april 2014 biomass magazine

APRIL 2014 | BIOMASS MAGAZINE 3

INSIDE

APRIL 2014 | VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 4

Biomass Magazine: (USPS No. 5336) April 2014, Vol. 8, Issue 4. Biomass Magazine is published monthly by BBI International. Principal Offi ce: 308 Second Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203. Periodicals Postage Paid at Grand Forks, North Dakota and additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Biomass Magazine/Subscriptions, 308 Second Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203.

TM

Please recycle this magazine and remove inserts or samples before recycling

COPYRIGHT 2014 by BBI International

Subscriptions Biomass Magazine is free of charge to everyone with the exception of a shipping and handling charge of $49.95 for any country outside of the United States, Canada and Mexico. 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 [email protected]. Advertising Bio-mass Magazine provides a specifi c topic delivered to a highly targeted audience. We are committed to editorial excellence and high-quality print production. To fi nd out more about Biomass Magazine advertising opportunities, please contact us at 701-746-8385 or [email protected]. Letters to the Editor We welcome letters to the editor. Send to Biomass Magazine Letters to the Managing Editor, 308 2nd Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203 or email to [email protected]. Please include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and/or space.

20 NEWS

21 COLUMNLessons of WinterBy Bob Cleaves

22 FEATURE Power PunditsFostering public and policymaker education, technological development and continual innovation, Steve Bossotti, Bob Cleaves and Mark Paisley have made a mark on the biomass power industry.By Anna Simet

POWER

06 EDITORS NOTEThe Biomass Industrys Beating Heart By Tim Portz

07 INDUSTRY EVENTS

08 BUSINESS BRIEFS

12 BIOMASS CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

60 MARKETPLACE

12

People in BiomassExclusive Backstories on 18 Industry Pros

Plus:How Les Otten Went from Skis and the Red Sox to BiomassPage 30

And:Q1 Biomass Construction Update Sees Multiple Projects to CompletionPage 12

www.biomassmagazine.com

April 2014

ON THE COVER(Left to right) Bob Cleaves, Seth Ginther, Chris Wiberg and Michael McAdamsPHOTO: ELIZABETH BURSLIE, BBI INTERNATIONAL

PELLETS

28 NEWS

29 COLUMNThe Multifaceted Benefi ts of PelletsBy William Strauss

30 FEATURE Pellet PropellersChris Wiberg, Seth Ginther and Les Otten are a few of many professionals dedicated to growing the residential and export pellet markets.By Tim Portz

Create micro-chips vital to the pellet mill market with the new MorbarkWholeTreeMicroChipper.

Productive Morbarks exclusive enhanced Advantage 3 drum creates uniform micro-chips, while the mechanically driven chip accelerator fully loads yourtruck.

Practical The operator-friendly, slide-in forestry grate system reduces oversized chips for a consistent, high-quality end product.

Protable With an average fuel consumption of 2.25 tons of micro-chips produced per gallon of fuel used, the Morbark 40/36 MicroChipper allows you to reduce costs and maximize prots.

The Morbark MicroChipper is a new addition to our full line of heavy-duty Whole Tree Chippers from the leader in the industry. Learn more about our machines and our extensive product support network at www.morbark.com.

Maximize Protswith the

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produced passed through a "grate, and an

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BUILDING EQUIPMENT THAT CREATES OPPORTUNITIES


BIOGAS

45 NEWS

46 COLUMNTaking Recycling Efforts to the Next LevelBy Amanda Bilek

47 FEATUREBiogas BolsterersMel Kurtz, Amanda Bilek, Joshua Rapport and Patrick Serfass have devoted their careers to growing the U.S. biogas energy sector.By Chris Hanson

MARCH 2014 | VOLUME 8 | ISSUE 4

THERMAL

36 NEWS

38 FEATURE Thermal TrailblazersThanks to the ambitions of individuals such as Scott Nichols, Charlie Niebling, Norman Senf and John Ackerly, biomass thermal is is gaining some long-overdue mainstream acceptance and legislative attention. By Anna Simet

ADVANCED BIOFUELS & CHEMICALS

53 NEWS

54 COLUMNA Biomass Farm BillBy Margaret McCormick

55 FEATUREAdvancing Biofuels Michael McAdams, Susan Hager, Jason Quinn and Graham Noyes are playing signifi cantly different but equally important roles in moving the advanced biofuel and chemical sector forward.By Sue Retka Schill

INSIDEADVERTISER INDEX

2014 International Biomass Conference & Expo 62

2014 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo 61

2014 National Advanced Biofuels Conference & Expo 27

22nd European Biomass Conference & Exhibition 24

4BCo mponents 11

AgFuel Energy Systems 44

Agra Industries 57

Airofl ex Equipment 36

Amandus Kahl GmbH & Co. KG 14

Babcock Power 40

BRUKS Rockwood 51

Continental Biomass Industries, Inc. 32

CPM Roskamp Champion 23

Crushmaster 31

Dieffenbacher 8

DustMASTER Enviro Systems 33

EAD 49

EBM Manufacturing 28

Ecostrat 37

Electromatic Equipment Company, Inc. 26

Elliott Group 10

Evergreen Engineering 47

Fagen Inc. 2

Gray 20

Greenbelt Resources Corporation 56

Hurst Boiler & Welding Co. Inc. 42

Iowa Economic Development Authority 18

KEITH Manufacturing Company 59

Liquidation LLC 7

MEGTEC Systems Inc. 50

Morbark, Inc. 4

New Holland Agriculture 9

Parr Instrument Company 34

PHG Energy 43

Process Barron 25

Retsch, Inc. 19

SCHADE Lagertechnik GmbH 15

Seeger Green Energy, LLC 41

Tramco, Inc. 17

Valmet Corporation 64

Vecoplan 48

West Salem Machinery 52

Wolf Material Handling Systems 58

WoodMaster 35

World Bioenergy 16

38

6 BIOMASS MAGAZINE | APRIL 2014

The Biomass Industrys Beating Heart

This issue of Biomass Magazine opens with the fi rst quarterly BiomassConstruction Update of 2014. Five ofthe 24 projects listed in the report bearthe stamp Project Complete. Drawing attention to construction may seem cu-rious, considering this installment is ourfi rst-ever People Issue, but it under-scores and validates our decision to buildan entire edition of Biomass Magazine that e

celebrates the men and women who are the beating heart of the biomassindustry. The 45-MW power facility that DTE Energy has just completedand brought on line in Stockton, Calif., is the fi nal manifestation of acollection of people who put their knowledge, skill, passion and tirelessenergy to work. Remove any one of the hundreds, if not thousands, ofpeople who worked on that project, or any of the other projects in the Biomass Construction Update, and the project decelerates.

That said, in an industry built to deliver Btus, MWs and gallons, peo-ple can and do get lost in the shuffl e. Recognizing this, we decided to draw attention to a handful of people who make an invaluable contributionto the biomass industry. This proved to be challenging, as our potentialsubjects often defl ected inquiries away from themselves and toward theirwork, the industry and the importance of expanding the possibilities of biomass-derived energy.

Themes did emerge. For example, all of the people we profi led wearmany hats. It seems this commonality stems from their willingness to dowhat needs to be done. Bob Cleaves, president of the Biomass Power As-sociation, ping-pongs around the country to educate policymakers at boththe state and federal levels about the value of base load, renewable energy. His is a game of plate spinning, but for Cleaves, the plates are scatteredacross the country.

A thread of an enthusiastic curiosity for technology and technology adoption can also be found woven throughout this issue. Mel Kurtz, LesOtten and John Ackerly all recount their fi rst exposures to various conver-sion technologies, and, for each, it was a watershed moment.

An industry is nothing without its people. I would even dare to sug-gest that the biomass industry is even more reliant on people such as thosefeatured in this issue, because every gallon, every Btu and every MW weadvocate and innovate for, and work to bring on line, emerges in spite ofan entrenched incumbent. Without our people, this industry would simply wither.

