Overview of Biomass Utilization Options and Processing Challenges

John R. ShellyUniversity of California Cooperative Extension

www.ucfpl.ucop.edu

Woody Biomass Utilization Forum

Redway, California

September 24, 2003

Partial Support – USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry

Challenges for Manufacturing Biomass-Based Products

• Insure a Long-Term Supply of Biomass Raw Material

• Overcome Material Property Limitations (biomass is a low quality raw material)

• Reduce the High Handling and Production Costs

• Improve Processing Knowledge • Develop New Markets• Encourage Research Funding and Investment

Capital

Potential Products for Biomass

• Soil Additives/Amendments• Firewood/Fuelwood, Combustion Fuel

Chips• Pulp Chips• Solid Wood Products• Composite Panels• Fiber/Plastic Composites• Organic Chemicals

Potential Products for Biomass

• Soil Additives/Amendments– Mulch – minimal equipment needs– Compost – require large volume, permits,

turning equipment– Decorative/landscape soil covers

Markets are very competitive, current demand being met, pathogen concerns

Potential Products for Biomass

• Soil Additives/Amendments

• Firewood/Fuelwood, Combustion Fuel Chips– Firewood – market effected by residential

burning regulations– Hog Fuel (furnace, boilers)

• Limited market

– Densified fuels (pellets, fire logs)• Improve fuel density, MC uniformity, and ease of

handling

Tub Grinder

Low value logs sorted for firewood or landscape materials

mulch processed with tub grinder

Combustion of Woody Biomass to produce electricity

California has biomass power plants that consume large quantities of

woody biomass

1999 CA Electricity Production

Coal13.17%

Oil0.02%

Natural Gas30.71%

Geothermal4.80%

Solar & Wind 1.55%

Imports17.94%

Nuclear14.66%

Hydro15.09%

Biomass & Waste2.05%

Total Production: 275,793 GWhBiomass & Waste: 5,663 GWh

Source: California 1999 Gross System Electricity Production, California Energy Commission

20 MW Biomass Powerplant

Typical CA Biomass Powerplant

• 20 MW plant produces about 130 GW/yr• New plant construction cost = $65 million +• Processes 140 - 200 thousand tons/yr

(1BDT/MW/hour)• Biomass transported up to 50 miles• Delivered Biomass valued at $15 - 25 per ton• Average production cost = $0.05/kWh• Market value for power = $0.025/kWh -- ???

30 + MW 20 - 30 MW 10 - 20 MW 0 - 10 MW

Sawmill Cogen

Other Biomass Power Plants

California Biomass Energy Facilities

A 10 MW (megawatt) generator can supply electricity to about 10,000 homes.

Use about 9 to 10 million tons of green biomass per year (4-5 BDT/yr)

• 75% forest base

• 15% Urban woody

• 15% Ag residue

Type Total MWMillion BDT/y

Cogen

Urban & Ag 8 213 1.52 1

Urban, Ag, Forest, Sawmill

10 189.5 1.46 5

Forest & Sawmill

16 242 1.98 11

Total 34 645 5 17

Last one Built in 1997 Source: Biomass Energy Facilities, California Air Resources Board, April 25, 2001.

CA Biomass-Based Power Plants

Costs for Chipping Operation

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

HaulChipSkidFell&Bunch

$ per bone dry ton

DBH (inch) Source: Hartsough, 2002

Environmental ImpactAir Emissions Hogged Fuel Boiler

lb/Million Btu

Natural Gas Boiler

lb/Million Btu

CO 2.267 0.058

CO2 fossil 0 114.6

CO2 non fossil 350.0 0

NOx 0.250 0.301

SOx 0.013 0.073

Non methane VOC 0 0.009

Methane 0 0.003

Particulates 0.028 0.009

Slide provided by Wilson, Oregon State Univ.

Life Cycle Assessment of Wood Processing

CO2Air Emissions

NOX, SOX, CO2, …

Products

Recycle

CO2, Methane,… Disposal/Landfill

CarbonStorage

SUN

Log

Slide modified from original provided by Wilson, Oregon State Univ.

Densified Fuels

• Pros– Higher fuel density than biomass chips– Consistent size/shape good for automated feed

• Cons– Saturated market at present– Difficult to use green biomass in processors

Densified Fuel

Gasification

Converts biomass to a gaseous fuel that can be burned cleaner than direct combustion of the biomass

Gasification Process

Biomass Pyrolysis Producer gas Micro-turbines

or Combustion

Char Conversion

Combustion

Char & Ash

Char & Ash

Heat

Heat Ash & Exhaust Gases

Producer gas

SO2 ~ 0.15 lbs per million BTU NOx ~ 0.05 lbs per million BTU CO ~ 0.05 lbs per million BTU Particulates ~ 0.025 lbs per mill ion BTU

(In excess of 600 oC)

*producer gas - a mixture of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and water.

Community Power Gasifier: 12.5 KW

Chiptec Gasifier and Combustion/Boiler Unit

– Deregulation policies– Relative price of natural gas and electricity– Implementation air quality regulations

• CO2

• Particulate size

– Carbon Sequestration -- does biomass CO2 have a zero emission impact?

