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â– table of contents
www.woodbioenergymag.com
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FROM THE EDITORS The Old And The New
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PRODUCT NEWS Peterson Celebrates Latest Delivery
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IN THE NEWS New Pellet Plant In Arkansas
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NEW OPPORTUNITY Virginia Logger Hodges Takes Advantage
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BIOMASS POWER SURVIVOR Avista Continues To Improve With Age Cover photography:
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TP&EE IN PORTLAND Primary Production Is The Theme
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CHIPPERS & GRINDERS Great Companies, Great Technologies
Avista (Dan Shell) Chippers (Courtesy of Bandit Industries)
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table of contents ■
advertising index Advertiser Index is a free service for advertisers and readers. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.
Volume 6
Number 4
32 Co-Publisher/Adv. Sales Manager ■ David H. Ramsey Co-Publisher/Executive Editor ■ David (DK) Knight Chief Operating Officer ■ Dianne C. Sullivan Publishing Office Street Address ■ 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317 Mailing Address ■ P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Tel: 334.834.1170 ■ Fax: 334.834-4525 Editor-in-Chief ■ Rich Donnell Western Editor ■ Dan Shell Senior Associate Editor ■ David Abbott Associate Editor ■ Jessica Johnson Associate Editor ■ Jay Donnell Art Director/Production Manager ■ Cindy Segrest Ad Production Coordinator ■ Patti Campbell Circulation Director ■ Rhonda Thomas Advertising Sales North American Sales Representative Susan Windham ■ P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery AL 36102-2268 334.834.1170 ■ Fax: 334.834.4525 E-mail: windham.susan4@gmail.com International Sales Murray Brett ■ Aldea De Las Cuevas 66, Buzon 60 03759 Benedoleig (Alicante) Espana +34 96 640 4165 ■ Fax: +34 96 640 4022 E-mail: murray.brett.aba@gmail.com Classified Advertising Sales Bridget DeVane ■ Tel: 334.834.1170 ■ 800.669.5613 E-mail: bdevane7@hotmail.com A Hatton-Brown Publication Other Hatton-Brown Publications:
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Wood Bioenergy (ISSN 1947-5306) is published six times annually by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Wood Bioenergy is free to qualified readers in the United States, including owners, managers, supervisors and other key personnel. All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions and all Canadian and foreign subscriptions (U.S. funds) are $50.00 per year. Subscriber Inquiries and Back Issue Orders—TOLL-FREE: 800.669.5613. Fax 888.611.4525. Subscribe or renew online: www.woodbioenergymagazine.com and click on the "Subscribe" button. When ordering change of address, please specify both old and new. Application to mail at periodical postage prices is pending at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Wood Bioenergy, P.O. Box 2419, Montgomery, AL 36102-2419 Publications Mail Agreement No. 40624074 Return Undeliverable CANADIAN Addresses To PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek Richmond Hill ON L4B 4R6 All advertisements for Wood Bioenergy are accepted and published by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. with the understanding that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold any claims or lawsuits for libel violations or right of privacy or publicity, plagiarisms, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Wood Bioenergy. Copyright ® 2014. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Printed in USA.
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■ from the editors
Separated By Distance, Age
But Much In Common Y
ou’ll notice our cover story on the Avista 53 MW biomass power plant in Kettle Falls, Wash. As the story notes, built in 1983, the Kettle Falls plant was the first utility-owned electric generating station of its kind in the U.S. constructed for the sole purpose of producing electricity from wood waste, or biomass. “Kettle Falls stands as a tribute to a unique partnership forged 30 years ago between Avista, timber and forestry organizations, and the communities of northeastern Washington,” said Jason Thackston, Avista’s vice president for energy resources (now senior vice president) during the company’s 30-year celebration in 2013. Avista is actually a 120-year-old company and Avista Utilities is its operating division. The Avista service territory encompasses 30,000 square miles with a population of 1.6 million. The utility generates electricity from a mix of hydroelectric, natural gas, coal, wood waste and other resources. Needless to say, the company knows a thing or two about maintaining and upgrading a biomass power plant, but you can read the details beginning on page 14. Also in this issue, you’ll see a much shorter news item that originates about 3,100 miles almost due east of Kettle Falls, Wash. In Ashland, Maine, ReEnergy Holdings has revealed plans to resume operations of the biomass power plant it purchased from Boralex Industries in late 2011. The 39 MW plant was one of five in Maine and New York that ReEnergy purchased from Boralex. The Ashland plant, which has been idle since before that acquisition, is expected to start up late this year. ReEnergy has built an impressive portfolio. It operates in six states, employs more than 300 and owns and/or operates nine biomass power facilities with a combined capacity of 325 MW. You’ll recall the article we did last year on the conversion and startup of its Fort Drum, NY facility. In case you are wondering, ReEnergy Holdings LLC is part of Riverstone Holdings LLC, which is an energy and power-focused private equity firm founded in 2000. Riverstone is invested in all kinds of energy platforms. In the wood to energy sector, Enviva, the world’s largest producer of wood pellets for utility markets, is another one of Riverstone’s partners.
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Avista and ReEnergy are both known for their responsible management of the substantial amount of wood fuel resource that comes into their facilities. Two companies, so far apart in distance and years, but with much in common. —Speaking of Avista and ReEnergy, they are also both members of the Biomass Power Assn., and when I scanned through the membership directory I also came upon the names of Collins Pine, Plum Creek Timber, Simpson Lumber and Sun Mountain Lumber. The reason these names jumped out at me is because they’re long established producers in the wood products industry who have implemented wood to energy systems and values into their operations. They are also the kinds of companies who will be sending representatives to the upcoming Timber Processing & Energy Expo to be held October 15-17 at the Portland Exposition Center in Portland, Ore. The event is geared to the sawmill, plywood and engineered wood products industries—as in wood products manufacturing machinery—but there’s naturally a very significant wood to energy component, and that’s why “energy” is written into the name of the event. It will be worth your while to attend.
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■ in the news KiOR Points Finger At Structural Design KiOR Inc., the company that claimed to develop a proprietary catalytic process that allows it to produce cellulosic gasoline and diesel from biomass, and which started up a small commercial facility in Columbus, Miss. and made cellulosic diesel and gasoline shipments in the second quarter of 2013, says structural design bottlenecks limited the amount of wood that the operation could introduce to its proprietary BFCC (Biomass Fluid Catalytic Cracking) system, causing the facility to run significantly below its nameplate capacity of 500 bone dry tons per day and limiting the plant’s production capability. The revelation was part of a 10Q quarterly report filed by KiOR with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at the end of June. The report also emphasized KiOR’s dire financial situation. During 2013, the company intermittently operated the Columbus facility but in January 2014 elected to suspend operations in order to attempt to complete a series of optimization projects and upgrades. The company says it identified changes to the BFCC, hydrotreater and wood yard that it felt would improve the throughoutput performance, and identified enhancements that would improve the overall yeld of transportation fuels from each ton of biomass, which had been lower than expected. However, the company suspended the optimization work and brought the facility to an idle state. In the 10-Q, the company states, “We have substantial doubts about our ability to continue as a going concern. To continue as a going concern, we must secure additional capital to provide us with additional liquidity.” The company says if it receives all of the funding available to it through a previous agreement, the company expects to be able to fund its operations and meet obli-
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gations for a short period, but will need to raise additional funds to contnue operations. If additional funding doesn’t become available, the company says it will likely be forced to seek protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The company also states, however, that if it can raise the capital and complete its optimization projects at the Columbus plant, that it intends to begin construction of its next commercial production facility. The company says it has incurred substantial net losses since its inception, including $55 million for the six months ended June 30, and $348 million, $96 million and $64 million for the years 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. As of June 30, it had an accumulated deficit of $629 million. Meanwhile, the company reports that two lawsuits were filed against the company and some of its current and former officers. In one case the plaintiff alleged that the market price of the company’s common stock was artifically inflated by allegedly false or misleading statements concerning the timing of projected biofuel production levels at the Columbus facility.