TIM PORTZVICE PRESIDENT OF CONTENT & EXECUTIVE [email protected]

EDITORS NOTE

EDITORIAL

PRESIDENT & EDITOR IN CHIEFTom Bryan [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT OF CONTENT& EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Tim Portz [email protected]

MANAGING EDITORAnna Simet [email protected]

NEWS EDITORErin Voegele [email protected]

STAFF WRITERChris Hanson [email protected]

COPY EDITOR Jan Tellmann [email protected]

ARTART DIRECTOR

Jaci Satterlund [email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGNERRaquel Boushee [email protected]

PUBLISHING & SALESCHAIRMAN

Mike Bryan [email protected]

CEOJoe Bryan [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONSMatthew Spoor [email protected]

MARKETING DIRECTORJohn Nelson [email protected]

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORHoward Brockhouse [email protected]

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGERChip Shereck [email protected]

CIRCULATION MANAGER Jessica Beaudry [email protected]

TRAFFIC & MARKETING COORDINATORMarla DeFoe [email protected]

EXTERNAL EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERSTimothy Cesarek, Enerkem Inc. Shane Chrapko, Himark Biogas

Stacy Cook, Koda EnergyBenjamin Anderson, University of Iowa

Gene Zebley, Hurst BoilerAndrew Held, Virent Inc.

Kyle Goerhing, Eisenmann Corp.


INDUSTRY EVENTS

International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & ExpoJUNE 9-12, 2014Indiana Convention CenterIndianapolis, IndianaNow in its 30th year, the FEW provides the global ethanol industry with cutting-edge content and un-paralleled networking opportunities in a dynamic business-to-business environment. The FEW is the largest, longest running ethanol conference in the worldand the only event powered by Ethanol Producer Magazine.866-746-8385 | www.fuelethanolworkshop.com

National Advanced Biofuels Conference & ExpoOCTOBER 13-15, 2014Hyatt MinneapolisMinneapolis, MinnesotaProduced by BBI International, this national event will feature the world of advanced biofuels and biobased chemicalstechnology scale-up, project fi nance, policy, national markets and morewith a core focus on the industrial, petroleum and agri-business alliances defi ning the national advanced biofuels industry. With a vertically integrated pro-gram and audience, the National Advanced Biofu-els Conference & Expo is tailored for industry pro-fessionals engaged in producing, developing and deploying advanced biofuels, biobased platform chemicals, polymers and other renewable mol-ecules that have the potential to meet or exceed the performance of petroleum-derived products.866-746-8385www.advancedbiofuelsconference.com

International Biomass Conference & ExpoAPRIL 20-22, 2015Minneapolis Convention CenterMinneapolis, MinnesotaOrganized by BBI International and produced by Biomass Magazine, this event brings current and future producers of bioenergy and biobased products together with waste generators, energy crop growers, municipal leaders, utility executives, technology providers, equipment manufacturers, project developers, investors and policy makers. Its a true one-stop shop the worlds premier ed-ucational and networking junction for all biomass industries.866-746-8385 | www.biomassconference.com


PEOPLE, PRODUCTS & PARTNERSHIPSBusiness BriefsElevance hires chief technology officer

Elevance Renewable Sciences has hired Robert Kumpf as chief technology offi cer. In his new role, Kumpf will focus on expanding the companys product and applications development capabilities. Prior to joining Elevance, he served as chief operating offi cer at Plextronics, a developer of semiconductive polymers and ink formulations. He also previously served as chief administration offi cer at Bayer MaterialScience.

Chesterfield BioGas wins contract for biogas upgrading system

Pressure Technologies has announced that its alternative energy division, Chesterfi eld BioGas Ltd., was awarded a 4.2 million ($7 million) contract to supply, install and commission biogas upgrading

equipment for a biogas-to-grid project in the U.K. The project will utilize Greenlane Totara-plus water-wash upgraders and will be capable of processing up to 5,000 cubic meters of biogas per hour. The resulting biogas will consist of 89 percent pure methane.

VIC adds team memberVecoplan Integrated

Controls has added Henry Gilliland to its electrical engineering team. Gilliland graduated from North Carolina State University in 2012 and brings three years of practical experience to his new position. He worked on a co-op basis at Highland Industries while pursuing his undergraduate degree, and later worked as a full-time engineer with the company.

Reliance Industries to investin Algae.Tec biofuel plant

India-based Reliance Industries Ltd. has announced an investment in Australia-based Algae.Tecs fi rst Indian biofuel plant. RIL will initially invest $1.5 million in the company, followed by $1.2 million at a later date. Algae.Tec plans to use the initial capital to build a pilot biofuel plant that utilizes its algae fuel technology.

EBA elects new presidentThe European Biogas Association

announced its members have voted to

Kumpf

Gilliland

Dieffenbacher USA, Inc. 2000 McFarland 400 Blvd. | Alpahretta, GA 30004Phone: (770) 226-6394 | [email protected]

Biomass Pelletizing & Energy SystemsPellet Plants | Dryers | Furnaces | Steam Boilers | Thermal Oil Heaters | Cogeneration

Rotary Dryer PelletPress Heat Energy

System

www.dieffenbacher.com

tambask (left) is congratulated by former EBA president Wellinger.

make Jan tambask the organizations new president. tambask will replace Arthur Wellinger, who served as president for fi ve years. David Collins of the U.K.s Renewable Energy Association Biogas Group was also elected to join the board. tambask is the founder of NovaEnergo Ltd., which focuses on advanced biochemical approaches to enhance the overall effi ciency of biogas and biomethane production processes. He is a member of the Czech Biogas Association and was appointed a member of the EPAs executive board in 2009.

Sensor Electronics adds new gas detector

Minnesota-based Sensor Electronics has announced a new gas detector that spots methane leaks in biogasifi cation plants, collector tents, distribution networks, pipelines,

pumping stations, storage tanks and other critical areas. The detector works both indoors and outdoors and can operate in conditions with airborne contaminants, corrosive atmospheres, fog, smog, rain, snow, dust, sleet, aerosols, and temperature and humidity extremes. The detector shows actual biomethane levels on a digital readout panel, while color-coded LEDs indicate rising gas levels.

Puritan announces spout magnetPuritan Magnetics Inc. has announced

the availability of its EZ Clean Vertical Spout Magnet. The product is engineered to

remove fi ne to large ferrous contaminants from high-volume, gravity-fed product streams. The system is ideally suited for products that would bridge or choke in a magnetic tube-type separator and easily removes ferrous contaminants from products that are moist, lumpy, granular or in powder form.

Construction starts on biogas upgrading system in China

China Shipbuilding Industry Corp. has invested in an EnviFarm Classic biogas plant with an EnviThan gas upgrading system in Jiyuan, Henan province. The plant will operate using pig manure as feedstock. The 500-standard-cubic foot facility is expected to begin operations this year.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

SHARE YOUR INDUSTRY NEWS: To be included in the Business Briefs, send information (including photos and logos, if available) to Business Briefs, Biomass Magazine, 308 Second Ave. N., Suite 304, Grand Forks, ND 58203. You may also email information to [email protected]. Please include your name and telephone number in all correspondence.

SMART ISHELPING ALTERNATIVE

ENERGY BECOME MAINSTREAM.

2014 CNH America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. NHBM03148928

PROUDLY SUPPORTING AMERICAs ENERGY INDEPENDENCE.

NEWHOLLAND.COM/NA

PROUDLY SUPPORTING AMER CA s ENERGY INDEPENDENCE.

Q Customer: Palm oil plantation, Asia.

Q Challenge: Provide a rugged, stand-alone CHP system to operate under harsh conditions in a remote location.

Q Result: Elliott delivered a cost-effective steam turbine generator package providing power and process steam.

They turned to Elliottfor innovative thinking.

