Wood energy is heating up
North Carolina is responding to the call for renewable energy by looking to its forests. A "Forests and Energy" seminar organized by Dr. Richter teaches students the potential and limits of using forests for fuel.
NC State's Torrefaction Machine
Some people have begun referring to the Southeastern region of the United States as the “Saudi Arabia of wood.” North Carolina has taken this phrase seriously and has responded with a committment to research and develop technology for biomass energy. Within the Research Triangle alone, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, NC State University, and Carolina Biofuels are leading the charge. Raleigh, NC just hosted the Biomass South 2008 Conference back in September.
One professor that has been vocal about biomass energy at the Nicholas School is Dr. Dan Richter, Professor of Soils and Forest Ecology at the Nicholas School of the Environment. Dr. Richter’s interest in biomass energy led him to visit Austria last summer, where he toured communities built around a mixture of renewable energy sources. Advanced woody combustion systems that are less than 10 MW and that depend on local forest resources have become a common ingredient in Austria's mix.
This Fall, Dr. Richter appropriately organized his forest management travel seminar around the theme of “Forests and Energy.” We are a group of 15 MEM students, comprised of forestry (MF), natural science (ESC) and environmental economics and policy (EEP) students.
Last Friday, the class drove the thirty minutes to NC State to learn about the impact of biomass harvesting on North Carolina forests and torrefaction. Chris Hopkins and colleagues showed us a torrefaction machine that they built from scratch. It burns wood in an oxygenless environment creating a dense product resembling charcoal (see picture at right) that is higher in energy and much easier to transport and store than “green wood.” Also, the texture makes it much easier to cofire with coal. The biggest challenge they have now is to scale up production.
Dennis Hazel, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at NCSU, spoke to us about the impact of wood on North Carolina's forests. He supports the use of wood biomass to meet a portion ofthe state's energy needs and sees it as a great economic opportunity for foresters and landowners. Currently, Dennis is trying to understand how biomass can be harvested without having significant impacts on forest productivity and health. However, one of his main concerns about the wood biomass gold rush is scaling up production too quickly. While he has advocated for decentralized and small scale systems (<10 MW) as seen in Austria and the United States’ Fuels for Schools program, industry has its mind set on large centralized wood-to-energy plants between 30-100 MW.
North Carolina's Renewable Portfolio Standard is pushing utilities to supply 12.5% of their electricity sales through renewable sources by 2020. How much of the renewable energy supply will come from North Carolina's forests is uncertain. I believe that if North Carolina plays its cards right, wood biomass can boost rural economies, raise the value of forests, and keep biomass harvesting sustainable. If the state and industry become too agressive, woody biomass may outstrip the supply of the forests and destroy the very resource that can raise North Carolina's status as a renewable energy leader in the 21st century.