New Pellet Mill Calls On Industry Veterans A company led by a private investor and two veterans of wood pellet production plans to build a $130 million, 500,000 metric ton per year wood pellet facility in Pine Bluff, Ark. Highland Pellets is a privately held company that plans to export its production into the United Kingdom industrial utilities markets. “While this plant is the first built under the Highland brand, our colleagues Mike Ferguson and Scott Jacobs bring decades of industry leading experience in the engineering and operating of industrial wood pellet plants,” Highland Pellets Chairman Tom Reilley says. “Together with Highland’s leadership team who are veterans of Cargill, Black River, JP Morgan
and EnerNOC, we are excited to complete our Pine Bluff facility and expand our footprint.” Jacobs, who is director, business development, and Ferguson, director, engineering and operations, previously worked with Ozark Hardwood Products in Seymour, Mo., and also operate a construction company specializing in wood pellets, AgriRecycle, Inc. Jacobs is a former president of Pellet Fuels Institute. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission and Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County worked closely with Highland Pellets on this project. Highland Pellets states it is working with first class industry partners including a leading forestry company to provide sustainable fiber feedstock and Cooper/Consolidated for the management of the logistics supply chain for export. Groundbreaking is expected to commence in October and deliveries from the plant to begin March 2016. Highland’s web site states: “Starting with our first pellet facility at Pine Bluff, we are establishing a supply chain portfolio of several geographically dispersed wood pellet facilities which provide sustainable, high quality, and consistent pellets, tailored to the specific requirements of our end customers.” The Pine Bluff project is expected to create 35 direct jobs, impact another 482 indirect jobs and generate a direct financial impact of $86 million annually for the area. Pellets will be taken from the facility to the Port of Pine Bluff, down the Mississippi to the Gulf, and then shipped to Europe. Lou Ann Nisbett, president and CEO of the Economic Development Alliance, says they were first contacted about the project in May 2013, and a site visit was arranged for company executives a few weeks later. They were shown several available buildings, along
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in the news ■
with a 108 acre greenfield site the Alliance owns in the Jefferson Industrial Park. A second visit a month later was focused on the industrial park site, followed by a due diligence phase and the signing of the lease agreement nearly a year after the first visit. The Alliance also helped the company work with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Jefferson County Economic Development Corp. to apply for and secure a package of incentives. Highland Pellets LLC is receiving $495,000 for its capital investment and job creation plans. This is the fourth company to get these incentives under the threeeighths-cent sales tax approved by voters in the county in 2011. The project will additionally be eligible for state incentives and tax breaks. Highland Pellets Chairman Reilley started his career in financial services and was a senior managing director at Bear Stearns from 1997 to 2007. Marshall Chapin is the chief operating officer.
that we were looking at companies for a potential sale or merger of Bandit, we were adamant that it had to be the right fit for our company, our community, our dealer network and most importantly, our employees,” say Jerry Morey. “We
were only interested in partnering with an organization that would respect and be committed to our company culture. Huron Capital has a long history of growing companies while maintaining their independent operations and that was
Bandit Partners With Detroit Firm Huron Capital Partners, Detroit, Mich., and Bandit Industries, Mount Pleasant, Mich., have entered into a letter of intent to recapitalize Bandit as a private company with Huron providing resources and capital to reinforce Bandit’s continued growth while accelerating the company’s global growth strategy. Jerry Morey will continue to run the business as President & CEO. Upon closing, a CEO succession plan will be initiated to recruit and train a top caliber executive to lead the business into its next phase of growth. Mike Morey Sr. and Dianne Morey will remain with the company in consulting roles. Bandit will be co-owned by Jerry Morey, Mike Morey, Dianne Morey and Huron Capital. “When we announced last year
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■ in the news
a significant factor in our decision to partner with the firm. It also feels good to be working with another Michigan-based company that understands our challenges and shares our hometown pride. We are very much looking forward to the future for both Bandit and our mid-Michigan community.” Bandit Industries will remain at its current 280,000 sq. ft. headquarters between Remus and Mount Pleasant. All existing operations, including the workforce, management teams, distribution and dealer network will remain in place. “Bandit’s history as an independent, family-run business is an important criteria for us,” says Mike Beauregard, senior partner at Huron Capital. “Our investment in the business will preserve the legacy and culture of this business while continuing to expand globally under the Bandit brand.” Founded in 1983, Bandit Indus-
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tries is a leader in the design, manufacture, distribution and service of hand-fed and whole tree wood chippers, stump grinders, forestry mowers, Beast recycling machines and other specialty wood and waste processing equipment. Bandit serves professionals in the logging, forestry, tree care, land clearing, recycling and renewable energy markets through a global dealer network of more than 160 locations.
Fulghum Expands Production Capacity Rentech, Inc., Los Angeles, Ca., has a new long-term processing agreement between its subsidiaries, Fulghum Fibres Chile, Forestal Pacifico and Forestal Los Andes and Astillas Exportaciones Limitada, the Chilean subsidiary of Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. The new processing agreement would expand the volume of euca-
lyptus wood to be processed and sold under contract to Astex Ltda. The five-year contract includes the mutual option to extend for two additional five-year terms. The contract provides for guaranteed minimum volumes using a base fee, excess fee and shortage fee arrangement similar to the tolling contract structure of Fulghum’s North American contracts. Fulghum will rebuild its current mill in Concepción, Chile near the port of Puchoco to increase production capacity. With the expansion, the annual processing capacity of the mill will increase from 180,000 bone dry metric tons (BDMT) to 400,000 BDMT of logs with bark. In addition, the facility’s capacity to process logs without bark will increase from 40,000 to 100,000 BDMT per year. The mill will become Fulghum Fibres’ largest chip mill in South America. Rentech’s subsidiary, Forestal
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■ in the news
Pacifico, will process the bark produced from the mill and sell it as biomass fuel to local industrial customers. Rentech’s trading subsidiary, Forestal Los Andes, will utilize uncommitted capacity at the mill to produce chips for sale in South America or abroad. “This agreement cements Fulghum Fibres’ position as a significant world player in the pulp, paper and packaging industry,” says Sean Ebnet, senior vice president of fiber business development for Rentech. “Our best-in-class proprietary eucalyptus debarking system gives us a unique value proposition in Chile by providing a critical cost competitive solution for the wood processing needs of our customers. Clearly, Astex Ltda. recognizes this value and has expanded its debarking and chipping business with Fulghum Fibres.” The total cost of the new chipping mill and debarker project is expected to be $8.6 million. Construction of the new chip mill is expected to begin immediately with full commissioning scheduled for early 2015.
Gilchrist Selected For Bio Program Interfor Corp.’s Gilchrist Div. has been selected by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to accept biomass deliveries under the federal Biomass Crop Assistance Program so it can create clean heat and electricity to dry lumber. “This program generates clean energy from biomass, reduces the threat of fires by removing dead or diseased trees from public forestlands and invests in rural businesses and new energy markets,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says. Gilchrist is one of 36 energy facilities across the nation chosen to accept forest or agricultural residues as part of a national strategy to improve domestic energy security and reduce carbon pollution. “Gilchrist dries all of its lumber products in kilns fueled entirely by
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biomass,” says Interfor’s Chuck Burley. “Under this federal program, we can buy more biomass from operations that are improving the health of our public forests by reducing the threat of fire and infestations.”
‘Black’ Pellet Mill Planned For Monticello Zilkha Biomass Energy announced it is building a facility in Monticello, Ark. to manufacture Zilkha’s “Black” pellet, the first commercially available “advanced pellet” in the biomass industry, according to the company. Zilkha plans to invest $90 million in the facility and create 52 jobs. “Power companies across the globe are looking for renewable energy alternatives and biomass wood pellets stand as one of the most practical and cost-effective solutions,” says Jack Holmes, CEO of Zilkha Biomass Energy. “This plant in Monticello will be one of Zilkha’s largest and will help us capture more of the growing biomass energy market. Our Black pellets have a set of beneficial qualities, such as water resistance, that make it a more attractive option than traditional wood pellets.” Zilkha Black pellets can be easily integrated into coal-fired plants to create cleaner emissions, allowing plants to more easily comply with clean air regulations, and energy companies to build fewer new power plants, Zilkha claims. The pellets are water resistant, which allows them to be transported and stored outside like coal. “Monticello is proud to have been chosen as the site for Zilkha Biomass Energy,” says Nita McDaniel, executive director of the Monticello Economic Development Commission. “The manufacturing of Zilkha Black Pellets is a natural fit for the community alongside the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s School of Forest Resources. Our heritage is rich
in the timber industry and this heritage continues to move us forward with sustainable wood-based products.” Zilkha Biomass Energy LLC is headquartered in Houston. Its web site reports that another Zilkha plant, Zilkha Biomass Selma (ZBS), will be commissioned to produce Zilkha Black pellets in Selma, Ala. this year. This plant will have production capacity of 275,000 metric tons of pellets per year. The plant is at the site of the former Dixie Pellets plant, which Zilkha is retrofitting with ZBE process technology to produce the Zilkha Black pellet.