The customer turned to Elliott because the solutions others offered were inadequate. Who will you turn to?

C O M P R E S S O R S Q T U R B I N E S Q G L O B A L S E R V I C Ewww.elliott-turbo.com

The world turns to Elliott.

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DTE Stockton LLC, DTE Energy

Location Stockton, Calif.Engineer/builder ESI Inc., DTE Stockton, LLCPrimary fuel Woody biomassBoiler type StokerNameplate capacity 45 MWCombined heat & power YesGovernment incentives NAIPP or Utility IPPGroundbreaking date September 2011Start-up date December 2013The project is complete and operating commercially.

Atikokan Generating Station, Ontario Power Generation Inc.

Location Atikokan, Ontario, CanadaEngineer/builder Aecon, Doosan, NordminPrimary fuel Industrial pelletsBoiler type Suspension fi re systemNameplate capacity 211 MWCombined heat & power NoGovernment incentives 10-year PPAIPP or Utility Provincial utilityGroundbreaking date October 2012Start-up date Q2 2014Boiler controls commissioning is underway. Silo mechanicals are 80 percent complete, and transfer tower electrical and cladding are proceeding.

Gainesville Renewable Energy Center, American Renewables LLC

Location Gainesville, Fla.Engineer/builder Fagen Inc.Primary fuel Woody biomassBoiler type Bubbling fl uidized bedNameplate capacity 102.5 MWCombined heat & power NoGovernment incentives Federal 1603 grantIPP or utility IPPGroundbreaking date Q3 2011Start-up date December 2013GREC is now operating commercially.

The Q1 2014 Biomass Construction Update celebrates the start of com-mercial operation for fi ve bioenergy installations: DTE Stockton LLC, Gaines-ville Renewable Energy Center, Enviva Pellets Northampton LLC, Hometown Bioenergy LLC and KB Bioenergy. These fi ve plants represent a total of 156.7 MW of biomass power and 500,000 metric tons of pellet capacity. The terms that defi ne a plant's completion and start of commercial operation vary greatly among the four sectors covered in the Biomass Construction Update: biomass power, pellets, biogas and advanced biofuels.

Multiple and varying factors infl uence when a project completes con-struction and begins commercial operation. For biomass power, start up is de-fi ned as a multistep process that begins during commissioning, and continues after the plant is supplying electricity to the grid. This is done to ensure that the power plant can dependably supply electricity to the grid. Regulation and the technological intricacies of power generation and supply require a slower start up than other sectors. Commissioning and start up of advanced biofuel plants and biogas facilities require synchronization of microbial communities and in-dustrial processes. Abengoas Kansas cellulosic ethanol plant, for example, has a 21-MW biomass power plant installed in line with the pretreatment, fer-mentation and distillation processes necessary for producing cellulosic etha-nol. Naturally, the more complex a project's design and base technology, the

more time required to bring the project into commercial operation. Contracts also play a large part in when a plant is considered complete

and ready to sell bioenergy products and services into its respective market. Regulators and funders often set fi nancial benchmarks and performance re-quirements that tie to funding. The capital, time, and coordination needed to bring a project to successful completion is not a feat with a clear fi nish line, but a period of time during which achieving a number of small goals denotes enormous accomplishments.

If you would like your construction accomplishments covered by Biomass Magazine, please send an email to [email protected].

Biomass

Atikokan Generating StationPHOTO: ONTARIO POWER GENERATION INC.

ProjectComplete

ProjectComplete

Biomass Power Pellets Biogas Advanced Biofuel

CONSTRUCTION UPDATEQ1: A Quarter of Progress and Completion by Kolby Hoagland

Gainesville Renewable Energy CenterPHOTO: GREC


CONSTRUCTION UPDATEDrax Power Station, Drax Group plc

Location Drax, Yorkshire, U.K.Engineer/builder Shepherd GroupPrimary fuel Industrial pelletsBoiler type Pulverized fueled boilerNameplate capacity 600 MWCombined heat & power NoGovernment incentives ROCsIPP or Utility IPPGroundbreaking date July 2012Start-up date April 2013 (1st unit)The fi rst of four storage domes, rail receipt and unloading, and distribution systems are complete and operating. The fi rst converted unit will soon fully operate on the new storage facilities.

Eagle Valley Clean Energy, Evergreen Energy

Location Stockton, Calif.Engineer/builder Wellons Inc.Primary fuel Forest restoration residueBoiler type StokerNameplate capacity 11.5 MWCombined heat & power YesGovernment incentives Federal 1603 grantIPP or utility IPPGroundbreaking date November 2012Start-up date December 2013The facility was placed into start-up service in December.

Enviva Pellets Northampton LLC, Enviva LP

Location Garysburg, N.C.Builder UnavailablePellet mill Enviva Port of ChesapeakeFeedstock Hardwood and softwoodType of pellets Utility pelletsFire prevention technology UnavailableProduction capacity 500,000 metric tons Exporting/location EuropeGroundbreaking date First half 2012Start-up date First half 2013Facility is under commercial operation.

Amite BioEnergy, Drax Biomass International Inc.

Location Gloster, Miss.Builder Haskell CompanyPellet mill Port of Greater Baton RougeFeedstock Southern yellow pineType of pellets Industrial premium pelletsFire prevention technology Fire EyeProduction capacity 450,000 metric tonsExporting/location U.K.Groundbreaking date August 2013Start-up date Q2 2015 Project continues on schedule.

ProjectComplete

Enviva Pellets Southampton LLC, Enviva LP

Location Franklin, Va.Builder UnavailablePellet mill Enviva Port of ChesapeakeFeedstock Hardwood and softwoodType of pellets Utility pelletsFire prevention technology UnavailableProduction capacity 500,000 metric tonsExporting/location EuropeGroundbreaking date July 2012Start-up date First half of 2014Project is currently completing ramp-up and commissioning phases.

Fram Renewables Fuels - Hazlehurst, Fram Renewable Fuels LLC

Location Hazlehurst, Ga.Builder Astec Inc.Pellet mill Port of BrunswickFeedstock SoftwoodType of pellets Residential and industrialFire prevention technology GreConProduction capacity 500,000 tonsExporting/location EuropeGroundbreaking date Febuary 2013Start-up date January 2014 (line 1)Line 1 construction is complete and undergoing commissioning. Civil and electrical work will begin soon for lines 2 and 3. Lines 4 and 5 will be constructed in 2015.

German Pellets Louisiana, German Pellets GmbH

Location LaSalle, La.Builder German Pellets Louisiana LLCPellet mill Port of ArthurFeedstock Softwood and hardwoodType of pellets Industrial and premiumFire prevention technology German Pellet proprietary Production capacity 1.1 million tonsExporting/location EuropeGroundbreaking date August 2013Start-up date Q3 2014Conversion from a previous industry facility to a pellet plant continues on schedule.

Hamilton Biofuel, Courtice Energy

Location Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaBuilder Thermotech Technologies Inc.Pellet mill Port of Hamilton and Quebec CityFeedstock Hardwood and softwoodType of pellets Utility pelletsFire prevention technology YesProduction capacity 500,000 metric tonsExporting/location EuropeGroundbreaking date September 2013Start-up date September 2014Plant is in the commissioning stage. Quality assurance and process fl ow testing is also underway.


AMANDUS KAHL USA Corporation 380 Winkler Drive, Suite 400, Alpharetta GA 30004-0736Phone: 770-521-1021 Fax: 770-521-1022 [email protected] KAHL GmbH & Co. KG SARJ Equipment Corp., Mr. Rick B. MacArthur 29 Golfview Blvd., Bradford, Ontario L3Z 2A6 Phone: 001-905-778-0073 Fax: 001-905-778-9613 [email protected] www.akahl.us

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Hometown Bioenergy LLC, Minnesota Municipal Power Agency

Location Le Sueur, Minn.Engineer/Builder Barr Engineering, I&S GroupSubstrate(s) Ag and food wastesDigester type Complete mixGas cleaning technology H2S media treatment system

Biogas production capacity Unavailable

Biogas end use CHPPower capacity 8 MWGroundbreaking date December 2012Start-up date December 2013 The project is complete.

