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Heating and Cooling with Forest Residues. Governor’s Forest Health Oversight Council December 11, 2003 Payson, AZ Rob Davis Forest Energy Corp. What is a Pellet? Why use Pellets? How can we use Pellets?. Fuel Refining Results.
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Heating and Cooling with Forest Residues Governor’s Forest Health Oversight Council December 11, 2003 Payson, AZ Rob Davis Forest Energy Corp
What is a Pellet? • Why use Pellets? • How can we use Pellets?
Ash • Existing Residential Fuel • White wood • Low ash < 0.4% • Commercial Fuel • Whole tree (2” – limbs, bark, needles and all) • Higher ash 1.5%
Misperceptions • Why pelletize, there’s no difference in energy density? • It takes too much energy to pelletize, costs too much. 3. Wood is free, why pay for pellets?
Misperception #2 Production Costs • Energy • Fossil Fuel (elec, diesel) 184 kw / ton • Wood Dryer Fuel 918 kw / ton • Total Dollars • Assume Raw material $ 23 / green ton • Bulk product cost $ 112 / ton • Bulk product cost $ 6.70 / mmBtu
Misperception #1 Energy Density • Net Energy Value (by weight) • Green Chips 2.1 MW / ton • Pellets 4.95 MW / ton • Difference 2.85 MW / ton (+136%) • Net (fossil fuel) 2.66 MW / ton (+127%) • Net (all energy) 1.742 MW / ton ( +83%) • Net Energy Value ( by volume) • Green Chips 85,000 Btu / cu ft • Pellets 350,000 Btu / cu ft • Difference 265,000 Btu / cu ft (+312%)
Misperception #3 Wood is Free • Products we buy • Firewood • Mulch or bark for your garden • Lumber • Cost of Restoration / Fire Hazard Mitigation • In woods • $ 23 / green ton • $300 – 1000 / acre • Transportation out of forest
Why use Biomass? • The Green Resource • It helps to maintain the health and safety of the forests • Renewable • Sustainable
Why use Pellets • Refined Characteristics • Flowable • High Density • Dry • Consistent • Results • More Convenience • Better Economics • Higher Performance
Forest Energy Corp – Show Low • Operating for 12 years • Fuels - Pellets - Densified Logs • Animal Bedding • Annual usage 45,000 dry tons (15 trucks/day) • 6 – 12 semi-loads per day direct from forest thinning projects (48,000 # each) • The Previous 12 months • 2,044 acres treated 37,702 green tons • To Date 5,750 acres total • 4,992 acres White Mt Apache 758 acres USFS
Fuel Perspective • Annual Pellet Fuel Production – 35,000 tons (70 million pounds) 1500 truckloads • Annual CO2 Reduction – 33,000 tons • Carbon Neutral • Annual fossil fuel reduction – 5.8 million therms (Heat for 15 – 20,000 homes)
How can we use Pellets? • Bedding and Litter Products • Heating and Cooling • Power Generation
Pellet Combustion Opportunities • Existing • Free standing hearth product • Introducing systems that exist elsewhere • Home central heating • Commercial central heating • Commercial central cooling • District Heating • Power production
Systems Currently Operating • Bulk Delivery to Consumers • A full line of biomass heating systems for hydronic and forced air systems • Boilers and furnaces ranging from 30,000 Btu / hr to 30 million Btu / hr • 80 – 90 % efficient • Capable of using whole tree pellet fuel • Manual to fully automatic, unmanned systems
Adsorption Chillers • Silica Gel • Input - Hot water 112 – 212 F • Output – Cold water 38 – 65 F • 1/6 Operating Cost of Screw Chiller • 50 T – 150 T
District Heating Systems • Existing pulverized coal plants that are now fired partially or totally by pellets for district heating • Hasselby – Stockholm, 3 – 100 MW boilers • Gothenburg • Helsingborg • 300,000 tons shipped from North America annually to fire these and other plants.
Power Generation • Freestanding • Co-Gen / Combined Heat and Power • Co-firing
Co-Firing with APSCholla Generating Station • Exploring possibility • 144 tons of pellets / day yields approx 10MW • Capital Cost < $500,000 • Other Operating Advantages
Opportunities for Pellet Fuel • Homes • Central Forced Air • Hot water radiant heat • Office Buildings - This library • Resorts - heat the rooms, spas, pools, cool the rooms, domestic hot water, laundry, etc. • District Heating, i.e. NAU • Co-fire i.e. Cholla Generation Station
Concerns Forest Health Prudent Resource Utilization Sustainability Fire Mitigation PELLET FUEL One of the Solutions Self Sufficiency Global Warming Rural Communities Energy Independence
The Real Opportunity • A new Arizona Industry • A rural industry • A decentralized web of small pellet production plants (25,000 tons each min.; 2,500 acres / yr) • A sustainable forest industry that operates to maintain the health of the forests • Each plant working in the forests around their community and providing low cost economical heat to their community