Biomass Energy Opportunities and Impacts

1
Biomass Energy Opportunities and Impacts

• Lew McCreery
• Biomass Coordinator

2
Todays Presentation

• The Northeastern Area
• The Wood Education and Resource Center
• Forest Resources of Ohio
• Woody Biomass Opportunities in the Buckeye State

3
State and Private Forestry is primarily focused
on ensuring sustainable management of non-Federal
forest lands.
The Northeastern Area works with the 20
Northeastern and Midwestern States, and the
District of Columbia.
4
Wood Education and Resource Center
Main Office Building
5
The WERC Mission

• Foster interaction and information exchange
  with the forest products industry to enhance
  opportunities for sustained forest products
  production in the eastern hardwood region of the
  United States.

6
Why WERC?

• Industry Challenges
• Job Losses - 5 years
• Wood Products 20,000
• Paper approx. 100,000

7
WERC Current Focus

• Maintain and expand partnerships
• Annual competitive grants program
• Utilize new training center
• Technology evaluation/upgrade
• Investigate woody biomass opportunities

8
Biomass is Important
9
WERC Biomass Investments

• FY 2006 585,566
• Ten projects

FY 2007 608,464 Nine projects
10
InfrastructureForest Workers
11
InfrastructureManufacturing Sites
12
InfrastructureMarkets
13
U.S. Biomass Facilities
Single symbol can represent multiple plants.
Heat, Power, Ethanol, and Biodiesel Products
14
Pulp, Paper, Paperboard Mills
Source EPA
15
NA Biomass Success Stories
16
Utilization Options for Emerald Ash Borer-Killed
Ash

• Goal is to minimize removal and disposal costs of
  EAB-infected ash trees
• Turning wood waste into usable products
• Training urban foresters and tree care workers on
  proper log manufacturing

17
VT North Country Hospital Powers with Wood
18
Fire Hazard Reduction in Minnesota
19
Results and Outcomes WERCs Investment in
Biomass

• Demonstration projects
• More diverse energy portfolio
• Healthier forests
• Less waste along the entire supply and
  manufacturing chain
• Sustainable forest-based rural communities

20
WERC Future Biomass Directions

• Feasibility assessments
• Expand biomass emphasis in grants program
• Develop portfolio of successful demonstration
  projects
• Develop analytical tools for use by interested
  parties
• Information dissemination for impact outreach
  and library
• Regional biomass conferences and meetings at WERC

21
Ohios Forest Resources - 2005
22
91 in State and Private Ownership
23
Forest Stocking Changes from 1991 to 2005
24
Growth, Harvest, and Mortality -2005
25
Ohios Forest Industry
26
Changes in Ohios Forest Industry
27
Industrial uses have declined 1989-2006

• Overall a 6 decline in round wood use
• 2.5 decline in saw log consumption
• 63 decline in veneer log consumption
• 76 decline in pulpwood consumption
• No post and pole market
• Reduction in fuel wood use

28
Opportunities for Woody Biomass Energy

• Growth exceeds drain in Ohio forests
• Poorly stocked stands need treatment to improve
  condition
• Reductions in utilization of Ohios forests
• Forest health issues are of concern
• Options are needed to maintain forest management
  infrastructure

29
Opportunities for Woody Biomass

• Biomass energy from wood chips
• Potential to produce about 2.9 million tons of
  green chips annually
• Could provide about 370 MW of energy generation
• Wood provides non-intermittent energy and
  provides combined heat and power opportunities

30
Woody Biomass in Ohio

• Sources of Fuel
• Industry Residues
• Improvement of private woodlands
• Urban wood residues
• Construction/demo debris
• Dedicated energy crops

• Woody Biomass in OH
• 2.9 million tons without urban residue
• 300 MW of energy
• Biomass in CO2 neutral
• Supply infrastructure generates jobs

31
Institutional Scale Biomass Energy

• 26 schools in Vermont are heated with wood
• Cooley-Dickinson Hospital in North Hampton, MA
  and North Country Hospital in Newport, VT are
  heated, cooled, and powered with wood
• Downtown St. Paul, MN is heated and cooled with
  urban wood residues from surrounding urban areas

32
Wood Offers Fuel Cost Savings and Low Emissions
33
District Energy Systems

• Large Scale
• St. Paul, MN -289 megawatts thermal (987 million
  Btu per hour)
• Akron, OH - 375,000 pounds of steam per hour 20
  miles of distribution piping and serves more than
  200 businesses and residences
• Small Scale
• Barre, VT Apartment Complex -2.2 mmbtu/hr
• Ouje-Bougoumou, Quebec - 8.6 mmbtu/hr

34
Small Scale will work

• Barre, VT Green Acres Apartments
• 50 units 2.2 MMBTU/hr since 1991
• Hot water distribution with wood chip fired
  heating plant
• Heating bills from 200-300/month to 24/month
• Wood supplies about 80 of space heat and hot
  water

35
Next Steps for Ohio

• Assess woody biomass availability
• Identify wood energy conversion opportunities
• Support production infrastructure improvements

36
Thank you!

• Questions???

37
For more information

• http//www.na.fs.fed.us/werc