUNE 2020

“The Kompogas process uses a horizontal plug-flow digester,” says Markus Burri, senior process engineer with HZI USA. “The organic material is transported inside the digester, with the material moving horizontally through the system by feeding on the inlet side and discharging on the outlet side. A slowly-turning agitator ensures that the substrate is optimally mixed within the digester, and the biogas bubbles are permitted to vent for high-yield formation of methane. This facilitates the biological strength of the Kompogas anaerobic environment, enabling it to make maximum use of the organic waste’s energy potential.” Uniquely to other processes, the digester creates an extremely efficient microorganism environment, which separates and optimizes the different steps of biomass degradation throughout the process, making for very stable microbiology inside the reactor. “The process recirculates approximately one-third of the digestate, rich in thermophilic microorganisms, from the output and back upfront into the digester to activate and accelerate the anaerobic digestion process of the fresh material fed into the digester,” Burri adds. “This allows a perfect adjustment of the hydrolysis and acidogenesis rate in the digester feeding section and facilitates high bioprocessing efficiency within the system. “Conversely, with conventional anaerobic digestion, the key steps of hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis are completely mixed,” Burri continues.

“Each step takes place at the same time and at the same place in the digester. This does not permit optimum conditions for the microorganisms to digest the organic material.” If required, additional process water creates the optimal consistency for decomposition, with humidity residing around 70 percent. A specially developed heating system regulates the temperature during processing at 131 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius) during a retention period of approximately 14 days. The thermophilic microorganisms decompose the organic matter and produce carbon-neutral biogas. Because the digestate is completely sterilized, the system does not require any upstream pasteurization, as is the case with other anaerobic digestion solutions. The plant’s processing thermophilic temperature of 131 degrees is considerably higher than the lower mesophilic temperature range of other anaerobic digestion facilities. The higher processing temperature ensures that spores and bacteria are eliminated, completely sanitizing the organic material during processing. And equally important, the higher temperature permits the biogas potential to be fully exploited by the time the material comes out of the digester, in effect, extracting a higher volume of carbon-neutral biogas.

High-Grade Solid and Liquid Fertilizer

The Biogas Zurich digester has a capacity to treat 25,000 tons of waste per year. After exiting the digester, a sieve screw press is used to separate the digestate into liquid and solid fractions. The solid digestate is stored and further stabilized in subsequent composting. This process allows the material to mature into top-grade compost that is collected by nurseries, market gardens and farmers for use as a soil conditioner. The liquid fraction is pumped to a storage tank until it’s used in agriculture as an organic liquid fertilizer. Part of the press juice is fed back into the digester to directly initiate the fermentation process.

Conversion of organic waste to usable digestate not only decreases the volume of waste, it also protects the air and climate because it reduces the greenhouse gases coming from landfill, effectively delivering a closed and environmentally friendly carbon cycle.

Containment of Odors

A vital component of this project was containing the release of odors into the surrounding environment. The design of the plant ensured odors would be adequately contained within the facility. The digester itself is a completely closed system, as the process operates under anaerobic conditions. Therefore, no emissions are released into the surrounding environment by the digestion plant. To prevent the air from penetrating into the environment both the treatment hall and the composting hall are kept within enclosed structures and slightly underpressurized. All air from the buildings is treated by an acid scrubber and then led though a biofilter.

Biogas

The raw biogas from both digestion plants (biowaste and sludge digesters) is transported by pipeline to an upgrading station. By removal of trace gases hydrogen sulfide and CO2, the biogas is transformed into biomethane, which is injected into the natural gas grid. The upgrading is achieved by an amine scrubber technology, which guarantees a very low methane slip (0.1 %) and low electricity demand. “Utilizing a single upgrading facility for the two biogas plants brings a substantial financial advantage by economy of scale,” Vetter explains. “The biogas transformation system is therefore not only environmentally friendly, but also a financially viable solution.” The raw biogas produced from the system approximates 2.2 million cubic meters annually, capable of generating 12.4 million kilowatt-hours of power.

Milestone for Zurich

With the completion of Zurich’s state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion facility for the conversion of organic waste into quality compost, liquid fertilizers and biogas, it has achieved a critical step forward in upgrading the quality of municipal services for the residents of Zurich. “The city of Zurich has thus achieved a milestone in the sustainable supply of renewable energy to its residents,” Vetter adds. “With the Kompogas plant playing a key role, both in terms of economics and by supporting the underlying philosophy of Switzerland’s 2000-Watt vision.” Author: Jim McMahon Jim.mcmahon@zebracom.net 805-905-1699

BIOMASSMAGAZINE.COM 33

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