ProjectComplete

Morehouse BioEnergy, Drax Biomass International Inc.

Location Beekman, La.Builder Haskell CompanyPellet mill Port of Greater Baton RougeFeedstock Southern yellow pineType of pellets Industrial premium pelletsFire prevention technology Fire eyeProduction capacity 450,000 metric tonsExporting/location U.K.Groundbreaking date August 2013Start-up date Q1 2015 Project continues on schedule.

Vulcan Renewables LLC

Location St. Augustine, Fla.Builder Vulcan RenewablesPellet mill JacksonvilleFeedstock SoftwoodType of pellets Premium and industrialFire prevention technology Water Deluge SystemProduction capacity 150,000 tonsExporting/location Europe and KoreaGroundbreaking date January 2013Start-up date February 2014In early March, the project was nearly complete.

KB BioEnergy, City of Akron

Location Akron, OhioEngineer/Builder BIOFerm Energy Systems and Schmack Biogas GmbHSubstrate(s) BiosolidsDigester type Two complete mix, two horizontal plug fl ow

Gas cleaning technology Gas cooling/drying, siloxane and hydrogen sulfi de removal prior to CHP

Biogas production capacity 600 cfm

Biogas end use CHPPower capacity 1.2 MWGroundbreaking date May 2012Start-up date January 2014The project is complete.

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KB BioEnergy, City of AkronPHOTO: BIOFERM ENERGY

FCPC Renewable Generation LLC, Waste-to-Energy Facility

Location Milwaukee, Wis.Engineer/Builder Symbiont Inc., Miron Constr., BiothaneSubstrate(s) Food processing wasteDigester type Anaerobic membrane bioreactorGas cleaning technology H2S media treatment system

Biogas production capacity 500 scfm

Biogas end use CHPPower capacity 2 MWGroundbreaking date October 2012Start-up date Q1 2014Construction is substantially complete and clear water testing is complete. Tanks are being fi lled in preparation for start up.

Sacramento Biodigester, CleanWorld Partners

Location Sacramento, Calif.Engineer/Builder Peabody Engineering, Otto ConstructionSubstrate(s) Pre- and post-consumer food wasteDigester type Three-stage, high-solids liquid digesterGas cleaning technology BioCNG


Biogas end use Electricity and vehicle fuelPower capacity 190 kWGroundbreaking date June 2013Start-up date April 2014Construction is continuing on schedule. Once complete, the digester will produce electricity and 700,000-gallon-per-year equivalent of renewable transportation fuel.

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UC- Davis Renewable Energy Anaerobic Digestion, CleanWorld

Location Davis, Calif.Engineer/Builder Peabody Engineering, Otto ConstructionSubstrate(s) Food and ag waste, manure, animal beddingDigester type Three-stage, high-solids liquid digesterGas cleaning technology Unison Solutions


Biogas end use ElectricityPower capacity 925 kWGroundbreaking date May 2013Start-up date February 2014 Construction is continuing on schedule. Microturbine commissioning has begun with landfi ll gas.Completion was imminent in early March.

Rosendale Biodigester LLC, UW Oshkosh Foundation

Location Rosendale, Wis.Engineer/Builder BIOFerm Energy SystemsSubstrate(s) Dairy manureDigester type Complete mix

Gas cleaning technology Biological desulphurization, moisture removal, activated carbon fi ltration

Biogas production capacity 380-475 scfm

Biogas end use CHPPower capacity 1.4 MWGroundbreaking date July 2013Start-up date February 2014 Completion was imminent in early March. Interconnect approval was granted mid-December, and minor sitework, painting and paving will be completed when weather permits.

Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas LLC, Abengoa Bioenergy US

Location Hugoton, Kan.Engineer/builder AbengoaProcess technology Proprietory processBiofuel product Cellulosic ethanolFeedstocks Corn stover, wheat straw, switchgrassProduction capacity 25 MMgyType of RIN D3Coproducts 21 MW biomass power Goundbreaking date September 2011Start-up date January 2014Project is virtually complete. Boiler and 21 MW cogen plant commissioning was completed Decem-ber, 2013. Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas LLC, Abengoa Bioenergy US

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DuPont Cellulosic Ethanol - Nevada, DuPont

Location Nevada, IowaEngineer/builder KBR Inc. and Fagen Inc.Process technology Enzymatic hydrolysisBiofuel product Cellulosic ethanolFeedstocks Corn StoverProduction capacity 30 MMgyType of RIN 90% D3 RINsCoproducts Renewable solid fuelGoundbreaking date Q4 2012Start-up date 2nd half 2014Construction is on track for 2014 opening.

Enerkem Alberta Biofuels LP

Location Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaEngineer/builder EnerkemProcess technology Proprietary thermochemicalBiofuel product Cellulosic ethanol, biomethanol, biochemicalsFeedstocks Sorted MSWProduction capacity 38 MMlyType of RIN D3Coproducts NAGoundbreaking date August 2010Start-up date 2014: methanol; 2015: ethanolEnerkem Alberta Biofuels is nearing structural completion. Plant commissioning has begun and is scheduled to be completed over the next few months.

Green Energy Products, WB Services

Location Sedgwick, Kan.Engineer/builder WB ServicesProcess technology Proprietary technologyBiofuel product ASTM 975 biomass-based dieselFeedstocks Distillers corn oil, organic fat, oils and greasesProduction capacity 3 MMgyType of RIN 1.7 D4 RINs per gallon Coproducts Steam and biogasGoundbreaking date Q1 2013Start-up date Q1 2014The plant is nearing mechanical completion. Start up and commissioning are scheduled for Q1.

Southeast Renewable Fuels LLC

Location Clewiston, Fla.Engineer/builder Uni-Systems of BrazilProcess technology FermentationBiofuel product Advanced biofuel (ethanol)Feedstocks Sweet sorghumProduction capacity 20 MMgyType of RIN D5Coproducts 25 MW biomass powerGoundbreaking date June 2013Start-up date January 2015The project remains on schedule. Foundation work continues, and all equipment has been ordered and is arriving onsite.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

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PowerNews

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission data shows that 97 new bio-mass-fi red electricity generation units were placed into service last year. Together, those units have a combined capacity of 777 MW. In 2012, 155 units with a combined 580 MW of capacity were placed into service.

As of the close of 2013, the FERC estimates that the U.S. was home to approximately 15.74 GW of biomass power capacity, equating to roughly 1.36 percent of total U.S. power capacity. Of the renewable power generation technologies, only wind and hydro have a greater share of nationwide capacity.

The U.S. currently has 97.88 GW of hydropower capacity, equal to 8.44 percent of total capacity. Wind capacity is 60.29 GW, or 5.2 percent. Geothermal steam has 3.83 GW capacity, equating to 0.33 percent of total capacity. There is also 7.42 GW of solar capacity, or 0.64 percent of the total, along with 1.13 GW of waste heat capacity, equating to 0.07 percent.

The European Commission recently proposed new clean energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction objec-tives, calling for an EU-wide 27 percent binding target for renew-able energy by 2030. The commission is also calling for a GHG reduction of 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. In addition, the commission has proposed to establish a new governance system and a set of new indictors to ensure a competitive and secure system.

The new targets build upon previously established targets that are to be attained by 2020. Those goals included a 20 per-

cent GHG reduction, a 20 percent renewable energy goal and 20 percent energy effi ciency improvements.

The U.K.-based Renewable Energy Association has criticized what it calls a lack of ambition for renewable energy in the proposal, noting it sets no specifi c targets for EU member states. The REA also noted that the proposal indicates the renewables target would be ensured by a new governance system based on national energy plans, but that the U.K. government has been pushing for a technology-neutral approach that downplays the role of renewables.

