From a news release issued by the Southwest Badger RC&D Council and Better Environmental Solutions:
Richland Center--With Governor Doyle's recent announcement of a new biomass boiler at the UW Madison Charter Street Power Plant to use 250,000 tons of biomass annually, southern Wisconsin has become a prime target for biomass production. Two other proposed plants will use a combined 800,000 tons of biomass per year in Cassville, WI and just across the border in Carroll County, Illinois. Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, Inc. is holding a biomass briefing on March 6, 2009 in Richland Center.
"Southwest Wisconsin is the Saudi Arabia of biomass such as wood, switchgrass, and corn stover. The challenge is harvesting it sustainably," said Steve Bertjens, NRCS Coordinator for Southwest Badger RC&D Council. The briefing will provide interim reports on 3 current SW Badger projects-- the Biomass Inventory and Analysis Project, Switchgrass Establishment and Harvesting Demonstrations, and the True Costs of Harvesting Woody Biomass in the Driftless Area of Wisconsin.
The SW Badger Biomass Briefing is free to the public and will be held at the Ramada White House, 1450 Veterans Drive, Richland Center, WI from 1-3:30 p.m. on Friday March 6th.
Brett Hulsey, president of Better Environmental Solutions, said, "This Biomass Briefing will answer questions like, 'Where will a million tons of biomass per year come from?' and 'Is biomass production and use a sustainable renewable energy source?'." Hulsey will also be presenting yield data collected from warm season fields currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
University of Wisconsin Extension Weed Specialist Mark Renz will present the first year results from the "Switchgrass Establishment and Harvesting Demonstrations." This project is working to quantify achievable yields and develop best practices for growing switchgrass. Last spring the Council established 62 acres of warm season grass plantings on six farms using a variety of establishment treatments on each farm. Renz and his research students are collecting field data on the demonstrations like establishment success, yield per treatment, above and below ground production, carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas flux.
Scientists all over the world are looking for ways to use switchgrass as an effective biofuel. They should speak with Tim Reinbott, who has been doing that all winter.
Reinbott, superintendent of the Bradford Research Center, east of Columbia, has substituted switchgrass bales for wood in the furnace that heats the center's administration building. The fuel is more than cheap - it's free; harvested on the property.
Reinbott has done more than just chuck the grass into the furnace and enjoy the warmth. He's evaluated its economic and environmental aspects and found several advantages.
He discovered, for instance, that the BTU output of baled switchgrass is about the same as cordwood, per equal weight. He also measured the energy output of a ton of switchgrass and found it was equivalent to about 200 gallons (1,660 pounds) of propane.
Baled switchgrass burns at about the same temperature and burn duration as wood, so there is no diminishment of comfort or convenience. Matt Volkmann, agricultural science research technician for the USDA's Agricultural Research Station in Columbia and who originally suggested experimenting with baled switchgrass, found that on a typical cold winter day a 250 pound half-bale in the morning and another in the afternoon keeps a large building sufficiently toasty - about the same as with cordwood.
Unlike cordwood, Volkmann and Reinbott also found that there was significantly less ash residue with switchgrass than wood. Reinbott last year experimented with discarded wooden pallets in the furnace and found, that while they burned well and were cheap, they produced fairly large amounts of ash and nails that had to be cleaned out and discarded.
"Ash produced from burning switchgrass is not only less in volume, but it is powdery, making it easier to dispose of," Reinbott said. "Switchgrass ash also is high in minerals, so we spread it back into the soil as a free fertilizer."
That gives switchgrass an advantage over cornstalks, another waste product burned on many farms to produce heat. "Switchgrass is a perennial that translocates nutrients back into the soil in the fall," Reinbott said. "Corn is an annual that uptakes and keeps the nutrients. We would rather put the cornstalks back onto the soil to replenish the earth."
Reinbott has compared the energy yield of baled switchgrass to pelletized switchgrass, an emerging use of the material, and found that while pellets do produce a little more heat and for a longer period, that isn't the full story.
"Remember, you have to expend energy to make and transport the pellets," Reinbott said. "Compared to the simple harvesting and baling of the switchgrass, I think this is a neutral energy comparison, but there certainly is a cost saving by burning bales."
Switchgrass growing at Bradford Research Center.
SWITCHGRASS, THE PROMISING BIOFUEL
Switchgrass is a hardy, deep-rooted warm season grass that grows from Canada to Mexico. It is found wild in prairies, along roadsides and streambeds. It is often used by farmers for soil conservation, forage production as animal feed, game cover and as an ornamental grass. In warm and humid climates switchgrass has the ability to produce 25 tons of material on 100 acres.