Former OSB Mill Will Make Pellets E-Pellets, LLC reports it has acquired the shuttered Louisiana-Pacific OSB mill in Athens, Ga. and will convert the operation into a wood pellet production facility, producing approximately 450,000 metric tons annually. The wood pellets will be exported to the European Union to be used as an alternative to coal as fuel in power plants. The conversion is expected to cost $150 million. E-Pellets says it has a long-term port agreement with Georgia Kaolin Terminal, Inc. (GKT), which will provide sufficient capacity to export up to 1.35 million metric tons per year of pellets through the port facility in Savannah, Ga. EPellets previously purchased a wood pellet facility in Nahunta, Ga. and intends to expand its production volume. The company, which is exploring other development opportunities in Georgia and South Carolina, is led by newly appointed CEO Doug Albrecht, who has wood products experience offshore. He is supported on the ground by Chief Operating Officer Ken Ciarletta, who previously managed the Georgia Biomass wood pellet plant in Waycross. Ben Easterlin is in charge of Development. “We have an incredibly ➤ 46
Wood Bioenergy / October 2014
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■ biomass power
Stable Resource, Continual Investment
30 Years of Success By Dan Shell KETTLE FALLS, Wash. fter its 30th year of operation in 2013, Avista’s 53 MW biomass fuel generating plant on the banks of the mighty Columbia River is well positioned for its next 30 years, with a quality raw material base and recent inclusion of the facility as a renewable energy producer—beginning in 2016—under Washington’s renewable portfolio standards. After not being counted under Washington’s initial RPS legislation in 2006 that requires large utilities to get at least 15% of energy from renewables by 2020 (with facilities that started up before 1999 not eligible), state legislators went back in 2012 and passed additional legislation that qualified the Kettle Falls Generating Station and other biomass power producers under the RPS framework. Ron Gray, fuel manager at the facility, says that’s a big development. “Moving us into the renewable portfolio helps extend the life of this plant, and it saves ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars,” he explains, adding that sawmills, plywood plants and forest health project managers have a long-term market for residual biomass. Starting up in 1983, the Kettle Falls Generating Station was the first utility-owned biomass plant in the U.S. built for the sole purpose of pro-
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Plant consumes 500,000 green tons of biomass annually.
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biomass power ■
ducing electricity from wood waste. The facility’s location was dictated in large part by its proximity to many sawmills and plywood plants in northeast Washington, southeast British Columbia and northern Idaho. Though many of the mills from 30 years ago have closed or consolidated, and logging restrictions have reduced timber harvests in the area’s national forests, the forest products industry remains a large and viable part of the regional economy. Ensuring continued access to quality biomass fuel is a major objective for Avista’s ongoing operations, and the Kettle Falls Generating Station’s appetite for biomass fuel—consuming roughly 500,000 green tons a year—makes it a major player in the regional timber economy. The company is a member of the Northeast Washington Forestry Coalition, a group of stakeholders concerned for the future of the region’s public forests, including timber industry and environmental representatives, who have come together to boost forest health issues. Gray currently serves as vice president of the group, which was established in 2002. The nearby Vaagen Bros. sawmill is a major plant supplier and has been instrumental in helping develop the regional forest coalition. Noting the Boise Cascade sawmill and plywood plant just south of Avista's property line, along with other key wood products producers in Avista’s procureCat D10 features auxiliary rear radiator for working extreme conditions. ment radius that supply biomass (roughly half comes from British Columbia, which is less than 50 miles upriver), Gray says, “We don’t want to lose this infrastructure we have here, so we try to help on those issues, working with the Forest Service on restoration projects, for example, to help keep those mills in place.” Avista has positioned itself as a customer for forest health projects in the region that produce relatively small volumes of biomass but are critical for forest health activities that help create a stable resource base that in turn enables regional sawmills and plywood plants to stay in operation. An example is a project five years ago at nearby Deer Lake, Wash., where state Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) managers were treating a 250 acre tract that A 7 MW natural gas turbine system feeds steam to boiler, increasing efficiency. included hazardous fuel reduction—with plans to burn the resulting slash piles in the woods. cated within 150 miles of Kettle Falls. The sawmills Working with local contractors, Avista convinced Washand plywood plants and forest health contractors that ington state DNR officials to chip and remove the slash work with Avista provide between 15,000 and 18,000 piles instead and haul to the plant. loads of biomass residuals annually. As a result, the forest health job produced 1,200 tons of biomass, more than twice what DNR officials had esOperations timated, and reduced particulate emissions (by not slash burning) by more than 30,000 lbs. Long known as a well-run and well-maintained facilThe plant works with a core group of roughly 15 supity, the Kettle Falls Generating Station employs 29. pliers, mostly primary forest products manufacturers lo“The plant is kept up well, and the employees want to
October 2014 / Wood Bioenergy
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■ biomass power
Newly remodeled boiler control room
Original GE generator and turbine are “in great shape,” says Wiggins.
New-generation Allen-Bradley PLCs
Flakt ESP system handles small boiler particulates.
see it be successful,” says Plant Manager Greg Wiggins. “They take a lot of pride in the operation.” The plant originally started up with a 46 MW steam turbine and generator. In 2002, a 7 MW natural gas turbine system was added adjacent the existing boiler building. “We produce steam with a heat recovery steam generator from the waste heat of the gas turbine exhaust. The steam from the HRSG is used to increase our wood-fired boiler efficiency,” Wiggins says, noting the addition gives the generating station its current total plant output at 60 MW capacity. “It’s allowed the technicians to do more programming and fine-tuning work without affecting plant operations,” Wiggins says of the new generation control system. Working around market conditions and seasonality, plant operators seek to keep about six months of biomass fuel on site. In the fuel handling area, the facility’s truck dumpers, conveyors, 600 HP wood hog and
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screening systems prior to the tripper conveyor’s output chute are vintage original equipment from the plant’s opening and due for replacement in the next few years, Gray says. The facility uses 3Log software for its scale ticket, documentation and payment systems. The two truck dumps are driver-operated, with incoming loads conveyed to a recirculating hopper on to a disc screen and through the hog before hitting the fuel pile. Two Eriez magnets and an MDI metal detector work to keep foreign objects out of the fuel storage pile. “We’re constantly mixing to make it consistent,” Gray says of the plant’s fuel furnish, which is spec’ed at biomass with no pieces larger than 4 in. Biomass is mixed and compacted by two Cat D10 model R and T dozers (both with innovative auxiliary rear radiators. A Flexaire fan on the R and planned for the T in 2015 is needed for working in such extreme conditions) with large Young blades. Fuel is screened again after going through the re-
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biomass power ■
claim system headed toward the Kettle Falls Generating Station is a boiler’s feeder hoppers. big contributor to Avista being A big part of fuel inventory manamong the lowest CO2 emitters agement is compaction to take oxyamong major energy producers. As a gen out of the pile and reduce the groundbreaking biomass power propotential for spontaneous combusduction facility, the plant has gartion. “We work on pile management nered a 1984 Energy Conservation every day,” Gray says, noting that Award from Power magazine, folfuel is sampled four times per day at lowed by an Environmental Excelboiler infeed. lence Award from the state of Biomass flows to six feeder hopWashington in 1985. pers that move fuel via screw augers The facility won an Outstanding to the Combustion Engineering VUAchievement Award for Conserva40 boiler. During the burn process, tion from the U.S. Forest Service in large particulates are removed via cy1998, and was named Power Plant of clone separator, while small particuthe Year by Power magazine in 2000. lates are removed by a Flakt ESP In 2001, Kettle Falls was given an system (now part of Alstom Power, Environmental Excellence for CleanAir Quality Control Systems). Up award by the Association of Avista Fuel Manager Ron Gray The plant’s water testing lab inWashington Businesses. cludes a NALCO spectrometer, Hach “We’ve been innovating and silica analyzer and Rosemount hydrazine analyzer. A making continual upgrades, the boiler runs good and VWR moisture content testing cabinet is used to help the turbine is in great shape,” says Wiggins. “We monitor fuel quality. work for our Avista customers, and we’re here for the According to Avista officials, the award-winning long run.”