U.S. adds 777 MW of capacity in 2013

European Commission proposes new renewable energy targets

Alex De Martini // Manager, Business Development, Southeast Region904-910-1740 // [email protected] // gray.com

BUILDING TOGETHERfor the future

%NQNUDQjUDCDB@CDR&Q@X@CDRHFMATHKC$/"BNMSQ@BSNQ G@RRDQUDCANSGCNLDRSHB@MCHMSDQM@SHNM@KBTRSNLDQRSGQNTFGNTS SGD426DG@UDCDRHFMDC@MCATHKS@VHCDU@QHDSXNEBNLOKDW HMCTRSQH@KOQNIDBSRQDRTKSHMFHMMD@QKXHMCTRSQH@KE@BHKHSHDR@BQNRR SGDBNTMSQX6HSGSGHRKDUDKNEDWODQHDMBD&Q@XHRBNMRHRSDMSKX Q@MJDC@LNMFSGDSNOFQDDMBNMSQ@BSNQRHMSGD42

2013 capacity additionsNo. of units Installed capacity

(MW)Biomass 97 777water 19 378Wind 18 1,129Geothermal steam 4 59Solar 266 2,936Waste heat 2 76Coal 2 1,543Natural gas 77 7,270Nuclear 0 0Oil 16 38SOURCE: FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION


This long, cold winter has uncovered a few inconvenient truths about our power supply and its long-term prospects.

The prevailing opinion in recent years, refl ected in state and federal energy policyor lack thereofis that natural gas is plentiful and cheap, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Because of this estima-tion, encouraged by a fracking and drilling boom in places like North Dakota and Texas, there hasnt been much urgency in promoting alternatives to fossil fuels.

Until now. At the end (we hope) of a bitterly cold winter, the coldest in recent memory, the fl aws of this plan are becoming clearer. As temperatures dropped, Americans cranked up their thermostats. The sudden increase in demand caused electricity costs to spike beyond belief, at times as high as $475 per MWh in places like Boston, more than 10 times the usual rate. Perennially low natural gas prices couldnt keep up with the high demand, and rose to their highest levels since 2008.

This scenario, causing sticker shock to home-owners paying utility bills across the country, under-scored the need for reliable, baseload energy sources to make up the difference during peak demand seasons and times. Natural gas as a sole baseload source of energy, supplemented by solar and wind as alternative sources, is not a reliable enough mix of energy sources to sustain the country during extreme

weather conditions. There must be a solid range of baseload energy sources, like biomass and nuclear power, available to generate energy during a polar vortex or an especially brutal August.

A recent Greenwire story highlighted the impacts of a natural gas-centric energy policy on the nuclear power industry. The focus on supporting the use of inexpensive natural gas has had the unintended conse-quence of endangering the nuclear industry because, as one nuclear expert put it, the industry is waning without a price on carbon in markets that dont recog-nize the value of carbon-free power.

Just like nuclear power, biomass is challenged be-cause natural gas is seen as the fuel of choice. Utilities substitution of natural gas for coal could prove to be a penny-wise, pound-foolish strategy, whereas invest-ing in a power source like wood is the wiser long-term choice. Wood is a stable, predictable commodity that can be relied upon with some certainty.

While unpleasant, Old Man Winter may have taught us something this year: our energy policy needs to put much more of a premium on reliable, baseload power.

Author: Bob CleavesPresident and CEO, Biomass Power Association

www.biomasspowerassociation.com [email protected]

Lessons of Winter

POWER

BY BOB CLEAVES


POWER

Steve Bossotti, Bob Cleaves and Mark Paisley are making a mark on the biomass power industry.BY ANNA SIMET

Power PunditsPower Pundits

Bob CleavesBiomass Power Association

esBob CleaveonBiomass Power Associatio


POWER

Most in the biomass power sec-tor recognize the name or face of Bob Cleaves, president of the Biomass Power Associa-tion. Usually boarding several planes per week en route to do so, Cleaves spends his time tirelessly representing, educating and advocating for the industry.

Trained as an attorneyfi rst as a white-collar prosecutor immediately after law school and then in the private sectorCleaves says he always gravitated toward public policy. In law school, my dream job was to become an anti-trust lawyer for the U.S. Justice Department, he says. I applied, but wasnt even granted an inter-view. In hindsight, that was fortunate, be-cause working as an anti-trust lawyer in the Reagan White House would have been a Maytag repairman-like experience.

While he didnt get his dream job, Cleavess contact at the DOJ told him the environmental section might have open-ings. As luck would have it, I interviewed with the head of a white-collar section, who happened to be from Maine. When he learned that I, too, was from Maine, I was hired. That opportunity gave me great insight into environmental laws and poli-cyknowledge that has proven invaluable in my work for the biomass sector.

After about 15 years in law, Cleaves sought something new and different, but that utilized the skills he had developed. By the early 2000s, environmental and energy policy converged through the promotion of renewable energy, and Cleaves had the chance to consult for a subsidiary of Waste Management, Wheelabrator Technologies, and was invited to assist the company in promoting a sector of their businessbiomass powerthat was outside of their mainstream waste-to-energy business. I became involved in the biomass trade as-

sociation, which was then called the USA Biomass Power Producers Alliance, he says. I was asked to run the organization in 2008, changed the name, moved it from northern California to Portland, Maine, and the rest is history.

Cleaves describes his work at BPA as part educating, part advocating. To do that, we [BPA] need to be present at the federal and state levelsthe latter being particularly challenging, given the small nature of our associationparticipate in seminars, collaborate with other trade asso-ciations, and be in the mix on Capitol Hill.

A typical week in Bobs shoes may involve Monday in Maine doing weekly staff calls, Tuesday in a state capital meet-ing with energy offi cials on the importance of biomass, Wednesday in a D.C. meeting with fellow trade associations on various initiatives, Thursday on Capitol Hill attend-ing a tax or energy related meeting, and Fri-day back in Maine planning an event like the BPA annual fl y-in.

So whats changed in the biomass power industry since Cleavess debut? Ex-posure, he says, in a word. Historically, we were a little-known industry that was an inside baseball kind of business. Few people understood the value of biomass energy. That has changed, in part because of the renewable energy growth in the U.S., and in part because of the misunderstand-ing caused by studies like Manomet, which opponents have wrongly used to conclude that biomass is worse than coal.

The industry has also changed in terms of complexity, Cleaves adds. Until recently, our focus was federal tax policyit is now much broader. We need to be a jack-of-all-trades by involving ourselves in a wide variety of energy policy issues, and, importantly, U.S. EPA regulatory matters.

To adjust to those changes, commu-

nication and outreach strategies by the association have become more sophisticated. Part of that was out of necessity, because of the spotlight that biomass has received in recent years, but it is also because we feel that the single largest hurdle for our industry is the publics lack of knowledge, and therefore appreciation for what we do, Cleaves says. School children in the country know about wind turbines and solar panels, but how many of them can explain how a steam turbine works, and why it makes sense to take waste wood and generate electricity? If we cant change that, we will never be success-ful in defeating the misinformation campaign that asserts that we are harvesting natural forests for energy.

Milestones are being made, however, particularly with federal departments such as the USDA. Last year, with the help and lead-ership of USDA and the U.S. Forest Service, we created a public/private partnership and signed a memorandum of understanding, Cleaves says. USDA gets it. Biomass energyto heat our homes and provide electricity to our communitiesnot only comes from homegrown sources of energy, but it helps solve a critically impor-tant challenge for federal land managers facing the challenge of re-ducing forest fi re risk and keeping forests healthy.

