Wood as an Energy Source in West Virginia

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Wood as an Energy Source in West Virginia

• Shawn Grushecky
• Assistant Director
• WVU Appalachian Hardwood Center

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West Virginias Forest Resource

• West Virginia is the third most forested state
• Second leading hardwood state.
• Forests cover 12 million acres (78 of land
  area)
• 88 of the forest resource is privately owned
• Forest Industry contributes gt4 billion annually
  to WV economy.
• Oak species account for 48 of removals

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Growing Stock Removals
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Why is wood biomass an important component of a
renewable energy portfolio?

• Advantages of woody biomass

• It is available
• It is renewable and sustainable
• Minimal heavy metals and sulfur
• Can reduce waste streams
• Does not increase atmospheric levels of CO2
• Locally produced
• Proven technology

Sourcewoodforgood.com
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Wood Cost
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Energy from woody biomass
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Wood byproducts as an energy source
(Modified from Perlack et al. 2005)
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Types of Woody Byproducts
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Logging Residues (Tons/Acre)
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Logging Residue Estimates
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Primary Mill Residues - 2008
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Annual Wood Residue Production

• Total 2.4 M DT (5 M GT) of residue/byproducts
  per year.
• 1.3 M DT of logging residue, 55.
• 950,000 DT of mill residue (39).
• 40,000 GT weekly
• 80 from sawmills and 20 from secondary
  manufacturers
• 50 chips, 30 sawdust, and 20 bark
• Urban tree and pallet residues, 6
• Equivalent to 4.813 Btu

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Potential for wood biomass in WV

• 10,000 tons to produce 1 MW
• 5 M tons of wood residues
• Potential for 500 MW from wood waste
• This would be 10 of WV power consumption from
  waste wood alone.
• Could substantially increase this capacity
  through markets for wood produced from forest
  improvement cuttings and reclamation work

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In Summary

• Actively partnering with the WV Division of
  Energy to encourage the increased use of woody
  biomass which WV clearly has an abundant supply
• Complete recovery of woody residues not be
  feasible but they represent an economic resource
  that has been largely ignored in WV
• Recovery should be done sustainably
• Opportunities exist for new industries to develop
  around this resource that will benefit the people
  and the communities of the Appalachian region
• Important to promote the use of our natural
  resources as an alternative energy source

Source glosco-wood.com