Biofuels Journal - January/February 2009 - (Page 87)

Biomass to Energy Energy Cooperative Shows World How it’s Done Prior to this venture, Flick said, farmers simply would burn or mow crops like ragweed and switchgrass, which grow in Missouri. The cooperative has found that when farmers harvest corn stover, they still leave 30% residue in the fields in order to maintain the proper nutrients in the soil. Potential Energy Flick said that a biomass source such as common ragweed produces 9,000 BTUs per pound. Most pellets produce 8,100 BTUs per pound and the company is researching sources that will produce 20,000 BTUs per pound, compared to the 9,000 to 12,000 BTUs per pound when burning coal. Show Me Energy Cooperative Board President Steve Flick explains how the plant in Centerview, MO collects biomass from a 100-mile radius and converts it into pellets, which are burned for steam to produce electricity. Carbon Reduction According to Flick, the cooperatives system will reduce carbon emissions at such places as coal-fired electricity plants. The power plants can burn a certain The Show Me Energy Cooperative (SMEC) in Centerview, MO is showing the world how to collect biomass for conversion to energy. The cooperative collects $6 million worth of biomass feedstocks from 476 farmers within a 28-county area (100-mile radius) surrounding the pelleting plant and converts the biomass—100 tons per year—into pellets which can be burned for energy. Proof of Concept concerned that it will be difficult to transport bulky biomass to a central plant and still make fuel at a profit. The feedstocks being pelletized at SMEC include ragweed, switchgrass, wheat stubble, corn stover, and winddamaged wood. All of those feedstocks contain cellulose that can be converted to cellulosic ethanol. Farmer Incentive “You can net $100 an acre by also burning this material for energy at a coalfired plant.” - Steve Flick, Show Me Energy Cooperative According to Board President Steve Flick (866-328-0494), the cooperative has proved the concept that biomass can be collected and transported to a centrally-located plant for conversion to energy sustainably. Biomass or cellulose from plant material is one of the primary feedstocks being considered for advanced fuels like cellulosic ethanol. Many researchers are The way the system works is for the farmer to purchase a stake in the cooperative and agree to bring in so much biomass per year to the plant. Farmers are paid by BTU content, moisture content, and weight. Just about any biomass will work, including weeds like ragweed. “You can net $100 an acre by also burning this material for energy at a coal-fired plant,” Flick noted. percentage of the biomass pellets causing a drastic reduction in its carbon emissions, he explained. “These farmers in our cooperative will put signs on their property saying ‘This Field Reduces This Many Tons of CO2’ ” Flick said. Myke Feinman, editor JAN/FEB 09 | BFJ 87

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Biofuels Journal - January/February 2009

Biofuels Journal - January/February 2009 Contents Safety Training Expanding Safety Pays Top 2008 OSHA Citations Ethanol Terminal Safety Preventing Falls Fighting Ethanol Fires Biodiesel Safety Bridgeport Ethanol John Kruse, Global Insight Barley Ethanol New DDGS Market—Fish Mary Beth Stanek, General Motors RINs As Commodity POET BioRefining Ethanol Pipeline—Florida DDGS Causing E. coli Community College Biofuels Ethanol Plants in the Pipeline State Report: Ohio Ethanol World Profile: Adam Dunlap, BlueFire Ethanol When to Harvest Switchgrass, Miscanthus Indirect Land Use Change Profile: Greg Olson, POET-Corning Growth Energy Monthly Ethanol Production Case Study: Fuelzyme Ethanol Industry News Greg Poe, Ethanol Pilot Sponsored by Fagen Inc. Blackhawk Biodiesel Biodiesel Roundup Biodiesel World Peanut Biodiesel Pennycress Biodiesel Radish Biodiesel Profile: Joe Korpi, Renewable Energy Group Biodiesel Convention NBB Eye on Biodiesel Awards Calendar of Events Cellulosic Ethanol Plants Under Construction Cellulosic Ethanol Plants Construction Map Breaking Cellulosic Ground Show Me’s Collecting Biomass Inland Empire Oilseeds POET’s Project Liberty Update Vermeer’s Cob Harvester Iowa State Cob Harvest Research Europe’s Energy Parks Imported Deere Cob Harvest Kit/Case IH Coskata Sugar/Mascoma Update Range Fuels Update Tom Warne, Schutte-Buffalo Hammermill University of Illinois Biofuels Master’s Roger Ladig, Laidig Systems, Inc. Miscanthus vs. Switchgrass Biofuels Automation Scott Martin, LeMar Industries Biodiesel Financing EISENMANN Corp. GATX / Beta Tec ProSonics / S.K. Patil DOE Grant Action Unloaders Ad Index

Biofuels Journal - January/February 2009

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