industry
PHOTO: GLENVAR
NEWS
Residue exiting the rear of the combine is directed onto a conveyor and fed into the baler.
Direct baling system could benefit biomass industry Australia-based agriculture technology company Glenvar has developed a direct baling system which it said could benefit the biomass and cellulosic ethanol industries. The Glenvar Bale Direct System combines a conventional baler and a conventional combine, enabling grain growers to harvest and bale simultaneously. The combine tows the baler using a drawbar attached to the main drive axle. Residue exiting the rear of the combine is directed onto a conveyor and then fed into the baler, which is driven by a hydraulic motor powered from an independent hydraulic pump mounted on the combine. The driver of the baler is able to view the baling operation through the use of a mounted video camera which streams to a screen in the cabin. Glenvar owner Graham Shields and managers Mike Shields and Kelly Shields have been developing and improving the baling system in Western Australia over the past seven years, according to Alan VanNahmen, product development manager. VanNahmen said he
has been involved in the testing and marketing in the U.S. “Our tests have proven that the combination of a combine with large square baler can improve cellulosic biomass collection and improve material handling efficiencies,” he said. Comparisons have shown an extra 30 percent, up to 300 percent, more residue can be collected compared to windrowing and baling as separate operations, according to the company. The system has been designed to be compatible with a wide range of combines and balers, and is approximately $80,000 per unit. In collaboration with Glenvar, Strauff Fiber LLC in Dayton, Wash., tested a Glenvar Bale Direct System during the 2008 wheat harvest. To view Strauff Fiber’s video of the Glenvar Bale Direct System in use, go to http://strauff-fiber.com/ComBaler.aspx. VanNahmen said Glenvar and its distributor are working to build additional units for other U.S. biomass collection entities. —Anna Austin
Biomass plant will provide steam for SRS operations A steam generating biomass facility approved for the U.S. DOE Savannah River Site nuclear production plant in South Carolina will be a critical part of operations upon its completion, slated for December 2011. The DOE tasked Ameresco Federal Solutions Inc. in Knoxville, Tenn., with its largest-ever Energy Savings Performance Contract to construct one of the country’s largest biomass facilities. The $795 million project will replace a deteriorating D Area coal powerhouse and oil-fired boilers, for a savings of about $34 million a year in energy, operation and maintenance costs, according to DOE. The plant also will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 100,000 tons per year, a significant contribution toward the goal of reducing energy intensity by 30 percent and water intensity by 16 percent by the end of 2015, according to the DOE. The plant will run on about 322,000 tons of woody biomass per year, including waste from non-SRS timber companies, pellets and wood debris, according to Julie Petersen, DOE public affairs officer. The primary purpose of the facility is steam production, but it will
produce about 20 megawatts of electricity as a byproduct, Petersen said. “Steam is a pretty critical part of our day-to-day operation,” she said. Steam is used at the site to transport waste, reduce the volume of waste, control nuclear ventilation systems and operate turbines, among other functions. As per the ESPC, Ameresco will finance, install and maintain the equipment—a steam cogeneration plant and two steam boilers—in the federal facilities. The government pays no up-front costs, a savings for taxpayers, and the company’s investment is repaid over time by the DOE from the cost savings the project generates, according to the DOE. Ameresco will be repaid during a 15-year debt service payback period. “It’s no more than what we pay to operate the [D Area] facility now,” Petersen said. The project will create 200 to 250 construction jobs, along with another 20 to maintain day-to-day operations once the facility is operational. Construction is scheduled to begin in August. —Lisa Gibson
7|2009 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 23