On near-term milestones, Cleaves says hed like to see the EPA complete its work on biogenic carbon. Theres a tremendous amount of misinformation, and EPA plays a critically important role in setting the record straight. Once we get the carbon policy settled, Congress needs to put a price on carbon. Without valuing the exter-nalities of carbon emissions, I fear that all renewable technologies

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POWER

Steve Bossotti Covanta Energy

BIOMASS to ENERGY

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POWER

not just biomass will be unable to realize their full potential. The story of biomass has a long way to go before its fully written.

Steve BossottiDuring his lengthy 25-plus-year career in the energy-from-

waste (EfW) sector, Steve Bossotti has performed most roles that a power facility has to offer. Throughout the years, the Bayside, N.Y., native has witnessed this biomass power sector transform, innovate and maximize effi ciency. Now a seasoned industry veteran, Bos-sotti is equipped with the skills and knowhow to help craft cutting-edge strategies to ensure Covanta Energy Inc.s fl eet of facilities are squeezing as much value as possible out of municipal solid waste.

When asked where his work values and drive come from, Bos-sotti points to his parents. They were raised during the Great De-pression, and taught us there was no substitution for hard work, that it would lead to opportunities in life, he shares. Like most kids, I dreamed of being a Major League baseball player, but my skills were better suited for a career focused on math and science. My father was instrumental in guiding me to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and instilling in me a keen interest in engineering.

Bossotti graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., in 1987, and served his obligation in the Naval Reserves, where he attained the rank of Lieutenant. It was at Kings Point where I became passionate about people and leadership, he says. It was also there that I received my formal education in engi-neering and gained an interest in steam plants.

Bossottis fi rst job in the EfW business was as a control room operator at a new facility in 1988. As I do today, I found energy pro-duction fascinating, and that I was able to really apply what I learned in school. Thermodynamics, heat transfer, fl uid mechanicsI had my own laboratory with a myriad of data points and could demon-strate how they all worked in unison to make energy.

Bossotti became a shift supervisor within a year, and then re-ceived the opportunity to work as a fi eld engineer. This allowed me to rapidly develop ideas and improvements to systems in the facility, he says. I learned to infl uence without authority in this role, and took pride in making systems better for my coworkers. My colleagues in this industry are some of the most dedicated people you will ever meet, and I knew then that I wanted to help make their lives better while improving the operations of our facilities.

That desire led to Bossottis fi rst managerial role leading a 24-person maintenance department at one of Covantas larger facili-ties. I learned a lot about prioritization and planning, and how to stretch a budget in this role, he says. I also learned the importance of key performance indicators and open discussion with employ-ees. As with any business, you can often fi nd employees that dont know what the end goals are, and, ironically, they are the ones with the ability that allows us to attain them. I found that holding round table meetings and open discussions about where to focus, how to improve and what training we needed to stay sharp, were a great help in bridging that gap. Subsequently, we were able to improve facility availability nearly three percent year over year.


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Those maintenance achievements led to a promotion to operations engineering man-ager and eventually facility manager at two of Covantas largest facilities. I learned to directly manage facility fi nances while stand-ing fi rm on employee engagement and con-tinuous improvement.

By 2005, Bossotti was promoted to vice president of operations to lead nine facilities and two waste transfer stations. In this role, I had the opportunity to see wonderful ideas and different improvements implemented at each facility, and I was able to successfully facilitate the sharing of that knowledge, he says.

Finally, Bossotti entered the role he pres-ently hasleading a newly formed group dedicated to organic growth and innovation. In this role, Im charged with creating new or improved business opportunities at all of our facilities using technology advancements specifi c to metals recycling, ash reuse and liquids disposal, he says. What started as a new, three-person group has now grown to 14 professionals focused on adding revenue through innovative technology and lessons learned.

Less than 15 years ago, rather than re-cycling it, Covanta was paying to dispose of metal at some of its plants. Today, it is an important part of the companys busi-ness. The ferrous and nonferrous metal market advancements have fostered tech-

nology improvements that now allow us to recover fi ner particles of metal for resale, Bossotti says. Were creating business lines that didnt exist even four years agoits ex-citing. Today we are focused on new metal recycling systems, and tomorrow it could be something completely different, but Im sure it will be cool and innovative.

Ultimately, Bossottis dream is to see EfW facilities in the U.S. reuse ash more often, for better purposes. Bottom ash, outside the U.S., is often used for roadbed, drainage and for other construction and in-dustrial purposes, he says. A high percent-age of ash material from U.S. facilities can be substituted for aggregate, instead of sent to an ash mono-fi ll for reuse at landfi lls as daily cover. There are numerous studies that sug-gest its possible, and I have participated in pilot programs with members of academia and industry to study the feasibility of mak-ing it work. With the right focus and sup-port from regulators, we can absolutely ac-complish ash reuse in the U.S. It would allow us to completely close the loop by utilizing the last remaining waste product from our industry.

Mark PaisleyMark Paisley has been in the biomass in-

dustry a long while, likely before it was even recognized as that. Armed with numerous patents and a lengthy, accomplished career

history, Paisleys work has advanced biomass gasifi cation in the country, and his work still isnt done.

Paisley grew up in Zanesville, Ohio, and attended the Uni-versity of Cincinnati. I have always had an interest in science and

designing things, so chemical engineering seemed to be a natural, he says. In college, he had anticipated studying biomedical engi-neeringa brand new fi eld at the timebut had a change of plans, thanks to the military draft. He eventually accepted a job at Bab-cock and Wilcox Company at its research center in Alliance, Ohio, and it was there that he began his gasifi cation journey. In the early 1970s, in the height of the energy crisis, B&W was working on a number of gasifi ca-tion projects, and I was involved in several of them, Paisley says. I caught the alterna-tive energy bug then, and have been involved in gasifi cation projects since. My fi rst patent for a gasifi cation process was issued while I was working at B&W, for a coal gasifi cation process that used sulfur dioxide as the gasify-ing agent.

His career at B&W began in 1972, after which he joined Battelle in Columbus, Ohio, where he was employed for 20 years. Dur-

POWER

Mark PaisleyTaylor Biomass Energy


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ing those 20 years, I was fortunate enough to have a dozen patents issued in my name, covering a variety of gasifi cation processes and recycling technologies. It was at Bat-telle that I was fi rst introduced to biomass as a gasifi cation feedstock, and I discovered that biomass had many desirable attributes, as well as few of the undesirable attributes that were present in coal. In short, I became a biomass advocate.

Paisleys work at Battelle included in-venting what is now known as the Silva-Gas process, which was demonstrated at commercial scale in Burlington, Vt., in the late 1990s. When Future Energy Resources bought the SilvaGas process from Battelle in 2000, Paisley moved to the company along with the technology, where he oversaw the fi nal stages of the Vermont gasifi cation pro-gram. Finally, in 2005, Paisley joined Tay-lor Biomass and invented another biomass gasifi cation process that he says, further improves the market opportunities for com-mercial biomass implementation.

For Paisley, the versatility of products that gasifi cation can produce has been the real appeal of the technology. Options in-clude replacements for gaseous, liquid, and even solid fuels, and by means of synthesis applications, chemical feedstocks and prod-ucts can be produced, Paisley says. Hydro-gen production can also be produced effec-tively using gasifi cation as the starting point. This sustainability and the potential of bio-mass to provide a signifi cant impact to the worlds energy supplies continue to keep my interest.

While no week is the same for Paisley, his activities usually involve travel to and participation in process design activities with engineering partners, authoring and pre-sentation of technical papers for technical meetings, presentation of short courses, data evaluation and interpretation, project devel-opment, and test plan development. Labo-ratory work related to process operation is also a part of the activity list, but has been limited as the plant [Taylor Biomass Energys power plant in Montgomery, N.Y.] has not yet been completed. I also work closely with the patent attorney in his patent prosecution efforts.

