Rawlings fuels cement kilns Missoula, MT – Rawlings Waste Wood Recovery Systems has completed one of the first wood waste recovery systems in the United States to introduce biomass as fuel to heat cement kilns at Mitsubishi Cement in Lucerne Valley, California. The system is capable of processing 50 TPH, with storage of up to 250 tons of premium biomass fuel to be burned along with coal to reduce the amount of greenhouse emissions. Wood biomass will replace part of the annual tons of coal the plant would otherwise use. The Rawlings Electric portable wood hog is a rugged, high-performance hog that can reduce various types and sizes of contaminated wood waste to biomass fuel. Once the wood waste has been processed through the hog, the metal is removed by an overhead self-cleaning magnet and the biomass conveyed to a walking floor stoker storage system. To ensure the optimal size end product, the wood waste is processed over two vibrating finger screens and then transferred to the kilns via a blower system.Rawlings Manufacturing has been manufacturing and installing the patented Rawlings Wood Hog and wood waste recycling systems for over 30 years. Both vertical and horizontal models are available in stationary, portable, and skidmounted systems. Whitefeather Forest Initiative Pikangikum, ON – Three northwestern Ontario First Nations and a Finnish company have teamed up to develop Two Feathers Forest Products (TFFP), a value-added enterprise. The Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, Pikangikum First Nation, Eagle Lake First Nation, and Finland-based Wood Tech Group Canada have proposed a project involving the development of manufacturing facilities at two sites northwest of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Timber from the Whitefeather Forest at Pikangikum would be processed at a sawmill with 9.9 MW biomass cogen plant at Red Lake. Excess electricity would be sold to the power grid and the lumber sent 200 km south to Eagle Lake, near Dryden, to make prefabricated building components for export to Asia and Europe. The Eagle Lake facility would also have a wood pellet plant. In mid-July, TFFP released a draft Environmental Screening Report for public comment and review. An environmental assessment is required by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act as a result of federal funding for the project, as well as the location of the project on First Nations land. Site preparation is awaiting final federal government approvals, with a view to beginning construction in 2011. University of Northern BC begins bioenergy program A silo stores wood pellets and feeds a recently installed combustion system that is part of UNBC’s new bioenergy program. Prince George, BC – The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) officially started its multi-million dollar Northern Forest Products and Bioenergy Innovation Centre with the June 30th opening of a wood pellet combustion system on campus. The pellet system is installed at the I.K. Barber Enhanced Forestry Laboratory and is the result of a partnership between UNBC and the Wood Pellet Association of Canada (WPAC). The installation includes a silo for pellet storage, connections to the existing heating system of the Enhanced Forestry Lab, and a year’s worth of pellets provided by the local member companies of the WPAC. The project was funded by the Government of Canada’s Community Economic Diversification Initiative. “This is an exciting day for UNBC as we embark on a program – together with industry, government, and northern communities – that will hopefully enable the development of new renewable energy opportunities,” says Dr. Charles Jago, UNBC’s interim president. “While the project will provide heat to the Forestry Lab, it will be equally valuable as a platform for applied research.” UNBC has also selected Nexterra Systems Corp. to supply and install a biomass gasification system to heat its main campus buildings. The gasification system will convert locally sourced wood residue into clean-burning syngas that will displace up to 85% of the natural gas currently used to heat the campus. Initial site preparation has begun, and the gasification system is expected to be operational by early 2011. The project is funded by the federal and provincial governments. Dynamotive receives Innovation Award Vancouver, BC – Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation was honoured with the 2009 Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Organization (IREO) Innovation Award for contributions to global sustainability through the development of its patented fast pyrolysis technology and its efforts towards the development of synthetic fuels from biomass. Mr. Richard Lin, chairman of Dynamotive, accepted the 2009 IREO award on behalf of the company on June 11 during a ceremony held at the UN headquarters in New York City. The award was created to honour innovative leaders that are contributing to the research and