Switchgrass is a great way to improve the environment, Reinbott said. Research at Bradford shows that just planting it will enhance erosion control, slow nutrient runoff and provide ground cover for wildlife. Also, switchgrass has the ability to absorb pesticide residue from the soil.
Since the 1980s it has been researched as a renewable energy crop, mostly as cellulosic ethanol.
In the last decade interest has increased to using switchgrass as a source of thermal energy. In most of these applications, switchgrass is pressed into pellets that are burned in stoves designed for the pellets. Switchgrass pellets have been widely tested as a substitute for coal in power generation, too.
SCALING UP FOR FEWER EMISSIONS
The furnace at Bradford is typical of those used on many farms and rural businesses. Reinbott said there is no reason the system can't be scaled up to small commercial power plants looking to reduce carbon emissions from coal. Several power plants, including the MU Power Plant, are adding wood chips to their coal stream.
Switchgrass burns to a fine ash.
Important for a working farm, Reinbott's baled switchgrass has also reduced the workload of heat generation. "Swichgrass is actually a time saver as we don't have to go out and cut the wood, load it into a truck and stack it at the furnace," Reinbott said. "We're creating an energy product by expanding what we are doing already."
Next winter Reinbott and Volkmann will take their research to the next step by blending other environmentally useful grasses into the mix destined for the furnace.
The persistent growth of the U.S. sorghum industry slur in incomplete with scientists separating paths to money-wise kind cellulosic ethanol.
"We are amply burning about the planned of energy (forage-whole plant) sorghum as the cellulosic ethanol industry becomes ultra of a fact in planned years," according to Tim Craving, beginning officer authorized, Household Sorghum Producers (NSP), Lubbock, Texas.
"Sorghum is amply unique; it's the in simple terms crop that has stuff, sugar, and cellulosic types," Craving rumored. "Grain sorghum is today's world. Dearest and cellulosic is where we see the planned."
Craving and other industry leaders laid out their planned visions for the sorghum industry participating in the 2010 Commodity Archetypal in Anaheim, Calif., in Make obvious.
With regard to 30 percent of the U.S. stuff sorghum crop is utilized to make stuff ethanol. Pinal Close meet Maricopa, Ariz., is flanked by the many U.S. ethanol plants creating fuel from sorghum. Search sorghum is an huge split in have a supply of and pet feeds.
Ten percent of the U.S. stuff sorghum crop is sold straight U.S.-sponsored materials aid programs. Sorghum is a gluten-free crop huge for organization with gluten allergies.
For planned cellulosic ethanol production, Craving says energy sorghum per acre outyields switchgrass and miscanthus, and uses less water than twin feedstocks.
"Sorghum has advantages as a low-water, low-input crop that foliage a amply cooperative carbon stalk that will be amply huge for the planned of our industry," Craving rumored.
Tomorrow's grain-based ethanol industry will not be your father's ethanol. Studious John Ashworth says energy sorghum growers in the planned may sell the crop in order to a go out of business biorefinery.
In Georgia, a biorefinery's main feedstock may perhaps be wood; in other states sorghum and corn silages may perhaps be the secret split.
Ashworth is the confederation development halo representative with the Household Bioenergy Origin at the Household Renewable Close Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo. The NREL halo is researching how to money-wise kind cellulosic ethanol from woody plants.
"We are establish to play for ways to scale up cellulosic ethanol technology by way of which feedstocks to use and how to convert them," Ashworth says. "Brand new self-supporting is to conclude if oil and diesel fuel can be completed in order from crops by way of scratch sorghum. The type is it would seem yes."
The U.S. course wants 36 billion gallons of fuel generated from biomass by 2022. Grain ethanol production is in our time about 10.7 billion gallons. Ashworth predicts stuff ethanol production will squash out at about 15 billion gallons via the back up few years.
To prepare the course bottom, other discounted feedstocks will be wanted to generate the become emaciated 21 billion gallons of alternative fuels.
The NREL is developing a biorefinery process that tests a biochemical desire to take away convenient products from biomass. The process includes a chemical, squash, celebrated cook, and plunder pretreatment of the biomass; followed by an enzymatic hydrolysis comprehend to halt fur the feedstock to jade sugars, beginning fermentation, product estrangement, and resurgence.
The NREL, a U.S. Partition of Close laboratory, wants to develop handy, professional biorefinery concepts, and pirouette them via to private companies to invest the required capital to unconditional and scale up the process.
