It's time: Our forests need solutions
Our $5.88 million project seeks to convert wasted forest residues into bioenergy and bio-products
The problem
Leftover residues are burned in forests every day because it’s too expensive to collect and transport out of the woods.
A solution
We plan on finding a way to turn that wasted biomass into valuable bioenergy and bio-based products.
Key Tasks
To achieve our goal, we've developed 12 key tasks. Learn more about each one below:
Develop innovative methods and tools...
to convert forest residues into high quality biomass feedstocks that meet the specification requirements (e.g., size, moisture content, and contaminants) for three biomass conversion technologies — a biochar production system, a torrefier, and a briquetter — with emphasis on development of how residues are handled to facilitate chipping or grinding and further processing such as mechanical screening.
Evaluate new forest residue collection...
and handling techniques that increase the quality and accessibility of forest residues and improve the economics of using forest residue feedstocks in biomass conversion technologies, including forest residue sorting and management during harvesting operations, baling and pre-hauling options for various forest residue types, and locating centralized processing sites under an optimized work condition.
Develop a landscape scale feedstock development scheduling model...
to optimize the selection of production pathways including collection, comminution, product upgrading (moisture control, densification, and in-woods biomass conversion), and transportation in order to identify pathway streams that maximize net revenue while reducing adverse environmental impacts.
Scale up the most promising prototype units...
for the three biomass conversion technologies to sizes appropriate for achieving commercialization.
Develop operational protocols...
for each biomass conversion technology that will eventually lead to self-contained operation in a forest operations field setting. These project activities will focus on identifying strategies that meet the primary energy needs of each biomass conversion technology, including the generation of heat for drying and processing input biomass fuel as well as electricity to power motor drives, densification equipment, and onboard control systems.
Prepare each biomass conversion technology...
for mobile operation at a forest field site.
Complete testing and evaluation...
of each biomass conversion technology in a forest operations setting using a variety of forest residue types. The target fuel types for this study include different conifer and hardwood species. Performance evaluation of the three technologies in a field setting will track parameters related to biomass energy conversion, input energy needs, emissions, and operation and maintenance requirements and costs.
Evaluate the economic feasibility...
of the three biomass conversion technologies developed in the Conversion Technologies technical area that will use biomass feedstocks developed in the Feedstock Development technical area, including the costs and benefits of storing carbon on forest sites under carbon cap and trade regulations.
Evaluate the economic and social impacts...
of implementing the proposed biomass conversion technologies with an emphasis on rural communities, including an estimation of the avoided costs achieved by using forest residues to produce bioenergy products.
Determine the ecological sustainability...
of the three biomass conversion technologies, focusing on forest soils (including carbon storage and nutrient cycling), forest productivity, water quality and air quality.
Conduct a life cycle impact assessment...
for the three biomass conversion technologies including a cradle-to-grave life cycle inventory for each of the individual systems.
Involve community stakeholders...
and other interested parties in the initial development phase of the project to identify and incorporate stakeholder concerns in the project design and implementation and effectively communicate project results and information to these groups to encourage the adoption of the biomass conversion technologies.
