[Gasification] Forbes.com: The New New Fuel

[Katahdin Energy Works]

New York state has test plots of hybrid, fast growing plants like Black
Willow; but the results aren't in yet.

My plans partially rely on State Planning Agency data on biomass accumulated
from landfill operators...45,000 tons last year; nearly all of it from tree
trimming and land clearing.

BTU...depends on a lot of factors...hard vs. soft wood; moisture content,
harvesting offsets, etc. Richard Hill of the University of Maine has
published on this matter. 

I kinda like those big round hay bales, wrapped up and unsold, sitting in
fields. Chips go for about $35 a ton; but are sold by the truck load. Lots
of chips go to biomass boilers, pellet factories, or in the land fill or
simply left to rot in the woods. 

I think a successful gasifier would have to be a bit omnivorous...taking in
any cellulosic material if it's moisture is below 20% and it has a low ash &
contaminant content. Ankur designs and warranties them based on the specific
feedstock. 

A. Digesters, with some limits can blend wood and manure nicely/

Frank J. Heller, MPA
KATAHDIN ENERGY WORKS
12 Belmont St.
Brunswick, ME 04011-3004
207.729.6090
http://mysite.verizon.net/fjheller/

-----Original Message-----
From: gasification-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:gasification-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Bob Stuart
Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 1:23 PM
To: Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification
Subject: Re: [Gasification] Forbes.com: The New New Fuel


On 9-Nov-07, at 8:36 AM, Toby Seiler wrote:

> David, Benjamin and all;
>
>   This is a subject that Paul Anderson has good information on.  A  
> discussion that I had with him concerned a given area of land, the  
> ultimate heat derived in btu terms and other benefits that could be  
> gained from managing the forest and lands for energy production,  
> equally with other human needs.
>
>   Best forest management practice could include an energy  
> component.  In a mixed woodland, that growth could be modeled and  
> implemented for energy production, timber stand improvement, carbon  
> sequestration and shelter from extremes in climate or holding soils  
> in place, that are equally important with other needs for human  
> use.   This planning is unlike the annual harvest of switchgrass.   
> A rotation on five or ten year cycle would be part of a selective  
> harvest, perhaps with some clear-cutting and fire break planning,  
> but with accompanying planting of new growth.
>
>   Each area has differing growth rates and species of woody plants  
> that can grow upon it.  We discussed that each woody plant or tree  
> has certain growth in biomass and that, for example, oak, walnut,  
> cherry, and Osage orange can be calculated to a yearly average for  
> comparison.  Each biomass species has available btu per dry (or  
> wet) ton.  Thus an acre of annual growth can be reduced to btu  
> terms for each woody plant grown.  In my discussion with Paul, we  
> concluded that turning anything (specifically corn) into alcohol,  
> is a recovery of about 1/3 of the thermal energy available per acre.
>
>   My argument is that even a rather slow growth tree, like Osage,  
> may have a high btu content and that the heat ultimately available  
> by rotation management of forestland, could exceed that of annual  
> plantings.  This is a planning approach that I believe will  
> ultimately be necessary for large scale reliance on renewable fuel,  
> probably first on government lands, or by economic incentives on  
> private land, compensating the owner for the public benefits that  
> are longer term.  Planning a healthy forest is not inconsistent  
> with energy and wood product needs.

I am quite interested in the question of how many BTU / year can be  
produced on an acre, especially with a short growing season.  I've  
heard that softwoods have an advantage at  gathering rays at the ends  
of the season.  I was quite tempted to plan a gasifier based on straw  
until I realized that the annual production  from a woodlot is far  
more consistent.  I am located at the edge of the northern boreal  
forest, on the Great Plains of NA.

It is interesting that the recovered forest areas of New England were  
formerly producing fuel for the horses of NYC and Boston, and then  
were out-competed by farms in California which are dependent on  
irrigation and transportation.

Best,
Bob Stuart




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