What is biomass?

Biomass describes organic material of recent origin that can be used as a source of energy. It generally includes trees, crops and other plants, as well as agricultural, forest, and wood milling residues. Another way to think of biomass is as stored solar energy. In other words, a tree, through photosynthesis, transforms sunlight; carbon dioxide (CO2) and nutrients into wood fiber that can be later converted to energy.

What is biomass power?

Electricity that is produced as a result of converting trees, plants or other biomass sources into energy is considered biomass power. Biomass combusted in a boiler produces steam. This steam drives a turbine generator that produces electricity. This electricity will be fed into the high voltage transmission grid to be transported to end-users.

Why produce power from biomass?

Generating power through the use of biomass represents the most cost-effective and cleanest way to provide renewable electricity in regions of the US with high levels of wood resources and processing activity, yet low levels of wind and solar. Furthermore, use of this resource helps the US become more energy independent and use of a locally derived fuel provides jobs and direct economic benefit to local communities. This energy resource has been used for centuries.

Is producing electricity from woody biomass safe and reliable?

Yes. According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, over 40 million mega-watt hours of electricity were produced from wood fuels in the U.S. in 2007. That’s enough electricity to supply nearly half the demand of Missouri and more production than from U.S. wind and solar generation combined. 39 out of 50 U.S. states had wood fueled electricity generators in service as of 2007.

Is woody biomass power generation considered renewable energy?

Yes. Some 28 states have adopted laws requiring electric utilities to produce between 10% and 25% of their generation through renewable sources such as wind, solar, hydro, and biomass. These laws are called Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). In addition, legislation has been introduced at the federal level that would incorporate such renewable standards across all U.S. electric utilities. Low-emission, advanced biomass-to-power conversion, the technology used by LGR in its facilities, is one of the eligible renewable energy technologies that produces renewable attributes known as Renewable Energy Credits (REC’s).

Do biomass power generating units help combat global warming?

Yes, electricity produced from biomass is considered to be carbon neutral and therefore helps to combat global warming. The CO2 that the facility will release would have been produced as the plants and trees naturally decomposed in the forest without the benefit of electricity production. One way to think about biomass power is that it is harnessing energy that would otherwise be wasted, just like wind energy and solar energy. The burning of conventional fossil fuels such as gasoline, oil, coal, or natural gas results in the release of CO2 that would otherwise remain trapped deep within the Earth’s crust. CO2 is a greenhouse gas and the principal contributor to global climate change.

Additionally, to the extent biomass material is buried in a landfill, the decomposition process produces methane gas, which is released to the atmosphere. Methane is approximately 20 times more harmful than CO2 as a greenhouse gas.

The following Figure 1 compares the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions from biomass power generation with the emissions from other conventional coal-fired and natural gas-fired generation plants.

Figure 1 - Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions

Source: Mann, M.K.; Spath, P.L. (2004). “Biomass Power and Conventional Fossil Systems with and without CO2 Sequestration – Comparing the Energy Balance, Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Economics.” National Renewables Energy Laboratory, Golden CO

What are the economic benefits of biomass power generation facilities?

Biomass power generating units produce a significant economic benefit to the area surrounding the plant. Facilities of the scale typically developed by LGR (28-32 MW) create approximately 100 construction jobs during the 18-month construction phase, 25 full-time jobs involved in the operation of the facility, and 35+ jobs in the collection, processing, and transportation of the wood fuel material. The investment in the facility will also significantly increase the local property tax base, and the millions of dollars spent each year on fuel purchases will help existing, and perhaps new, wood processing operations in the region remain viable.

Are there air emissions from a biomass facility?

Emissions from a biomass power generating facility using state-of-the-art equipment are substantially lower than those from fossil fuel based energy sources such as coal. The following Figure 2 graphically presents the comparison between the LGR’s Milltown Clean Energy facility and typical fossil fuel plants in the Midwest.

Figure 2 - Comparison of emissions

Source: Bain, Amos, Downing & Perlack (2003). “Biopower Technical Assessment: State of the Industry and Technology.” National Renewables Energy Laboratory, Golden CO

What sources of wood are typically used in a biomass power generation facility?

While local considerations will impact fuel sources, the principal source of wood fuel for biomass facilities typically will be clean wood residues from forest products related industries and wood processing operations within 75 miles of the facility. Wood fiber material including branches, stumps, transmission line trimmings, and community brush removal will also be a source of fuel. In certain cases, crop residue can be a fuel resource.

Can such projects use painted or treated wood as a fuel source?

No - as renewable energy facilities, biomass power generation units benefit from certain state and federal incentives, which include the sale of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) and the availability of federal Production Tax Credits (PTC). In order to be eligible for such benefits, and as a condition of its power purchase agreement with a local utility, the project must comply with federal regulations establishing biomass fuel standards.

Is there enough wood to meet the needs of biomass power generating facilities?

Because wood has a relatively low energy density compared to fossil fuels, it is normally not cost effective to transport wood fuel resources over long distances. Thus, when developing a biomass-to-power generating unit, LGR must be comfortable that sufficient woody material exists to meet the plant’s needs within a 70 to 100 mile radius of the plant. When selecting a site for a biomass-fired facility, LGR performs a thorough analysis of the potential available wood supply resources, as well as an assessment of existing and potential uses for this material. LGR typically seeks to site its plants where the fuel needs can be met without materially impacting the market for wood material within the region.

Figure 3 - Bubbling-Fluidized Bed schematic

Are there any odor issues with a biomass-fired power generating facility?

A properly operating biomass plant emits no odors. The only odor that may be detectable to someone in proximity to on-site fuel storage would be a mildly earthy odor like the mulch that many of us spread in our flowerbeds. This is only likely to be a factor during wet periods.

Will there be a visible smoke plume coming out of the stack at a biomass-fired power generating unit?

There will be no visible smoke plume coming out of the stack. Since a large portion of the fuel that enters such a plant is in fact water, (moisture content of the wood) a white water vapor plume may be visible on cold days.

What is Liberty Green Renewables experience in the power industry?

LGR’s four principals have more than 70 years of combined experience in the electrical power industry. This experience includes all phases of the planning, construction and operation of thousands of megawatts of electric generating capacity. Resumes of the LGR principals can be viewed at www.libertygreenrenewables.com. The company was formed specifically to develop, construct, and own biomass power generation projects located in the Midwest and Southeast, where wind and solar resources are not economically attractive.