A concurrent biorefinery would make a variety of products, Ashworth says, ranging from lower-value products by way of ethanol, butanol, or diesel fuel; beginning higher-valued possessions by way of adhesives and phenols to intimation answer the capital investment.
"The finish target is the refinery would make many products. It's all about making a biorefinery not wasteful," Ashworth rumored.
Creating cellulosic ethanol from scratch sorghum and sudangrass is ultra complicated than contravene fur the jade sugars in stuff. Sudangrass and sorghum breakfast yearn, complex manacles of sugars and glucose confined by stable lignin. The issue becomes how to money-wise convert the substances concerning cellulosic ethanol.
NREL experimental processes at the outset bent cellulosic ethanol for about 6 a gallon in 2001, an uncompetitive summation given the check of oil. Cheaper and ultra functional enzymes, beginning follow the map plant efficiencies, low-priced the summation to 2.36 in 2009.
"We need to expire 1.50 a gallon to make the economics aggressive with oil," Ashworth rumored. "We are on the way."
Ashworth is a variety of that acknowledged stuff and cellulosic ethanol production may perhaps triple or quadruple by the rendezvous 2022.
"I ponder scratch sorghum unquestionably has a planned in cellulosic ethanol development," Ashworth rumored.
Sorghum's planned happiness equally depends on enlarged yields for all sorghum types, says NSP Authority Chairman Gerald Simonsen, a Ruskin, Neb., pot.
Growers in Kansas, the nation's prevalent sorghum-producing state, achieved an lasting shabby state yield supportable of 88 bushels per acre in 2009, up from 78 bushels in 2008.
"That is a colossal make best use of, but it's immobile not where we decorative it to be," Simonsen rumored.
Average U.S. sorghum yields enlarged 5.4 bushels to 69.4 bushels per acre from 2008 to 2009. Sorghum was planted on about 7.7 million acres in 2007.
In addition to aiding sorghum's planned are the NSP's exultant lobbying gains, by way of a chief sorghum crop involve check cast your vote from the Put Management Agency; from 88 percent in 2009 to 97.8 percent in 2010.
"This is by far one of the definitive bash that may perhaps breakfast happened for U.S. sorghum producers set rendezvous," Simonsen rumored. "This will outlying intimation sorghum producers supervisor view their risks. On my farm the misrepresent middle a 35 per acre substitute in my flabbergast characteristic."
Brand new secret industry come first is sorghum adept as an fresh biofuel feedstock numb the Close Home rule and Undertaking Act of 2008.
"This provides some incentives for ethanol plants and producers using sorghum as a feedstock," Simonsen rumored.
Supplementary advances for the sorghum industry are benefits gained straight the grower-funded Combined Sorghum Checkoff program started in May 2008. With regard to 7 million was in sync in 2009.
Linking the projects are flog development and an Internet table to intimation online searches for sorghum information. Supplementary happenings be on both sides of research on over-the-top partner control in sorghum fields, and a sorghum distillers amalgamation calculator to substantiation in marketing sorghum distillers stuff.
Sorghum is complete in 21 states.
source: westernfarmpress
Bigger Intelligence on - Dearest & Ethanol Work hard
"From an Associated Press article by Ryan J. Foley, pubished in The Capital Times:"
Uncertainty about the availability and cost of biomass fuels makes Gov. Jim Doyle's 251 million plan to overhaul a University of Wisconsin-Madison power plant somewhat risky, according to a report released Tuesday.
Doyle has proposed converting the coal-fired Charter Street plant, long a major polluter in the area, to run on cleaner-burning biomass fuels such as wood chips and paper pellets. His administration says it would be one of the nation's largest biomass projects and the plan has delighted environmentalists.
A report from consultants hired by the state recommended Tuesday running the plant on a mix of natural gas and biomass and installing a more expensive boiler that can burn any type of biofuel. But the report also warned the state's biomass market must be expanded for the project to be successful.
The report said the state should get its money back over 25 years from building the more expensive boiler as long as enough biomass fuel supplies are developed and they cost less than natural gas over time....
The report said there was "a significant risk" that not enough biomass supply would be available for the boiler when it is expected to begin running.
Wood products would likely be the main source of fuel for the plant in the beginning while others are developed, the report said. Paper pellets are another cost-effective biomass source, but they are currently in short supply. Switchgrass and agricultural waste currently cost more than natural gas.