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TP&EE 2014 ■
TP&EE Will Draw Primary Producers as the markets have improved. Nobody wants to get left behind.” The event will again feature a Beer Garden, which is sponsored by Brunette Machinery, Murray Latta Progressive Machine, Comact, Nelson Bros. Engineering and JoeScan. Hall D is one of five halls comprising 330,000 square feet on the Portland Expo Center grounds. Portland Expo Center is conveniently located off Interstate 5 between downtown Portland and Vancouver, Wash. It’s only minutes from the Portland International Airport and has immediate access to the Max Light Rail. To read more about TP&EE and to register, visit www.timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com.
INDUSTRY SUPPORT GROUP
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a rch I n s t i t
October 2014 / Wood Bioenergy
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rganizers of the Timber Processing & Energy Expo (TP&EE) have announced that exhibitor space is sold out for the event to be held October 15-17 at the Portland Exposition Center in Portland, Ore. The event caters to sawmills, veneer and plywood mills, engineered wood products operations and wood energy systems, with emphasis on primary production machinery, technologies and supplies. Timber Processing, Panel World and Wood Bioenergy magazines serve as media hosts for the event, which is produced by Hatton-Brown Expositions LLC, an affiliate of HattonBrown Publishers, Inc. This is the second TP&EE. The first one in 2012, held at the same Hall D venue at the Portland Expo Center, attracted 2,000 participants, including representatives from 115 wood products producing companies and 200 specific mill operation sites from 30 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces, as well as several overseas countries. Exhibitors have purchased 47,000 square feet, an increase of several thousand feet over the sold out 2012 event because the show organizers were able to find a new corridor of exhibitor space adjacent the main floor. Many companies expanded their booth space over the 2012 event. Show Director Rich Donnell says that cogeneration and wood energy is a significant part of the event. “Everyone knows that cogeneration has long been a technology built into traditional wood products operations,” he says. “It will be a major part of the discussion during this event in the form of drying technologies and of course with regard to the processing and handling of byproducts such as sawdust, planer shavings and chips.” He also notes that many of the wood products operations personnel in attendance will represent companies that have implemented biomass power systems. As in 2012, the 2014 expo will include a workshop segment. The Lumber Manufacturing Workshop will be held Thursday, October 16, and the Veneer & Plywood Manufacturing and Engineered Lumber Workshop will be held the first day of the expo, Wednesday, October 15. Workshop registration includes access to both workshops, admission for three days to the expo floor, and a “beer and brat” ticket for $75. Those wishing to simply walk the expo floor can register for free before the event, or pay $15 to also receive a “beer and brat” ticket. “There was a lot of enthusiasm in 2012 because the event was new and the economy was beginning to show some life,” comments Donnell, who is also the editorin-chief of the host magazines for Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. “Now we’re into some real project activity
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EXHIBITORS LIST A & M Manufacturing www.ammfginc.com
641
Altec Integrated Solutions Ltd. www.alteconline.com
553
Acrowood www.acrowood.com
645
American Wood Dryers www.drykilns.com
805
AMS Solutions www.amss.ca Andritz-Iggesund Tools www.iggesundtools.com
Actiw OY www.actiw.com AKE Knebel GmbH www.ake.de
2 240
Arch Wood Protection., A Lonza Company www.wolmanizedwood.com
844
Arrow Speed Controls www.arrowspeed.com
L01
648
Autolog Inc www.autolog.com
247
429
Automation & Electronics USA www.automationelecusa.com
819
Balluff www.balluff.com
711
Baxley Equipment www.beqco.com
125
BEP Engineering Services Ltd. www.bepengineering.com
117
Brookhuis America www.brookhuis.com
345
Brunette Machinery www.brunettemc.com
248
Brunson Instrument www.brunson.us
719
Burton Saw & Supply www.burtonsaw.com
816
California Saw & Knife Works www.calsaw.com
835
Canadian Forest Industries/ Canadian Biomass 147 www.canadianbiomassmagazine.ca
20
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Carbotech International www.carbotech-intl.com
744
Cooper Machine Co. www.coopermachine.com
CCS, a Division of PNE www.pnecorp.com
124
Corley Manufacturing www.corleymfg.com
Columbia River Staple & Lumber Wrap www.columbiariverstaple.com
21
17
Delta Computer Systems www.deltamotion.com
818
121
Diacon Technologies www.diacon.com
738
Costa Sanders LLC www.costasanders.com
838
Dieffenbacher USA www.dieffenbacher.de
106
715
DK-Spec www.dkspec.com
845
Dykman Electrical www.dykman.com
823
Endurance Equipment/Piché www.enduranceequipmentllc.com
340
Evergreen Engineering www.evergreenengineering.com
820
EWTA www.apawood.org
150
Exlar Corporation www.exlar.com
19
Comact www.comact.com
450
Cut Technologies www.cuttech.com
Con-Vey Keystone www.con-vey.com
137
DAGR Industrial Lighting www.dagrlighting.com
9
Connexus Industries www.cnxsind.com
629
Dehong CHON Pyrolysate www.pyrolysate.com
L05
Ferro & Associates Machinery www.ferromachinery.com
149
FinScan OY www.finscan.fi
155
Flux Drive www.fluxdrive.com
746
Galardy Technical Services www.galardy.com
141
German Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers‚ VDMA 238 www.machines-for-wood.com Gilbert Products www.gilbert-tech.com Gillingham Best www.gillinghambest.com HALCO Software Systems www.halcosoftware.com
529 22
543
Hermary Opto www.hermaryopto.com
119
HewSaw Machines www.hewsaw.com
229
Industrial Equipment Manufacturing (IEM) www.iem.ca International Bar Coding Systems (IBC) www.ibcworld.net International Bearing www.internationalbearing.com
14
440 833
International Forest Industries 18 www.internationalforestindustries .com 22
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Intertape Polymer Group www.intertapepolymer.com
21
Lucidyne Technologies www.lucidyne.com
237
Nelson Brothers Engineering www.millsmart.com
537
337
Newman Machine www.newmanwhitney.com
444
Nicholson Mfg. www.debarking.com
438
850
Northern Plastics www.northernplastic.com
442 829
InterWrap www.interwrap.com
541
Mac Chain www.macchain.com
Itipack Systems www.itipack.com
120
Machinery Sales www.machinerysales.com
James G. Murphy www.murphyauction.com
139
Mahild Drying Technologies GmbH www.mahild.com
JoeScan www.joescan.com
329
Maxi Mill www.maximill.com
637
Novilco www.novilco.com
Kalmar/Norlift of Oregon www.kalmarglobal.com
703
McDonough Mfg. www.mcdonough-mfg.com
545
Oiles America www.oiles.com
Keith Manufacturing www.keithwalkingfloor.com
801
Metal Detectors www.mdiblue.com
544
Oleson Saw Technology www.olesonsaw.com
615
Key Knife www.keyknife.com
739
Metriguard www.metriguard.com
815
Opticom Technologies www.opticomtech.com
115
Kimwood www.kimwood.com
649
Michael Weinig www.weinigusa.com
245
Optimil Machinery www.optimil.com
203
13
Microtec Industries North America www.microtec.eu
603
Optware Solutions www.optware.com
157
Kop-Coat www.kop-coat.com
814, L02
Koppers Performance www.osmosewood.com
840
MINDA Industrieanlagen GmbH 243 www.minda.de
Oregon State University, College of Forestry www.forestry.oregonstate.edu
L.G. Isaacson www.lgisaacson.com
214
MoCo Engineering & Fabrication www.mocoeng.com
Osela www.oselainc.com
Lewis Controls www.lewiscontrols.com
121
Modern Engineering www.modereng.com
745 539
Linck Holzverarbeitungstechnik GmbH 611 www.linck.com
MÖEHRINGER (Simon Mohringer Anlagenbau) 241 www.moehringer.com
Linden Fabricating www.linfab.com
343
MPM Engineering www.mpmeng.com
LMI Technologies www.lmi3d.com
254
Müehlboeck Drying Technology 146 www.drykilns.ca
Logging & Sawmill Journal www.forestnet.com
842
Murray Latta Progressive Machine www.mlpmachine.com
24
533
246
16
15 8
Pacific Fluid Systems, Div. of HAWE Hydraulics www.hawehydraulics.com
242
Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau www.plib.org
339
Panel World www.panelworldmag.com Pantron Automation www.pantron.com Pape Material Handling www.papemh.com
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Paw-Taw-John Services www.pawtaw.com
737
Pro Mac Mfg. www.promac.bc.ca
Peerless Saw www.peerlesssaw.com
549
Process Control Consultants www.optimizedmotion.com
Platt Electric Supply www.platt.com
115
Porter Engineering www.portereng.com
111
639
Redwood Plastics www.redwoodplastics.com
540
10
Rockwell Industries www.rockwellindustries.com
20
Purakal Cyclinders www.purakal.com
625
Rogers Machinery www.rogers-machinery.com
642
Raptor Integration www.raptorint.ca
344
Salem Equipment www.salemequip.com
520
Raute www.raute.com
437
Samuel Stapping SystemsCoding & Labeling www.samuelstrapping.com
Premier Gear & Machine Works 144 www.premier-gear.com
Rawlings Mfg. www.wastewoodhogs.com
811
Price LogPro LLC www.logprollc.com
REA Elektronik www.reajetus.com
143
Premier Bandwheel & Equipment www.premierbandwheel.com
646
125
Samuel Strapping Systems www.samuelstrapping.com Saw Control Systems www.sawcontrol.com
846 7
ScanMeg www.scanmeg.com
