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Biomass Politics: It’s A Boondoggle

Coming up on an election year, politicians like to start pointing fingers regarding a variety of topics. In the race for Governor of New Hampshire, biomass has come into the mix.

Democrats seeking election are calling out sitting Gov. Chris Sununu for ending a $200 million subsidy for ratepayers using the Burgess Biopower plant. What has really gotten lawmakers talking is a measure to forgive $70 million in “subsidies” paid by Eversource customers who paid higher prices for the electricity that was generated by the Burgess biomass plant.

The plant began operation in 2014, and until it was mothballed in 2021, operated consistently due in part to subsidies, most of which were vetoed by Republican Gov. Sununu, which were subsequently overridden by the State Legislature, controlled by Democrats.

In the latest veto message Sununu officially released, in mid-August, he reminds legislators of their previous bills giving more money to the Burgess plant, all on the promise that it would find a way to become solvent.

Saying in part, “It has now been five years…and the best idea brought forward to keep the plant going is to ask the state to forgive the approximately $70 million that the plant owes back to ratepayers. To sign this bill would continue to allow Burgess Biopower to collect millions of dollars in ratepayer subsidies every month with no hope of a solution and wipe out their debt obligation to our ratepayers.”

Democrats, some of whom are fighting for Sununu’s job, disagree. “I am disappointed by Gov. Sununu’s veto of this bipartisan bill that would ensure the continued operation of a renewable energy resource and keep jobs in Berlin,” Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig says on social media, who’s running in the Democratic primary for Governor.

Berlin Mayor Paul Grenier, where the plant operates, also a Democrat, has commented on his disappointment in Sununu’s veto pointing to the economic impact on

the city. While State Senator David Watters, whose district covers Berlin, chimes in: “The vetoing of this bill will regrettably have a negative impact on the North Country, particularly Berlin, as well as ratepayers across the state, by putting the continued operation of the Burgess Biopower Plant in jeopardy.”

State Rep. Michael Harrington (R-Strafford), who sits on the House Science, Technology and Committee and is a former New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission member, claims that without massive subsidies the plant will never be able to run. He furthered his point by joking that he wants a subsidy for his “pineapple farm.” Obviously, one cannot grow pineapples in New Hampshire.

Time will tell what New Hampshire voters think about this boondoggle as they head to the polls in 2024. One thing is for certain, continuing to fail to realize the viability of biomass power sets the U.S. back in global comparison as nations around the world elevate the demand for industrial wood pellets, biomass electricity, and make

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3 FROM THE EDITORS Election Debates Include Biomass

14 MESA VERDE PELLETS Small But Strong In Colorado

Cover Photography:

20 FIRE & DUST CONTROL Protecting Your Biggest Assets

26 PRODUCT NEWS Polytechnik Gets Biocoal Plant

Aspen Wood Products expanded its capabilities when it started up Mesa Verde Pellets in southwest Colorado by diversifying its product line and providing more raw material flexibility. (Dan Shell photo)

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Drax Welcomes UK’s New Biomass Strategy

Major wood pellet and biomass electricity producer and biomass electricity operator Drax has endorsed the UK government’s recently published Biomass Strategy. The Strategy outlines the potential extraordinary role which biomass can play across the economy in power, heating and transport, including a priority role for Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), which is seen as critical for meeting net zero plans due to its ability to provide large-scale carbon removals.

Will Gardiner, Drax Group CEO, comments, “We welcome the UK government’s clear support for sustainably sourced biomass and the critical role that BECCS can play in achieving the country’s climate goals.

The inclusion of BECCS at the top of a priority use framework is a clear signal that the UK wants to be a leader in carbon removals and Drax is ready to deliver on this ambition. We are engaged in formal discussions with the UK government about the project and, providing these are successful, we plan to invest billions in delivering BECCS at Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, simultaneously providing reliable, renewable power and carbon removals.”

The Strategy reiterates the government’s ambition to deliver 5Mt pa of carbon removals by 2030, with the potential for this to increase to 23Mt by 2035 and up to 81Mt by 2050, with BECCS expected to provide the majority of the total in 2050.

In the period to 2035 the government intends to facilitate the use of biomass for power and heating, while supporting projects transitioning to BECCS. BECCS projects, which includes Drax Power Station, are seen as a priority use of biomass given existing generation assets with established supply chains and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology ready to be deployed.

Beyond 2035 there will remain a role for biomass without BECCS in harder to decarbonize sectors and in supporting energy security.

The Strategy considers the global availability of sustainable biomass, finding that by using domestic and imported biomass sources there is sufficient material to meet estimated future demand in the sixth Carbon Budget.

Alongside the increased use of sustainable biomass, the government will continue to develop sustainability criteria and Drax supports the development of robust standards across sectors.

Alongside publication of the Strategy, the government has published an evidence-based assessment of BECCS as a route to negative emissions. The report sets out how “well regulated” BECCS can deliver negative emissions and ensure positive outcomes for people, the environment and the climate.