While widespread deployment of bio-mass gasifi cation in the U.S. is yet to be seen, Paisley said during his career, one signifi cant change thats occurred within the sector is that biomass-based energy has developed from an industry-specifi c energy solutionpulp and paperto a much more widespread energy option. Along the way, interest in specifi c energy products has varied, directed primarily by political option as implemented by the U.S. DOE. Todays biomass energy programs, being directed more by industry, are poised to take advantage of the range of

energy options available and move into true commercial application.

Before retirement, Paisley adds, he hopes to see biomass gasifi cation and bio-mass energy, in general, be recognized and implemented as a signifi cant contributor to the worlds energy supply.

Author: Anna SimetManaging Editor, Biomass Magazine

[email protected]

POWER


PelletNews

Resources for the Future recently host-ed a seminar focused on carbon accounting and forest management. The event, titled Considering the Contributions of Forests in the Management of Greenhouse Gas Emissions, was cosponsored by the Soci-ety of American Foresters.

Roger Sedjo, senior fellow and direc-tor of the Forest Economics and Policy Program at RFF moderated the discussion, noting forests can play an important role in moderating greenhouse gas emissions.

When it comes to monitoring net biogenic emissions from bioenergy facilities, he said there are two major options. The fi rst focuses on individual facilities. The second involves monitoring the overall stock of wood in the forest. A huge advantage of the second approach is its low cost com-pared with detailed monitoring of indi-vidual facilities, Sedjo said, noting the U.S. Forest Service already collects much of the data that is needed.

President Obama signed the 2014 Farm Bill into law during a Feb. 7 ceremony at Michigan State University. During his speech, Obama also an-nounced the launch the new Made in Rural America export and investment initiative.

Despite its name, the Farm Bill is not just about helping farmers, Obama said during his speech at MSU. Secretary Vilsack calls it a jobs bill; an innovation bill; an infrastructure bill; a research bill; a conservation billits like a Swiss army knife, he continued, noting the legislation helps create jobs and provides an economic lift for rural communities.

The Made in Rural America initia-tive is expected to further benefi t the U.S. agriculture community and related businesses. The program is charged with bringing together federal resources to help rural businesses and leaders take advantage of new investment oppor-tunities and access new customers and markets abroad.

RFF event addresses carbon accounting, forest management

Obama signs Farm Bill, launches new initiative

Total forest ecosystem carbon density imputed from forest inventory plots, conterminous U.S., 2000-2009. SOURCE: WILSON ET AL., CARBON BALANCE AND MANAGEMENT 2013

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When people talk about energy, particularly at the federal level, they think of electricity and transportation. In the northern states, those two large sectors account for about 65 percent of en-ergy use. The other 35 percentwhich is heat for homes and businesses is often ignored in policy discussions.

The reason this matters is that the heat in many homes is produced from burning imported petroleum-based fossil fuel in boilers or furnaces. For northern states that are dependent in part on heating oil and propane, the majority of every dollar spent on heating fuel leaves the regional economy, and much of that money spent on heat-ing leaves the country.

If heating oil were a product of U.S. petroleum, at least the money spent would stay in the country. But most of the heating oil refi ned in the U.S. for the north-ern markets is not. Only about 19 percent of the heating oil refi ned in the Gulf Coast refi neries comes from petroleum extracted from U.S. wells

At a price of $3.80 per gallon, FutureMetrics esti-mates that about 770,000 jobs are exported to the other countries that supply the petroleum for heating oil and some of the propane used to keep Northern Tier states homes and business warm. This estimate excludes areas that already heat with natural gas or electricity, and areas that are likely to get natural gas.

A very optimistic scenario might suggest that by 2020, most urban centers will have natural gas. But that will leave a lot of homes and business on heating oil or propane. The pictured chart shows the number of rural households in the northern tier states that are not on natural gas, most of which will never have a natural gas connection.

It would be irresponsible, given the current demands by the pulp and paper industry, to suggest that there is suffi cient sustainable forest feedstock today to make pel-lets to heat 6 million homes. But the world is changing, and demand for fi ber from our working forests for pa-permaking will change dramatically in the coming decade.

We are already almost half way to having enough pellet fuel for 6 million homes. Currently, the U.S. pro-duces nearly 10.4 million tons per year of wood pellets

annually. Another 7.9 million tons of capacity is under construction or in the advanced development phase. Some of the existing production and almost all of the new capacity is earmarked for export into overseas mar-kets. If those pellets were to stay here for our heating markets, they would heat almost 2.6 million homes.

The conversion from petroleum-based heating fuel to premium wood pellet fuel has many benefi ts, which accrue from three key pathways that have positive multiplier effects: More than 75 percent of each dollar spent on heating oil does not stay in the local economy, and jobs are exported along with that money. Locally produced pellet fuel keeps almost 100 percent of every dollar spent circulating locally; pellet fuel is about half the price of heating oil for the same heating energy, and those savings increase the income that households and businesses have to spend in the local economy; the sup-ply chain for harvesting, manufacturing and distributing sustainable biomass creates jobs.

Additionally, the conversion of 6 million homes and businesses from heating oil and propane to wood pellets would reduce net carbon emissions in the U.S. by 81.6 million tons per year.

The premium wood pellet sector can deliver lower end-user heating costs, a higher degree of energy inde-pendence, needed jobs from three important pathways, and can reduce carbon dioxide emissions while doing so.

Author: William StraussPresident, FutureMetrics

[email protected]

The Multifaceted Benefits of Pellets

PELLETS

BY WILLIAM STRAUSS


PELLET

In an industry with a healthy stable of innovators and advocates, few would argue with the contributions of Chris Wiberg, Les Otten and Seth GintherBY TIM PORTZ

Pellet PropellersPellet Propellers

Seth GintherU.S. Industrial Pellet Association

Seth Gintherellet AssociationU.S. Industrial Pe


PELLET

Seth Ginther is the biomass industrys best example of the adage no good deed goes unpunished. After he thoroughly impressed a group of legal clients in the Southeast, they formed the U.S. Industrial Pellet Association, and named him executive director. That was four years ago, and today, Ginther is the voice of the fastest-growing U.S. biomass segment, charged with promoting the value proposition embodied in the production and use of industrial wood pellets.

When someone needs to speak with policymakers in European Parliament to help them understand the complex nuances of the North American forest products industry, Ginther goes. When large and small news outlets publish misleading articles or opinion pieces about the growing pellet export market and its impact on forests, Ginther responds. And when it becomes clear that making the case that repowering large coal assets with pellets is a viable ap-proach to slowing climate change will be a mammoth task, Ginther digs in.

Those familiar with Ginther and his experience do not fi nd this surprising. While attend-ing the University of Richmonds T.C. Williams School of Law, Ginther served as the editor-in-chief of the Richmond Journal of Law and Public Interest. Throughout a career peppered with experience serving as legal counsel to combined-heat-and-power, landfi ll gas, wood pellet and other renewable energy companies, Ginther has found himself hand-selected to take on a new challenge.

In 2003, Ginther took a leave of absence from his law practice to accept a position to rep-resent all state boards that reported to the secretaries of both fi nance and commerce and trade. Soon after, he was asked to sit on Virginia Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffes Transition Council on Agriculture and Forestry Policy. Work has a way of fi nding its way to people who can get things done, and Ginther is no exception.

To his credit, Ginther seems to derive energy from both his schedule and the varied tasks he performs. He is quick to attribute this to the professionals he works with and for saying, The most exciting aspect of my job is, without a doubt, the people that I get to work with on a regular basis. It starts with our members and extends to their customers, the regulators and politicians from diverse cultures that drive the policy behind this industry, those involved in the supply chain, and my counterparts at other trade associations we work with on a regular basis. Each one of these professionals is helping to blaze the trail that has enabled the industry to grow so quickly. I am constantly learning from them, and that is a real pleasure.