221
SCS Forest Products www.scsfp.com
441
Sering Sawmill Machinery www.seringsawmillmachinery.com
104
Sicam Systems www.sicamsystems.com
445
Signode Packaging Systems www.signode.com
148
Simonds International www.simondsinternational.com
211
Slatercom-WCD www.slatercom.com
743
SonicAire www.iesclean.com
100
Springer Maschinenfabrik AG www.springer.eu Starcyl Cylinders www.starcyl.com State of Alabama www.amazingalabama.com Superior Tire Service www.superiortireservice.com Tajfun USA www.tajfun.com
26
311
603 152 4 705 6
Taylor Machine Works www.taylorbigred.com
103
Telco Sensors www.telcosensorsusa.com
128
Timber Machine Technologies www.timbermachine.com
132
Timber Processing www.timberprocessing.com
725
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Timber Processing & Energy Expo www.timberprocessingand energyexpo.com Timber Product Manufacturers Assn. www.timberassociation.com
725
US Metal Works www.usmetalworks.com USNR www.usnr.com
1
751 405, L04
Wagner Meters www.wagnermeters.com
807
WaneShear Technologies www.waneshear.com
655
VAB Solutions www.vab-solutions.com
740
Webster Chain www.websterchain.com
647
Wellons Group, The www.wellons.com
520
West Coast Industrial Systems www.westcoastindustrial.com
116
West Salem Machinery www.westsalem.com
827
Westmill Industries www.westmill.com
131
Timberwest www.forestnet.com
842
Ventek www.ventek-inc.com
731
TMS Machinery Sales www.tms-sales.com
151
VK North America www.valonkone.com
341
TS Manufacturing www.tsman.com
617
Vollmer of America www.vollmer-us.com
321
Williams and White 621 www.williamsandwhiteequipment.com Wolftek Industries www.wolftek.ca
742
Wonderware PacWest www.wonderwarepacwest.com
638
Wood Bioenergy 725 www.woodbioenergymagazine.com Wood-Mizer www.woodmizer.com Woodtech Measurements Technology www.woodtechms.com Z-Tec Automation Systems www.ztec.ca
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■ chippers & grinders
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following manufacturers of in-woods chippers and grinders advertised in this issue and submitted the following materials. All claims and statements are attributable to the manufacturers.
CW Mill Equipment
Bandit Industries
Three HogZilla TC tub grinders in action
Bandit 3590 whole tree chipper with micro chip drum
A new micro chip drum is available from Bandit Industries on the Model 2590, 3090, 3590 and 3590XL whole tree chippers. Bandit’s new micro chip drum features double the cuts per revolution compared to a standard Bandit drum, and it works in conjunction with a card breaker system designed to help filter out oversized chips exiting the drum housing. The result is a very uniform wood chip approximately 1⁄4 inch in size, all without affecting the throwing power, production and efficiency that customers have come to expect from Bandit. And because different biofuel markets often require different sized chips, Bandit’s micro chip drum can be easily converted back to a standard drum. This configuration will produce chips in a common 3⁄4 in. size or it can also be setup to produce large “maxi” chips approaching 2 in. in size. This kind of versatility means multiple fuel wood markets can be served with just one Bandit whole tree chipper. Most chipper manufacturers offer machines or option packages to produce micro chips but the trade-off is often slower production, reduced fuel efficiency and shorter knife life. Bandit’s proprietary designs for the chipping drum, drum housing and discharge chute help preserve the fuel efficient nature of Bandit whole tree chippers while also delivering exceptional throwing power and knife life despite making twice as many cuts per revolution. And Bandit also offers the versatility to quickly convert back to a standard drum for different chip sizes. Chip markets can range from large scale pellet and biomass operations to universities, municipalities and smaller local users such as factories looking to convert old coal boilers to wood. Bandit Industries continues to work diligently in support of renewable biomass energy, and to help professionals in the logging and tree service industries find outlets to sell chips. Visit banditchippers.com
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Engineered with a commitment to having all components be the best, over-sized and most rugged available, the HogZilla TC series has earned its place at the top of the market. The HogZilla TC series is offered in four different models, all with unique standard features, including the massive and most popular TCII-1564P Monster HogZilla grinder. The heart of a TC series grinder is the torque converter drive that allows the engine to perform at peak efficiency with multiplied torque. TC series engines operate near governed speed throughout the work cycle regardless of load requirements. Torque converters allow the engine to avoid lugging and needless racing while protecting the engine from shock and loads from torsion. The strength and reliability of industrial torque converters was proven decades ago in the rock crushing industry and CW pioneered and perfected their use in tub grinders. HogZilla is the only grinder known to be equipped with a true torque converter. CW Mill Equipment patented the Adjustable Swing Hammermill and the HogZilla TC series grinders are the only grinder on the market with this capability. The hammermill assembly can be changed to a variety of different swing diameters in the field. This enables easy customization of the machine to match specific grinding needs. Maximum efficiency and productivity can be fine-tuned for any application. TC grinders are equipped standard with an extreme condition radiator. Grinding is often a hot and dirty job. CW has gone to great lengths to take control of difficult conditions. TC series grinders have the biggest possible radiator pre-cleaner to help pre-filter out the most dirt and contaminants. The engine intake air is ducted from ahead of the radiator inside of the pre-cleaner to capture the cleanest and coolest air available. The engine exhaust assembly is configured with a special cover to keep chips out of the engine enclosure and material away from exhaust heat. CW Mill has been manufacturing top quality electric and diesel-powered grinders for more than 40 years and CW’s HogZilla brand provides the best diesel and electric powered grinder in the industry. Visit hogzilla.com
Wood Bioenergy / October 2014
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chippers & grinders ■
DuraTech Industries
Jenz
DuraTech’s TC-15 Tree Chipper
DuraTech Industries introduces the TC-15 Tree Chipper. The TC-15 is the larger option in the DuraTech tree chipper line. With option of a 122 HP CAT C4.4 or 139 HP CAT C4.4 diesel engine and PT-Tech clutch, the powerful TC-15 can grind logs up to 15 inches in diameter. “We are excited to offer a larger tree chipper with the same advanced and powerful technology utilized in our grinders,” says Duratech’s Bob Strahm. “Our TC12 Tree Chipper entered us into a new market and now we are expanding further into this territory.” The TC-15 features a spring-loaded feed wheel with adjustable down pressure, an optional height sensor that automatically adjusts the feed roller to material size and an optional hydraulic gathering winch. A hydraulic two feed roller system feeds the four 4.5 inch knives designed to chip wood waste. This high-powered unit discharges debris 360 degrees from the hydraulic rotating adjustable chip spout, allowing the user to alter chip disposal. The TC-15 has multiple safety features like the innovative hopper safety light bars with easy and instant shutdown. There are also two E-stop switches, a disc hood closed proximity switch and a breakaway brake switch to ensure the safety of the operator. “Safety is a major concern when operating chippers,” says Strahm. “The precautions installed on both of our tree chippers allow users to operate safely and benefit from full use of all the features.” The new tree chipper is available with a pintle or ball hitch and can easily be towed to a job site. This unit is compact measuring 79 in. x 208 in. Visit duratechindustries.com
HEM 593 Z mobile chipper from Jenz
The new JENZ mobile chipper HEM 593 Z completes the established 500 series. The most important feature difference between it and the HEM 583 is the draw-in, which is 20 cm wider. A wider draw-in allows material to be processed better. The task of the driver is now more or less restricted to providing material using the crane. The chipper works more evenly, there is less empty running time. The throughput rate increases. Most customers who changed over from the HEM 561 to the HEM 581 had daily throughput increased by 25% at the same drive power. JENZ expects a similar increase in performance for the HEM 593 compared with the HEM 583. Just because you buy a more powerful machine, it doesn’t mean you can change the order situation. It’s much more important to buy the right machine for the jobs you have. The HEM 593 Z can be used to serve large district heating stations as well as small incineration plants. Long journeys to the jobs, scattered material heaps and frequent screen basket changing are on the daily agenda. This gap can best be closed using a universally usable chipper like the HEM 593. It combines the established benefits of the HEM 583 with a higher performance at almost the same input. The HEM 593 Z is very compact for its performance potential. The machine is unbelievably maintenancefriendly. The rotor enclosure lifts hydraulically. The one-piece screen basket can be replaced in only 10 minutes without tools. Another big advantage is the hydraulically driven outfeed blower, which is now a standard feature on the HEM 593. The teeth on the draw-in roller are more aggressive and higher. The feed table is located slightly higher and is more stable. However, it’s still considerably lighter and more compact than a HEM 820 Z. JENZ customers profit from inexpensive spare parts and a high resale value. Visit jenz.de