Graanul Invest Gives Thumbs Up To UK

Graanul Invest, a worldwide leading biomass and bioenergy producer, has endorsed the publication of the UK Biomass Strategy document that states biomass has extraordinary potential in UK’s future energy transition and path to net zero.

The Strategy document restates the UK’s firm commitment to biomass sustainability and evaluates how this resource could be prioritized strategically across the economy to help achieve the government’s wider environmental and energy security commitments. In addition, the Biomass Strategy sets ambitious targets in using sustainable biofuels to achieve the net zero targets in energy production, aviation and transport sectors.

Importantly, the UK recognizes in the Strategy document that sustainably produced biomass is a renewable, low-carbon energy source and material. Biomass has played a prominent role in decarbonizing the power, heat, and transport sectors, and its role in substituting fossil

fuels is expected to rise.

As a more forward-looking highlight, the Biomass Strategy also mentions the great potential of biomass for achieving net zero aviation for UK domestic airlines by 2050.

“Graanul Invest’s global ambitions fully support the main goals described in the Biomass Strategy document, and the biomass we use is already fully compatible with the strictest sustainability criteria. It is encouraging that the UK government continues to push towards the best available sustainability practices and inspiring that the role of sustainable biomass for net zero is now a policy,” comments Mihkel Jugaste, Chief Sustainability Officer, Graanul Invest.

Graanul Invest operates 12 wood pellet plants in the Baltics and the U.S. and six CHPs in Estonia and Latvia.

Carbonity Venture Plans Biochar Mill

Airex Energy, Groupe Rémabec and SUEZ have joined forces to create Canada’s first industrial biochar production plant in PortCartier, Québec. The first phase of the plant will be finalized in 2024, with an initial production capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year. By 2026, annual production capacity is expected to triple, making it the largest biochar plant in North America. This is the first project resulting from the partnership between SUEZ and Airex Energy, which aims to produce 350,000 tonnes of biochar by 2035.

The facility, owned by CARBONITY, a joint venture equally owned by the three partners, will employ 75 locally. It will produce a carbon-rich biochar with high environmental qualities from the residual biomass of Groupe Rémabec’s operations. Biochar is a material with highly promising environmental benefits, identified by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as one of five negativeemission solutions to curb global

warming and help achieve the carbon-neutral targets set by the Paris agreements.

This facility will leverage cutting-edge equipment, profound expertise, and groundbreaking CarbonFX pyrolysis technology developed by Airex Energy as well as on the expertise of SUEZ, a world leader in the transformation and valorization of organic waste, agricultural soil enhancement, biofertilizers, and new resources from the circular economy enabling its customers to reduce their carbon footprint.

“By transforming forest and agricultural residues into carbon sinks and fertilizers, SUEZ creates value over the entire life cycle of the material. SUEZ will leverage its expertise in constructing and operating industrial facilities to enable the global deployment of this groundbreaking decarbonization solution,” says Yves Rannou,

Chief Operating Officer Recycling & Recovery, Executive Vice-President of SUEZ.

This project was made possible thanks to the financial participation of the Quebec and Canadian governments.

Ryegate Promotes Wood Pellet Plant

Project developers at Ryegate Associates, who have outlined a multi-million dollar plan to produce wood pellets at the biomass power plant, have pitched their project to Vermont state officials.

Ryegate Associates, which operates the Ryegate Power Station, walked state legislators, Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation staff, and others through the latest plans to form Vermont Biocarbon, an auxiliary business, that would use waste heat from the electrical generation to dry wood pellets and chips.

The power plant has operated since 1993 and produces about 3% of the state’s electricity demand through its 24/7 operation burning whole tree chips. The power plant benefits from a power purchase agreement that requires the state’s utilities to purchase electricity from the facility as a baseload provider of renewable power.

As part of the plant’s recent PPA renewal, the Vermont Legislature mandated an upgrade of at least 50% to its efficiency, establishing a timeline for the upgrades to be accomplished. In late June, Ryegate Associates submitted contracts and an engineering analysis of their proposal to the Public Utilities Commission, which has since certified that the plans meet the first step in those legislated mandates.

According to the latest plans, the plant intends to install equipment that would capture waste heat from the power plant opera-

tion and direct it to a new facility that would dry clean wood chips on a low heat belt drier, process them into wood pellets and then be bagged for sale, according to Kyle Bourtelle of Ryegate Associates.

The developers assert that the pellets would provide a sustainable heating fuel source in line with Vermont’s Clean Heat Standard, be an economic boost for the struggling forest industry, and continue to allow the power plant to provide clean, renewable baseload power.

Bourtelle says that the pellet process would see the plant purchasing an additional 160,000 tons of clean wood chips from regional loggers per year, providing them a valuable market and allowing them to continue managing Vermont’s forests.

The meeting, which included a plant tour, had a receptive audience. Rep. Bobby Farlice-Rubio, who represents Ryegate, Barnet

and Waterford, says he agrees that biomass has a place in Vermont’s push toward clean energy and recognized the importance of the plant to the local economy.