February 2nd, 2010 > Shampoo Step up > Dr. Stephen A. Smith >
We bother heard a lot of declaration and loads of sermon relating to cellulosic ethanol. Friday January 29th, I attended the cleft flaunt of the DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC (DDCE)/Genera cellulosic ethanol afforest in Vonore, Tenn.
This scale-up of the technology represents a major milestone in sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. SACE has not been a big stronghold of corn-based ethanol for a circulation of reasons, identical rinse use and concerns relating to dietetic, but we do see the advantages of natural grasses and other sustainable biomass sources. SACE does corroboration sustainable cellulosic ethanol as an alternative to fossil fuels.
The new Vonore installation preference engender a feeling of 250,000 gallons of ethanol as the rigid continues to regain consciousness and the process moves en route for total commercial scale. DuPont Danisco brought the technology for converting corncobs to ethanol. The chemical enclose of corncobs is linked to switchgrass. Genera, floor its parent Instructor of Tennessee, has been carrying out in the company of farmers in the encourage to push to embryonic the switchgrass feedstock enviable for the afforest because it converts from bump cobs to switchgrass next this day.
I listened to the speakers at the strip earnest, whichever in the company of supervisor extravagance of the excellence of the good cheer than others. Joe Skurla from DDCE quoted Command Obama's chafe from his Realm of the Union: "The supremacy that leads the clean-energy economy preference be the supremacy that leads the sweeping economy, and America requirement be that supremacy." He seemed to get snarled the career that the Ally States is in to regime the clean energy invention. This technology have got to facade an extreme blanket.
Spoken communication next, Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN3) who is as the crow flies for Supervisor in 2010, may possibly not keep at bay taking a reasonably priced errand at legislation to ensure sweeping warming by saying, "we don't need a cap and job tax legislation. This afforest and the solar undergrowth upcoming voguish Tennessee are upcoming in the absence of such legislation." Occasion he is acceptable - charity to Tennessee's sprint Governor's major wealth - clean tech is upcoming to Tennessee.
Wamp on the whole doesn't get it! A attach importance to on carbon floor national legislation is proper in the same way as these companies are ramping up for. This is in the same way as preference label the market to secure clean tech investments and label us to proceed out-of-the-way from mean fossil fuels and en route for clean fuels having the status of cellulosic ethanol. It preference aid us end our liking to astonishing oil and get the markets authentic to release above development.
The US is diminishing behind. Porcelain may beforehand be cheerful this career, and individuals who chunk legislation that preference supply the authentic market signals for clean tech preference be to scold. Occasion the ethanol plant's post of 250,000 gallons is small, as the technology continues to scale-up and Genera/UTK cast to corroboration farmers in embryonic the switchgrass feedstock, this strip earnest may possibly be a sincere sign good cheer.
Meanwhile, the Southeast region continues to proceed permit in the company of sustainable cellulosic ethanol developments. In Soperton, Ga., Class Fuels is now along to verify production in the preparatory area of 2010, in the company of post production in the moment area. This preparatory section of the difficult preference version 10 million-gallons-per-year, but the project preference in due course version 100 million-gallons-per-year. To corroboration the Soperton project, Class Fuels announced an 80 million development look into from USDA on January 19, 2009 to lessen in the company of the cellulosic ethanol plant's conception.
Pay chain month, the corporation next announced perfectly word towards making the production timeline a reality; a new accommodating in the company of North Carolina corporation, ArborGen, on a project to translate purpose-grown foliage for biofuels. In 2008 ArborGen planted demonstration plots of hardwoods and pines, in neighborhood of Class Fuels' Soperton project. The plots preference be used to repute which foliage can be ready gloriously and how firmly these foliage can be used to convert afforest bran to cellulosic biofuel. The research preference next aid Class Fuels get snarled the financial, inborn and logistical issues curved the planting, operation, harvesting, connect and transportation of purpose-grown foliage as a biofuels feedstock.
Georgia is success inexperienced intensify in maximum on cellulosic ethanol in the community of Thomaston. Diamond Alternative Vigor and America Course Inc. (API) announced a new demonstration afforest cleft next this day. The corporation estimates that its process can give in up to 22.6 million gallons of ethanol from a pulp routine producing 500 loads per day of pulp. At demonstration scale, it is uniform to create 25-30 jobs.
After that our federation imports relating to 10 million barrels of oil per day, growing our handy production of sustainable biofuels is main to sinking our faith on astonishing oil and on the road to recovery our federation insurance. After that terrorism in the headlines another time, we need it now supervisor than ever. "Anne Blair and John Bonitz assisted in authoring this article"
http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2010/02/02/cellulosic-plant/
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