October 2014 / Wood Bioenergy
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■ chippers & grinders
Morbark
Peterson
Morbark 40/36 whole tree drum chipper
Peterson’s largest horizontal grinder, the 6710D
Developed from Morbark’s popular 40/36 whole tree drum chipper and designed to meet the needs of the rapidly growing pellet market, the 40/36 MicroChipper offers Morbark’s exclusive enhanced Advantage 3 highperformance chipping drum. The drum is designed to both create uniform micro chips and reduce maintenance demands. An operator-friendly slide-in forestry grate system reduces oversized chips for a consistent, high-quality end product, while the mechanically driven chip accelerator fully loads your truck. “The Model 40/36 does an outstanding job on the micro chip,” says Jerry Sapp of Sapp’s Land & Excavating. “Right now we are running three chippers: two crews are using the 40/36 MicroChippers and one has a Model 40/36 fuel chipper. We typically get about 110 loads of micro chips a week between two crews. When conditions are ideal, however, I’ve seen a crew get more than 80 loads a week with a single chipper.” “With new biomass plants being built in the United States and the rapid expansion of wood pellet exports to Europe to meet the European Union’s mandate that 20% of its energy come from renewable sources by 2020, our customers need a cost-effective system for making micro chips,” says Morbark’s John Foote. “The 40/36 MicroChipper is the solution. We are able to produce a far superior product, producing 95% acceptable micro chips at volumes of more than 70 tons per hour.” With an average fuel consumption of 2.25 tons of micro chips produced per gallon of fuel used, the Morbark 40/36 MicroChipper allows owners to reduce costs and maximize profits. In customer tests, 95% of the micro chips produced passed through a ½ in. grate, and an average of 65% passed through a ¼ in. grate. Morbark has a full line of heavy-duty whole tree chippers in various sizes and configurations. All Morbark equipment is backed by an extensive dealer network and world-class parts and service support teams. Visit morbark.com
The all-new Peterson 6710D is Peterson’s largest horizontal grinder, and is designed for operations that need the most durable, highest output machine. Powered by a 1125 HP (838 Kw) Tier II, Caterpillar C32 engine (or an optional Tier IVi Caterpillar C32 engine), the 6710D is designed for the toughest jobs. With a feed opening of 50 x 66 inches (127 x 168 cm), the 6710D can even process large stumps that used to be reserved for tub grinders. The grinder is particularly suited for land clearing operations or other applications where mobility is desired. Track mounting also reduces material handling costs in conventional recycling yards as well. With the R+ package, the 6710D can be configured as a mid-speed grinder to handle heavily contaminated piles, or a high speed grinder for typical land clearing operations. Peterson’s three-stage grinding process with an up turning rotor and large grate area enables the 6710D to produce materials to exact specifications. The quickchange multiple grate system makes it easy to customize grate configurations to produce a wide variety of finished materials. Grates are removed through an enlarged access door on the side wall of the 6710D. The 6710D features Peterson’s Adaptive Control System, which controls all components of the feed system to optimize output. This system monitors the grinding load and varies the speed of the feed system to keep the engine working at the top of its power curve. It automatically accelerates the feed system when the engine load is light, slows when the load is high, and reverses if the engine speed drops. It even monitors the engine temperature and varies the cooling fan speed to minimize power usage and reduce fuel consumption. Unique to Peterson grinders is the innovative latching Impact Release System, which minimizes damage from contaminants in the feed material. The anvil and first grate open on a severe impact, allowing the contaminant to be ejected, and then re-latch to permit continuous grinding. Visit petersoncorp.com
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Wood Bioenergy / October 2014
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chippers & grinders ■
Terex Environmental Equipment Terex Environmental Equipment continues with its rapid product development for Terex tracked grinder the wood processing, biomass and recycling industries. Some of the most well-known of its product line are the whole tree biomass chippers (the 400 series) and the horizontal grinder (600 series). At the heart of the Terex TBC 400 series chippers is the massive 50 in. diameter drum. These are the largest drums in the industry which help improve efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. This drum has a 1 in. drum skin, full pocket cutting surface, bolt in replaceable wear parts. The drum gives the Terex TBC 400 series chippers a mechanical advantage in cutting attack angle, wear, longevity, kinetic energy and fuel efficiency. The large in-feed system and opening enables efficient feed to slash, limbs, short wood and whole trees. Terex chippers use a full knife pocket across the face of the drum to produce superior high quality chip and faster load times. Standard features include a computer control hydraulic feed system, full knife pocket drum for chip quality, heavy duty 50 in. diameter chipping drum, which is designed to run at a lower rpm giving minimal vibration, and a high torque reverse pivot feed system for easy loading. The TBG 640 range is the most popular of the TEE horizontal grinders, with both a wheeled version and the tracked version. These extremely versatile machines are designed for reducing wood (demolition wood, green waste etc), industrial waste (construction, demolition) and other waste material. It is designed for high performance and strong product reliability. With user friendly controls and good fuel efficiency, it is built with ease of maintenance in mind reducing downtime. Components are easily accessible in the field for service technicians. Capable of working in the most demanding environments, key features include hammermill of 65 in. wide and 34 in. diameter. The infeed opening is 41 in. high and 63 in. wide. Both versions come with a 700 HP engine, with a 755 Tier 4 option. The TBG 640 is capable of producing green waste between 300-400 yards and scrap wood of 400-500 yards per hour. Visit terex.com
in the news ■
ReEnergy Announces Addition To Biomass Power Portfolio ReEnergy Holdings plans to resume operations at its biomass-to-electricity facility in Ashland, Me. “We are very pleased to be resuming operations of this critical energy asset,” says ReEnergy CEO Larry Richardson. “This will restore jobs, improve forest health, and enhance reliability and stability in the delivery of electricity in northern Maine. ReEnergy’s Fort Drum, NY facility started up in 2013. This was only possible through the collaboration and support of key stakeholders.” The 39 MW Ashland facility, which opened in 1993, was acquired by ReEnergy Holdings in December 2011 as part of a multi-facility portfolio purchase from Boralex Industries Inc. It has been idled since March 2011. It is anticipated that the facility will be fully operational by December. The resumption of operations will restore 25 direct jobs and an estimated 150 indirect jobs associated with the facility, many of them related to the supply of the forest residue fuel supply to the facility and additional jobs tied to local goods and services related to the facility. At full production levels, the facility purchases more than $16 million annually in fuel from local loggers. The company owns and operates three other biomass-to-energy facilities in Maine: ReEnergy Stratton (48 MW); ReEnergy Livermore Falls (39 MW); and ReEnergy Fort Fairfield (37 MW). The restart has been made possible due to a confluence of factors, including an increased need for electric grid stability in northern Maine, availability of transmission capacity, a growing need for a local outlet for mill and forest residues, and energy market changes. The facility has been maintained in a manner that will allow for a prompt return to its previous high standard of reliability, but several months of preparation will be necessary to hire and re-hire employees, build fuel supply, and assess and re-tune equipment. In May 2013 ReEnergy started up its Black River Facility at Fort Drum (Watertown), NY. ReEnergy had acquired the idled facility (which previously burned coal) in 2011 and invested more than $34 million to convert it into a 60 MW biomass power plant.