As Ginther looks into the remainder of 2014, he expects hell have to maintain his regular presence in the European policy theater. It will be a busy year for us, he says. European policy remains extremely important, and we will continue to be on the ground in the U.K., Brussels, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Ginthers steady presence in Europe is likely a refl ection of his belief that despite the clar-ity of the benefi ts of using biomass as a coal replacement, those driving policy both here and abroad continue to hear from constituencies with different sentiments. Refl ecting on the past year Ginther notes, I think the biggest lesson learned from 2013 is that we cannot take for granted the fact that everybody understands what our industry does, and the positive impact that we are having. Accordingly, we need to constantly be out there educating policymakers and the general public on what we do.

It would be hard to classify the near-term outlook for industrial pellet producers in North America as anything but bright. Export fi gures rise with each passing quarter, and pellet offtak-ers in the U.K. and mainland Europe havent even completed all of the planned retrofi ts and new construction that has created current demand. Still, Ginther knows that success often stokes the fi res of contempt, and he and his organizations ability to clearly articulate their value proposition is tantamount.

For now, Ginther continues to work and sharpen the industrys message. Quoting another lawyer, he says, Lincoln once said give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will use four sharpening the axe. Constant, measured preparation is the key to successful initiatives. If we are going to be active on an issue on behalf of the industry, we are going to make sure that we are prepared for any surprises, and correct course as needed in order to achieve our desired objective.


Chris WibergChris Wiberg had been working for a fuels lab for seven years when

he attended a biomass conference in 2005, and something just clicked. The U.S. domestic pellet industry was in growth mode, but struggled with the types of issues that plague an industry that does not have well defi ned standards, he says. As a technical guy, I made it my mission to provide technical expertise to help make that happen.

But well before that watershed moment when his role within the industry crystallized, Wiberg was drawn to labs. I was always very in-terested in the fancy machines that chemists get to use to quantify and qualify chemical and physical properties of things, he says. That inter-est has served me well, in that our lab now contains many of these types of instruments.

Already a seasoned laboratory professional, Wiberg has fused his laboratory prowess and passion for the industry to drive development of standards and their uptake across the pellet industry. This work eventually led to my involvement in helping to develop the current Pel-let Fuel Institute standards, solid biofuel standards through ISO TC 238 and other industry standards.

Wibergs contributions to standards development is widely known and appreciated throughout the industry, but hes most intrigued by what working toward compliance with these standards can do for pellet producers. I fi nd the practical application of my technical knowledge as the most interesting part of what I do, he says. There is a lot that goes into running the various tests, but if you dont know which tests best suit your purpose, if you dont understand the data that is gener-ated, or if you dont know how to apply it to improve the quality of your

process, then the cost of testing doesnt bring much value. What I truly enjoy is applying our laboratory ser-vices to generate informa-tion that can then solve pro-cess problems, help design a new product, or just assure the continued performance of an existing process.

As Wiberg and his colleagues developed their business, he was confi dent in the quality and value of the service offering they had developed. Still, he expresses surprise at the rapid growth within the sector and strong demand for Biomass Energy Labs services. When we developed our business model, we were confi dent that it would well serve the needs of biomass fuel producers and users, and as such, there has been a large interest and need for our services and core competencies, he shares. I think our biggest surprise was the rate at which we had to grow to keep up with the infl ux of new work.

Wiberg and Biomass Energy Lab have themselves well positioned to serve a North American pellet industry thats likely to double, if all of the planned and under construction plants come on line as planned.

PELLET

Chris WibergBiomass Energy Lab

While the capacity increases are eye-popping and unbelievable to some industry observers, Wiberg ceases to be amazed. I have learned not to underestimate the potential this industry has, he says. It often takes time for biomass fuel production projects to put all of the pieces in place, but there are now many projects completing that process, giving assurance that many of the proposed projects we read about will make it to the fi nish line. Persistence has paid off in many cases, and I think we will continue to see that in the future.

Wiberg is confi dent that an industry push toward quality certifi ca-tion will keep him busy. There are many established fuel producers that will likely make this the year to qualify or certify their production to a quality management scheme such as PFIs Standards program and the EN plus standard, he adds. We have seen signifi cant growth in each of these programs in the past year, but expect their popularity will increase signifi cantly in the next year or two.

Les OttenA few career iterations ago, Les Otten, co-founder of Maine En-

ergy Systems, looked across a table and informed the president of Rossi-gnol he was prepared to make a bold investment for the ski properties he owned and operated at the time. He called up his plant in either Austria or Italy and told the manager that he wanted to make 10,000 pairs of shaped skis and the guy told him he was nuts, Otten says, and that it was just a fad. Otten was vindicated in just short four years, as these new, parabolic skis had entirely replaced its straight ski predecessors.

For Otten, success in business has a broader defi nition. Ive al-ways looked at business as not only having to be viable, but also being

able to make a game-altering contribution to the industry I was working in, he says.

Ottens contributions to the ski industry didnt start or stop with shaped skis. He began working in the industry when he was 21 years old, and just two years later, he was named ski operation manager at Sunday River ski resort in Newry, Maine. In 1980, he bought the resort, and after nine years of building a loyal customer base, he was recog-nized by Inc. Magazine as Entrepreneur of the Year in the turnaround category.

Otten continued to build his resort business, growing it into the multiproperty American Skiing Company, which, as would become Ot-tens trademark approach, focused heavily on marketing and infrastruc-ture development.

From 2002 to 2007, Otten served as vice chairman and minor-ity partner of the Boston Red Sox, which won its fi rst World Series since 1918 in 2004, while Otten was a part of the organization. There, he spearheaded an effort to reimagine and revitalize the teams historic venue. When I looked at the Boston Red Sox, it became very obvious to me that in order for them to be a great value and saleable franchise, they needed to keep Fenway Park, he says. Everybody wanted to tear it down and build a new one. I looked at Fenway Park as a cathedral similar to the Parthenon or some of the great Roman structures. In the lexicon of baseball, Fenway Park was an icon of a bygone era, and instead of tearing it down, I wanted to refurbish it.

After winning two World Series rings with the club, Otten parted ways with the organization and began looking for his next challenge. I wanted to go on to the next thing, and I didnt know what it was going

PELLET


PELLET

to be, he explains. I started to look around at different industries, at anything that needed a fresh look, so I started to look at energy.

Otten makes no bones about opinions on the long-term viability of fossil-based fu-els saying, All the coal and oil that is on the planet was made in a 300- to 400-million-year period of time. And in the blink of an eye, in the timeline of the planet, we were essentially going to use all of it. It dawned on me seven or eight years ago that this was wholly illogical and that there must be an economy that can

be built in response to this, one that made capitalistic and global sense for the use of biomass.

At that point, the earliest sketches of Maine Energy Systems begin to emerge, which would focus on biomass thermal, a low technolo-gy risk and simple solution for mov-ing the Northeast away from the entrenched heating oil solution that dominated the marketplace. We looked at it and realized this is a seg-ment of the [energy] industry that doesnt need new invention, it needs marketing, he says. It needs aware-ness. It needs government support, but it doesnt need research.

Otten is nothing if not practi-cal. Early in the development of Maine Energy Systems, he recog-nized that he and his team would have to devise a thermal biomass so-

lution that didnt require a signifi cant increase in homeowner attention when compared to heating oil and propane. If this is going to be successful in the U.S., there are going to be the hobbyists that are willing to work for their heat, but the majority of folks are not going to want to work for their heat ,they are just going to want to turn on the thermostat, he says.

While Ottens team worked to devise a solution that would be attractive to consumers, or at the very least, wouldnt turn them away,

he turned his attention back to the business and began working to build credibility with the lending and investment communities. I remember speaking with some senior lenders at JP Morgan Chase discussing our industry and they said wed be happy to start lending your industry money, as soon as you can show us that youve got a thousand customers that have borrowed money, that have paid back the loans, that the fuel has been delivered, that the trucks exist, and that you are mainstr

april 2014 biomass magazine

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