development of sustainable energy solutions. It is bestowed following a review conducted by a committee chaired by UN ambassadors and selected experts from recognized and leading international authorities and organizations. Dynaco turns to biomass Saint-Philippe-de-Neri, QC - Groupe Dynaco, a food cooperative, became the first cooperative in Quebec to invest in equipment to supply energy from biomass to its mill. This is an investment of $1.5 million. The cost of the biomass combustion system amounted to nearly $650,000. The plant includes a biomass combustion system model ST manufactured by Combustion Expert Inc., a manufacturing company specializing in the design, manufacture, installation and start-up of biomass equipment. The boiler power of Groupe Dynaco’s mill is 300 BHP (3 MW). The thermal energy released from burning wood heats up the water in the steam boiler. The steam is used for production purposes – for manufacturing livestock food – but could as well be used for heating. Combustion Expert’s studies show that it can be four times more cost effective to use biomass as fuel compared to natural gas or propane. This is confirmed by Groupe Dynaco, which has seen significant savings in energy costs since the commissioning of the equipment. A rapid ROI was helped by the year-round energy consumption at the plant. Nexterra expands Nexterra Systems Corp., a supplier of biomass gasification solutions, has added three new executives to its North American sales force, strengthening the company’s strategic focus on regional biomass energy opportunities. The new senior sales executives will be responsible for supporting the growing demand for Nexterra’s commercial proprietary gasification technology in key markets within the institutional and industrial sectors. CFB Gagetown considers biomass heat New Brunswick Canadian Forces Base Gagetown is considering installing a biomass boiler and district heating system to heat 95 buildings on the base. The installation would occur as part of a 10-year, $40-million energy performance contract between Defence Construction Canada and Direct Energy Business Services Limited. If the installation goes ahead, biomass will likely be procured through a competitive request for proposals. St. Marys Paper applies for cogen St. Marys Paper of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, is proposing a $170-million cogeneration plant to produce steam and electricity from wood waste to power the mill. The cogen plant is expected to require more than 500 tons/day of biomass. The company is hoping to sell electricity to the Ontario power grid as part of the project and has submitted an application to Ontario Power Authority for a 10-year 35-MW purchase agreement. A decision is expected in August. New auction website for biomass equipment BiomassEquipmentAuction.com has set up an Internet-based auction site geared towards the buying and selling of equipment and facilities for biomass, biodiesel, ethanol, and other alternative fuels. The site allows members to post equipment and gives buyers the opportunity to bid on the equipment they need in one central location, connecting buyers and sellers worldwide. AP fuels proposes wood to biodiesel Michael O’Shea of Donnacona, Quebec, has founded Montreal-based AP Fuels, with a view to building five large-scale biorefineries to produce second-generation biofuels from wood, writes Globe and Mail reporter Konrad Yakabuski. If successful, the projects, estimated at $1.2-billion each, would provide new life to the hard-hit Quebec forestry industry. O’Shea’s idea is to use technology from Choren Industries of Germany to covert woody biomass to liquid biodiesel. He estimates that each AP Fuel biorefinery would produce 630 million litres of biodiesel annually. Northern Ontario bioeconomy The Township of Chapleau, Ontario, and the Superior East Community Futures Development Corporation held a one-day workshop in June for local industries, communities, First Nations, and the bioeconomy research sector to discuss the potential development of a cluster of valueadded forest product businesses. Such a bioeconomy industry cluster would provide a competitive advantage for businesses by facilitating synergies among the various entities. Funding of $8,500 for the workshop was provided by Ontario’s Northern Communities Investment Readiness Initiative. White River & Pic Mobert purchase Domtar mill In a June press release, the Township of White River and Pic Mobert First Nation announced that they have purchased the White River sawmill and assets from Domtar. The mill, which closed in July 2007, had an annual production capacity of 110 million board feet of lumber. The plan, pending approvals, is to expand the existing cogeneration plant, start up a wood pellet plant, and eventually restart the sawmill. BURNING issues Biomass could power cellulosic ethanol Regina, SK – An agreement has been reached that sets the stage for the potential redevelopment and innovative