October 2014 / Wood Bioenergy
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WB_1014_ASM_Layout 1 9/8/14 1:48 PM Page 36
■ product news
Peterson Celebrates Special Delivery
Peterson employees gather for #2000.
Peterson Pacific Corp. has delivered its 2,000th machine to come off the production line to Tabeel Trading, based in Australia. The milestone machine is a Peterson 5000H delimber/debarker/chipper, which produces low-bark-content chips for wood pulp and pellets. “Reaching this milestone delivery is a testament to the capabilities of the 5000H, and our commitment to continuous innovation,” says Larry Cumming, presi-
dent of Peterson. “The new 5000H is delivering on its promise to our customers, and we continue to look at ways to make it even more efficient in the future.” Peterson hosted a special delivery ceremony on–site in Eugene for its employees. The 2000th machine was adorned with a special logo and the U.S. and Australian flags. Peterson has a long-standing relationship with chipping operations in Australia.
Prentice Offers New Site Prep Tractor The new Prentice 2864C site prep tractor is a multi-purpose, heavy-duty machine with the muscle to run power-hungry mulchers and brushcutters. The C Series replaces the A Series and
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Prentice 2864C site prep tractor
incorporates technical advances from the Prentice C Series wheel feller-buncher, including a new engine and machine design that delivers more horsepower using less fuel. Applications for the
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tractor include residential/commercial development, land management, right-of-way construction and maintenance; wetlands and wildlife habitat management; plantation reclamation and management and clearing for flood control and firebreaks. “You can tackle a variety of projects with one machine, lowering your owning and operating costs,” says Matt McDonald, Caterpillar Forest Products product specialist for the site prep tractor. Work tools have been developed to match the capability of the 2864C. The Prentice MR-244 brushcutter and the new Prentice MD-250 mulcher are available from the factory and supported by Prentice dealers. The PowerDirect Plus system optimizes performance by monitoring operator and attachment hydraulic demand and delivering power where and when it is needed. The 350 HP engine and oversized hydraulic system push more flow to the attachment for faster recovery without slowing other functions. The high capacity cooling system and on-demand reversing fan keep the machine running cool. The oversized, hydraulically driven fan spins at a slower speed overall and only turns as fast as needed to maintain proper hydraulic and engine temperatures. The machine is segmented into separate compartments that are pressurized to prevent debris from entering. The pressurized airflow also keeps electronics, sensors and other key components cool during long workdays. The cab is positioned between the axles for a stable, smooth ride. A clean three-piece front windshield, standard back-up camera and skylight provide a 360° view. The standard air suspension seat with neck and back support and high capacity HVAC system add to operator comfort. Visit prenticeforestry.com.
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■ product news AFEX Control Unit Wards Off Fire
AFEX fire threat control unit
AFEX Fire Suppression Systems are designed and purposebuilt to protect heavy off-road equipment from the threat of fire. At the heart of these critical safety attachments is the AFEX Control Unit, which combines the latest in microprocessor technology with durability, resulting in the ultimate fire suppression system control and performance. Audible and visual signals alert the operator to any problem or alarm conditions. These alerts are stored on the control unit’s internal log for subsequent troubleshooting and are shown on the LCD display in the local language, meaning they can easily be reviewed directly on the machine itself. The AFEX Control Unit enables asset managers to track a fire suppression system’s status alongside other key operating metrics quickly and conveniently. Using dedicated outputs from the AFEX Control Unit and inputs on the telematics system, end users can monitor for problem, alarm and discharge status. Beyond that, for autonomous vehicle applications, the AFEX system can be configured to discharge when signaled by the vehicle remote control. The AFEX Control Unit now has over two years of fieldproven application in the mining, waste and forestry industries. Compact enough for console mounting, the box itself is tightly sealed to protect the internal components, and its battery provides a year of stand-alone power. It utilizes a customizable harness with
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standardized connectors for efficient/affordable installations and watertight connections. Visit afexsystems.com.
Wood Splitter Reduces Stress For Grinders
Log Jaw wood splitter
Fecon, Inc. offers an excavatormounted Log Jaw Wood Splitter to its forestry attachment product line. The Log Jaw is a hydraulicpowered wood splitting attachment that is also made for skid steers and loaders. The Log Jaw will rip apart long, large diameter logs and stumps into manageable pieces for chippers, wood grinders or for firewood processing. The Log Jaw is Fecon’s low cost, high return solution for handling oversized and difficult to process logs and stumps that would otherwise require expensive disposal fees. Splitting logs into optimally sized pieces improves the efficiency and production of chippers and grinders, while putting less stress on and requiring less horsepower from the processing equipment. The Log Jaw attachment, weighing approximately 995 lbs. mounted on an excavator, has a 40 in. jaw opening (tip to tip) and 360° of rotation, allowing the operator to attack oversized wood from any angle. Made for 8 to 16 ton excavators, a mount will be built to your excavator’s specifications for easy installation. Visit fecon.com.
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■ product news Vermeer Announces Succession Plan As part of its family succession planning process, Vermeer Corp. announced that third-generation family member, Jason Andringa,
will serve as the company’s next President & CEO effective November 1, 2015. Currently he is assuming the role of President & Chief Operating Officer for one year, when he will transition to the role of Presi-
dent & CEO. He currently serves as president of Forage and Environmental Solutions. “Gary Vermeer, my grandfather and Vermeer founder, was very influential for me personally and professionally,” Andringa says. “I am honored to have the opportunity to lead Vermeer as a familyowned and operated, global company into a prosperous future.” Mary Andringa, current President & CEO, will assume the role of CEO & Chair of the Board November 1, 2014. She will transition exclusively to Chair of the Board on November 1, 2015. Bob Vermeer, current Chairman of the Board, will assume the role of Chair Emeritus.
Trommel Screen Is Updated About 3,500 mobile trommel screens have been manufactured by Doppstadt during the past 50 years, according to the company. Operators on six continents use the SM 518 Profi made in Germany to screen waste and raw materials such as compost, excavated earth, debris, garbage, industrial waste, plastic, glass, paper, wood, biomass, sand, gravel, scrap or slag. Doppstadt now offers an updated version, the SM 518 Plus, with more functionality and capacity. The feeding hopper volume is 5 m³. Thanks to longer discharge conveyors the maximum achievable volume of the conical pile increases by 30% compared to the predecessor machines. The machine engine is adjusted to a 55 kW Deutz diesel engine motor, providing 15% higher performance and consuming only 4-6 l of fuel per hour. The changeover from working position to road transport does not take more than 30 minutes. This machine is an alternative to vibrating screen solutions for the pit and quarry industry and for the demolition and recycling sector. The 22.5 m² screening trommel
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product news â–
surface can be complemented by a pre-separation. The corresponding options such as stonegrid, vibrating screen or star screen are fitted on the feeding hopper. There are two versions of the trommel: a full metal sheet trommel with 6-12 mm thickness and 10-100 mm mesh size and a screening trommel with wire mesh segments with 5-40 mm mesh size. Visit doppstadt.com.
Ligna Will Host Industry Summit LIGNA, the trade fair for forestry and wood industries, which runs May 11-15, 2015, in Hannover, Germany, will offer a Wood Industry Summit. It will comprise an exhibition area, a matchmaking platform and a forum, making it a powerful hub for international lead generation and dialogue. It will be staged on about 2,000 sq. ft. of display area in Hall 13. In the exhibition area, companies and institutions from the forestry technology, sawmill technology, wood panel products and veneer production, wood energy, solid wood working and pulp and paper industries will showcase their latest technology offerings in the immediate vicinity of international group pavilions run by key players from selected timber-rich target market regions, such as Russia, China and North and South America.
