Biomass energy: Difference between revisions

Biomass Energy in Humboldt County

Biomass

An energy resource derived from organic matter. This includes wood, agricultural waste and other living-cell material that can be burned to produce heat energy. Also included is algae, sewage and other organic substances that may be used to make energy through chemical processes.

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1 truck load can carry 16 tons of biomass which is worth $700 and is equivalent to 44 of barrels of oil (by mass), worth ~$3000^[1]

A key attribute of biomass is its availability upon demand-the energy is stored within the biomass until it is needed. Other forms of renewable energy are dependent on variable environmental conditions such as wind speed or sunlight intensity.^[2]

In terms of carbon neutrality, the burning of wood often ignores the fossil fuel 
used in the harvesting, preparation and transporting of the wood.

Green Diamond Resource Co.

Green Diamond is working with biomass operations manager Steve, who is in charge of post-harvesting biomass operations East of Mckinleyville. Steve has come up with an innovative technique for making these operations economically viable. Transportation of biomass or wood chips is costly and in some cases not feasible. Harvesting operations take place deep in the forest where access roads are narrow dirt roads with sharp corners. Instead of the semi trucks, which haul the wood chips, driving all the way to the harvest unit, Steve designed a centralized location where the biomass operations occur. Dump trucks are used to haul the slash to this centralized landing, where the slash is chipped and then hauled to energy plant. The further the landing is from the harvest site the more dump trucks used to haul slash. What this does is keeps the wood chipper and the trucks hauling the wood chips running constantly. When one piece of equipment is not producing, then money is being spent on nothing. In order for these operations to be economically viable all pieces of equipment must be running at all times, as well as energy plants being close enough to centralized operation landing.

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