– Societal value on biomass disposal/use

The Future of Biomass Power Plants Depends on …

Potential Products for Biomass

• Soil Additives/Amendments• Firewood/Fuelwood, Combustion Fuel Chips

• Pulp Chips– Volatile markets – off shore or out of state– Limits to chips from small diameter (juvenile

wood)– Old pulp mills closing, new pulp plants in

Western US unlikely

Potential Products for Biomass

• Soil Additives/Amendments• Firewood/Fuelwood, Combustion Fuel Chips• Pulp Chips

• Solid Wood Products– Landscape posts, poles, fencing – Structural roundwood– Lumber and derivative wood products

Round Wood Products

• Pros– No saw kerf waste– Mechanical strength advantage– Dimensional stability is high

• Cons– Limited markets

Pole Pole PeelerPeeler

Small-Log, Pole Construction

Slide provided by USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Lab

Small-log Roof System

Slide provided by USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Lab

Connections are Difficult

Slide provided by USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Lab

Lumber Products

• Pros– Commodity markets well established– Processing equipment readily available

• Cons– Small wood processors can’t compete with

commodity producers (high processing costs)– Dimensional stability low

Small Sawmills for Small logs?

Small Log Processor

Slide provided by USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Lab

Slide provided by USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Lab

Dimension Lumber ? – Warp is a problem

Treatments

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1

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3

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7

1 2 5 6 3 4 7 8

Tw

ist

(mm

)

Restraint No restraint

Costs for Sawlog Operation

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

11 13 15 17 19

HaulLoadProcessSkidFell&Bunch

$ / MBF

DBH (inch) Source: Hartsough, 2002

Potential Products for Biomass

• Soil Additives/Amendments• Firewood/Fuelwood, Combustion Fuel

Chips• Pulp Chips• Solid Wood Products• Composite Panels – OSB, MDF

– Unlikely, few plants in CA, raw material quality requirements are high.

Oriented Strandboard Sheathing

Potential Products for Biomass

• Soil Additives/Amendments• Firewood/Fuelwood, Combustion Fuel Chips• Pulp Chips• Solid Wood Products• Composite Panels• Fiber/Plastic Composites

– few plants in CA, raw material quality requirements are high.

Plastic Composite Lumber

Potential Products for Biomass

• Soil Additives/Amendments• Firewood/Fuelwood, Combustion Fuel Chips• Pulp Chips• Solid Wood Products• Composite Panels• Fiber/Plastic Composites• Organic Chemicals

Organic Chemicals from BiomassMany Valuable Chemicals can be Made from Wood

• Ethanol -- Hydrolysis/Fermentation

• Charcoal, phenolic oils, methanol -- Pyrolysis

• Bio-Gases (low BTU, high CO) -- Gasification

• Levulinic and Lactic acid (“building blocks”) –– Hydrolysis/Conversion

• Pharmaceuticals -- Extraction

• Fragrances -- Extraction

Biomass-to-Ethanol Technology

50%CelluloseG-G-G-G-G

25% Lignin (youngclean coal)

25%Hemicellulose S-S-S-S-S

Lignin

Distillation

EE EE E

Biomass

Lignin

SGSGSGSG

Lignin

EEEEEEEE

Hydrolysis

Yeast/other organisms

G = Glucose (a type of sugar)S = Other sugarsE = Ethanol

Gasoline

Low-gradesteam Power Plant Electricity

FermentationConcentrated acid

Dilute acid

Enzyme/acid

or

or

Modified from source slide supplied by USDOE NREL

The MTBE/Ethanol Issue

• MTBE was Oxygenate of Choice in CA

• MTBE leakage from storage tanks has contaminated ground water

• Governor mandated the removal of MTBE in the states gasoline by January 2004.

• EPA recently denied CA request to reformulate gasoline without oxygenates

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Mill

ion

Gal

lons

per

Y

ear

Projected Need CurrentProduction in

California

Biomass BasedUnder

Consideration

Ethanol Production in California

600

8 40

Proposed CA Ethanol PlantsGridley Project• Dilute sulfuric

acid/Enzymatic• Rice straw + other

biomass• 20 million gal/yr• 300,000 BDT per year

(1/3 rice straw)• Online—2004?

Collins Pine Project• Dilute sulfuric Acid • Forest thinnings and

mill residue• 20 million gal/year• 250,000 BDT per year• Online—2005??

Estimated Cost Per Plant = $ 60+ Million

Marketing

• Focus on Local and/or Niche Markets

• Need Survey of Local Wood Users– Raw Material Requirements– Directory of Primary and Secondary

Manufacturers

• Emphasize the “Public Good” Angle

Biomass Uses that make the most sense to me

• Large-scale powerplants– Perhaps small-scale (<1MW) in certain situations but need to look

carefully at long-term economics

• Roundwood products (poles and posts)

• Composite (non-panel) products– Wood/plastic, wood/cement, etc.

• Ethanol ?

• Local Market Opportunities

Summary• Many woody biomass utilization challenges

– Raw material quality, economics, markets

• Slim Profit Margins – little room for mistakes• Small-Scale can’t compete in commodity markets• CA needs diversity in powerplants• CA needs gasoline oxygenates & alternative fuels• Focus on niche and environmental markets• Political and market issues are strong “drivers”• Important to understand the true cost of “doing

nothing”