new use of Domtar’s Prince Albert Pulp Mill site in Saskatchewan, which has not been operated since April 2006. The government of Saskatchewan has signed a letter of intent with Iogen Energy and Domtar for the proposed development of a cellulosic ethanol plant and bioenergy facility at the site. Under the agreement, Iogen will advance its business planning around a plant that would convert cereal straw to cellulosic ethanol. If the final investment decision is positive, the multi-million dollar project, in partnership with Royal Dutch Shell, will include a power plant producing electricity from forest and ethanol plant residues. Iogen/Shell expects to make a final investment decision on the project after design and feasibility work is completed. If the project proceeds, the company would purchase mill assets from Domtar that are required for the new facility. The government would also commit to purchase power produced from the plant and provide new growth tax incentives related to technology commercialization and transportation. “Redevelopment of this mill site has been a priority for us, our forest industry, and the people of the area,” says Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd. “A final decision still needs to be made by the company, but this agreement is an important first step in our commitment to find new uses for the mill facilities, new markets for our forest and agricultural resources, and new forestry jobs for Saskatchewan people.” Cellulosic ethanol made at Lignol’s pilot plant Vancouver, BC – In June 2009, Lignol Energy Corporation completed the first end-to-end production of cellulosic ethanol from its fully integrated industrial-scale biorefinery pilot plant in Burnaby, British Columbia. This production of cellulosic ethanol from Canadian woodchips followed the plant construction phase that commenced in June 2008 and the start-up phase that commenced in April 2009. Through planned production campaigns, Lignol intends to operate the pilot plant under a wide range of operating parameters to process various nonfood feedstocks. This will involve using various equipment configurations, enzyme formulations, and process conditions to optimize the yield of cellulosic ethanol, as well as the quality and performance of related biochemicals. “Achieving the first production of cellulosic ethanol from the pilot plant is a significant milestone for Lignol,” says Ross MacLachlan, president and CEO of Lignol. “Operating the pilot plant to-date has allowed us to identify areas for process enhancement that we will be incorporating to further improve pilot plant operations.” The information generated from the pilot plant will allow the company to validate cost and performance assumptions involved in moving to commercialization BC Tsilhqot’in biomass project Vancouver, BC – In mid-June, the city council of Williams Lake, British Columbia, endorsed the development of a 60-MW biomass power project. The project is being spearheaded jointly by Run of River Power’s subsidiary Western Biomass Power Corp. and the Tsilhqot’in National Government. The project falls under phase II of BC Hydro’s Bioenergy Call for Power.The proposed plant, to be located in nearby Hanceville, would generate electricity from trees damaged by the mountain pine beetle, as well as local logging and mill waste. The joint venture proposal includes construction of the $250-million power plant, plus $40 million for a new 230 KV transmission line. Pine beetle study aids bioenergy research Prince George, BC – An ongoing multi-institutional project to study the mountain pine beetle is yielding results that will contribute to more strategic investments in bioenergy.Researchers at the University of Northern British Columbia, University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service, and the Genome Sciences Centre in Vancouver are studying the beetle, its relationship to the pine trees it attacks, and the fungal pathogens that help it overcome a tree’s natural defenses. The goal of the work is to better predict the location of potential supplies of bioenergy. Better predictive models will help to guide control measures and will be an important contribution to a more stable supply of bioenergy products. “Massive amounts of dead timber from the mountain pine beetle epidemic are a potential energy feedstock, but this won’t necessarily provide a sustainable supply in the future,” says Canadian Forest Service researcher Dr. Brian Aukema. “Improving current methods of predicting feedstock will help us make more focused investments in the forest industry.” The current project, for which tens of thousands of beetle and larvae samples were collected, has a budget of nearly $4 million spread across the collaborating institutions. A new project building on the current work will start in Jan 2010. “Applied Genomics Research in Bioproducts or Crops” has a budget of $7.8 million and is funded by Genome Canada, Genome BC, and Genome Alberta.