??A Name Of Company V .08 Ad Color or B/W
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■ biomass logging
KaJ’aeh Enterprises
Aggressive Expansion By David Abbott
ion power plant in Hurt. But late last year Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) and its developSOUTH BOSTON, Va. rowth has been the ment partner, NOVI Energy, name of the game for started up a 50 MW biomass young Virginia logger power right in Hodges’ back Kevin Hodges, 31. Since yard in South Boston. Hodges starting his South Bostonknew he wanted in on it. He based company, KaJ’aeh Enhas since become one of the terprises, LLC, in 2011, he plant’s key suppliers. has expanded to the point that “They came to see me in he can now field six or seven my office to talk about it,” woods crews, making him he says. “And I can say they Biomass is a major market for Hodges. one of biggest suppliers in his have done everything they said they were going to do.” part of the state (300+ loads weekly). Not content with that, he’s constantly on the lookout for new opportunities. To add to his chipping capacity, Hodges first added a The biomass sector has definitely fueled that rapid second used Trelan chipper, and in early September growth, he says, and all the more so in recent months. purchased a new Morbark 4036 drum chipper with 765 Hodges was running only one chipper on one crew, partHP. “I wanted to hit the market while it’s hot,” Hodges time, and supplying a few loads of hardwood pulp chips to says. With the new Morbark he says he expects 10-15 Georgia-Pacific’s OSB plant in Brookneal and the Dominloads a day.
G
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Hodges says he looked at four different chippers in four months, but the Morbark won him over, one reason being the financing program. Also in response to the new market he has added two new chip vans—a Dorsey 2014 and an ITI 2013—and is in the process of ordering a walking floor chip van so he can be more versatile to meet demands from some markets. “Because I have this solid market close to home, my business is becoming more focused on biomass, more oriented in that direction,” he says. The new market adds to the momentum Hodges has built for his relatively new business.
like himself. However, Hodges suspects the logging force shrinkage has come to an end. “There were a lot of auctions going on, but that has kind of stopped. Now the guys who are left know how to manage their business.”
Operations KaJ’aeh’s 36 employees include 11 in trucks, 21 in the woods, two in the shop (one mechanic for equipment and one for trucks and trailers), and two in the office.
Getting Going Prior to starting KaJ’aeh in April 2011, Hodges had been working for his dad, Kenneth Hodges, President of H&M Logging, also in South Boston. When the younger Hodges was ready to strike out on his own, H&M had the capacity to field 10 crews, and the younger man was supervising four of them. Hodges bought three of those crews from his father, representing nearly half of H&M’s equipment and production. Since then, both companies have nearly doubled in size. A single afternoon in the KaJ’aeh office reveals what a busy man he is, running with all those opportunities, finding ways to make it happen. He’s on the phone constantly, overseeing his diverse crews, communicating with truck drivers and foremen, planning ahead with mills and foresters, coordinating with his dad (they share office space), answering questions, making deals. Hodges credits timing with how busy he is. With new mills opening or re-opening, increased demand has spurred on higher prices and thus more landowners selling timber. A much-diminished logging capacity to meet that demand, courtesy of the “mini recession” as Hodges calls it, has made more room for aggressive newcomers
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■ biomass logging
Hodges hires a part-time consultant, a retired LP employee familiar with DOT inspections, to conduct safety meetings on each crew monthly and to ensure records on all truck drivers are compliant with DOT standards. His insurance
comes through Forestry Mutual. Hodges typically divides his equipment into four or five crews, changing the arrangement as needed for each tract, depending on conditions. “I learned from my dad to be flexible for anything.”
Hodges with his son, KJ
He has seven loaders, but always puts two together on at least one job. Loaders are mostly Caterpillar with some Prentice brands. A large lineup of skidders is also heavy to Caterpillar, and feller-bunchers are mostly John Deere. Most of his newer equipment came from salesman Tim Blalock at James River Equipment in Danville (John Deere) or Steven Hite at Carter Machinery in South Hill (Cat). “I try to run half old (equipment) and half new, and cycle it out,” he explains. Since he just bought several new pieces in the last two years, the plan is to leave a gap for a few years while paying off those machines. Though he supplements his capacity with as many as eight contract haulers, Hodges’ own fleet includes 11 trucks, with several each from International, Western Star, Mack, Kenworth and Peterbilt, ranging from 1999 to 2012 models. Hodges prefers Firestone tires on forestry equipment—using 30.5 on smaller machines and 35.5 on bigger skidders. On trucks he uses Michelins on the front end and BF Goodrich on the back. In addition to the new NOVEC operation, Hodges has multiple markets, including the recently reopened Franklin Lumber Co. sawmill in Franklin for pine logs, and Morgan Lumber Co. in Red Oak, while hardwood logs go to Asal Tie & Lumber in Scottsburg. He sends crossties to R.S. Brown & Sons Timber in Charlotte Court House. Louisiana-Pacific in Roxboro, NC and Huber Engineered Wood’s OSB plant in Crystal Hill, Va. (just eight miles from Hodges’
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biomass logging ■
office in South Boston) both take pine pulpwood off his hands. In KaJ’aeh’s biggest week yet, the company totaled 367 loads. Hodges cuts a fair amount for LP both in Virginia and in North Carolina, and on rare occasion buys small tracts from private landowners, but the bulk of his work comes through his two primary timber dealers, Carolina Commonwealth Forest Products (CCFP) in Henderson, NC and Independent Timber Co. in Dry Fork, Va. He counts CCFP’s J.G. Hurt and Joe Ross among his friends and mentors.
mix of practical experience and formal education; he earned his MBA from Averitt University in Danville after completing his undergraduate degree there. His goal, beyond paying off equipment, is to buy and cut his
own timber and perhaps even to have other loggers contracting under him one day. This article has been updated from an earlier version that appeared in Southern Loggin’ Times magazine, an affiliate of Wood Bioenergy.
Main Mentors The young logger is humble enough to acknowledge that he has benefitted from the influence of several role models, the most important of which was his father. “I was blessed to be around a lot of good people,” Hodges says. “My dad moves 500 loads a week, and Joe Ross is moving 400. I have those two on speed dial. With two powerhouses like that close, you can’t help but succeed…if you listen.” The main lessons he says he’s learned from his role models are saving money and paying off debt as fast as possible. Although he has learned from and respects the ways of his father’s generation, he is also open to trying new ideas. For instance, he is eager to explore online tools to grow his business, like using Facebook to connect with others in the business. As such the company is currently developing a web site to take advantage of such opportunities. He hopes it will offer another avenue for finding jobs by connecting with landowners and procurement foresters. Growing up around the business and watching his dad all those years, Hodges says the key to success then was primarily hard work. Now, he says, the work is less physically demanding, and the emphasis is more on managing the business. Fortunately, Hodges is prepared with a
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■ in the news 12 ➤ talented group of human resources with unparalleled know how in this sector, along with supporting capital partners, customers, vendors and suppliers and we hope to grow with all of them,” Albrecht comments. E-Pellets Group, LLC is headquartered in Waycross, with additional offices in Atlanta and New York City. E-Pellets was formed through the combination of its existing wood pellet facility in Nahunta with the acquisitions of the Athens facility.
Black Hills Plan Moves Forward Attorney General Marty Jackley announced that the United States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed Colorado and Wyoming Federal District Court decisions denying environmental group challenges to the Black Hills Forest Plan including the portions
addressing the mountain pine beetle infestation. The Federal Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals had previously affirmed the South Dakota Federal District Court’s decision denying environmental group challenges to the Black Hills Forestry Plan. “This decision is critical since both the state and federal mountain beetle efforts are intertwined and must be aggressive and consistent to address the destructive infestation,” Jackley says. “While the environmentalist groups have been well intentioned, the pine beetle infestation requires a responsible forestry plan to protect our forest, wildlife, and surrounding private lands and this decision now allows us to continue with this much needed plan.” In 1997, environmental groups challenged the new forest plan for the Black Hills National Forest. Over the years, the environmental groups challenge has
been litigated in the federal courts of South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado. The State of South Dakota has intervened in all the jurisdictions because of the importance placed in protecting the Black Hills National Forest from pine beetles and wild fires. In 2013, Colorado and Wyoming District Courts issued rulings in favor of mountain pine beetle control in the Black Hills National Forest. The rulings arose from a claim by environmental groups that a revised 2005 federal forest plan should have relied on long discarded rules instead of contemporary requirements, including the need to handle the mountain pine beetle infestation. The federal court held among other rulings that the environmental groups had unreasonably delayed their claims and current efforts to thin trees and otherwise address mountain pine beetle should move forward.
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