Ryegate Associates’ owner, Stored Solar, previously owned seven other biomass plants in New England, but those were sold as part of a bankruptcy filing. The end of subsidies for biomass power in New Hampshire impacted the financial viability of the plants there.

(Article appeared in the Calcedonian Record.)

New Initiatives Helping Enviva

“For the second quarter of 2023, Enviva delivered results in line with our expectations, and we are making progress with initiatives underway to reduce costs and improve productivity across our operations,” comments Thomas Meth,

President and CEO of the world’s largest producer of wood pellets. “We recently initiated a corporate restructuring that is designed to reduce overhead costs to align our organization with the growth we have ahead of us today. We also reduced our delivered at port cost by $9 per MT in June as compared to the first quarter of this year, but there is certainly more work to be done to achieve our goals for the rest of this year.”

Production volumes achieved in June reflect operational changes being made at certain Enviva plants. Since the latter part of second-quarter 2023, Enviva has been operating the Southampton, Va. plant at half of its nameplate capacity while retrofitting an underperforming dryer line. Southampton had been operating unprofitably for the past several quarters, and with recent changes Enviva expects the plant to operate on a

financial breakeven basis in the second half of 2023.

At the Greenwood, SC plant, small manufacturing process changes made during second-quarter (which raised production rates at the facility) and a change in fiber procurement strategy (to include more hardwood purchases) both improved the cost position over a relatively short period of time. As a result, Greenwood is on a path to reach its target production level and cost position during fourth quarter 2023.

The company’s net loss for second quarter 2023 was $55.8 million as compared to $27.3 million for second quarter 2022. The increase in net loss year-over-year was primarily attributable to three factors: Higher shipping costs in second-quarter 2023 due to more deliveries into Japan year-overyear, restructuring costs, including severance expenses, related to the

corporate reorganization that was initiated during second quarter 2023, and higher interest expense, including interest expense on repurchase accounting, during second quarter 2023.

Enviva’s liquidity was $565.6 million as of June 30, 2023, which included cash on hand, cash generally restricted to funding a portion of the costs of the acquisition, construction, equipping and financing of the Epes and Bond wood pellet facilities, as well as availability under our $570.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility.

Enviva incurred $2.7 million of cash-based employee severance expenses in the second quarter of 2023 associated with this restructuring, and expects to incur $5 million of cash-based severance expenses during the third quarter of 2023.

Enviva announced its first sales into the emerging biomass market

in Poland, to a new credit-worthy European customer. Enviva has sold two test shipments for consumption in Poland that are scheduled to be loaded during third quarter 2023. Poland has one of the highest per-capita rates of coal usage in the EU, and historically has been very dependent on Russian fossil fuels. Poland is progressing with its energy transition plans to meet 2030 and 2050 renewable energy targets, and in the Polish National Energy and Climate Plan, the government declared that “by 2030, the consumption of biomass for heat production in heating plants must grow almost 10 times.” The government is consolidating coal plants to manage the carbon transformation of its asset base, and is in the process of amending renewable energy regulation, which is expected to support the conversion of coal plants to biomass usage.

Wood Bioenergy / October 2023

Construction of the Epes, Ala. wood pellet plant is progressing well, and Enviva expects that the facility will be operational in mid2024. The new blueprint is being used as the standardized plant design for Enviva’s future 1.1 million MTPY production capacity plants, including Epes.

In addition to Epes, Enviva is moving forward to enter into construction agreements with one or more EPC firms to complete the engineering, procurement and construction of Bond, Miss. and future similar plants. Enviva has all the necessary permits in hand for our Bond development, and expect to have a signed EPC agreement during fourth quarter 2023.

California Tribe Develops Partnership

Native American owned Tule River Economic Development

Corp. and Kore Infrastructure have partnered to develop a wood-based biofuel refinery in Porterville, Calif. Fuel load thinnings in the area will be used as the primary feedstock. The facility will consume up to 17,000 tons per year.

According to news reports, engineering should be complete by 2025. The Tule River Economic Development Corp. manages 57,000 acres of timberland, and has an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to manage an additional 325,000 acres.

Enviva Names New CFO

Enviva has named Glenn Nunziata as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. With deep expertise in finance, strategy, accounting, treasury, and risk management. Nunziata brings more than 20 years of strong leadership experi-

ence with a track record for implementing enterprise-wide changes and driving key financial and process improvements in large-scale organizations.

Most recently, Nunziata served as the Chief Financial Officer of Smithfield Foods, an $18 billion company that owns and operates processing facilities across the U.S. and works with thousands of farmers and landowners each year managing its diversified supply chain. Prior to his tenure at Smithfield Foods Inc., he held various positions of increasing responsibility at EY, most recently as a Partner in Assurance Services.

Nunziata holds a Bachelor of

Glenn Nunziata

Science and a Masters in Accounting from James Madison University. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of StoneBridge School and sits on the Board of Advisors for the College of Business at James Madison University.

Nunziata succeeds Shai Even, who has held the role since 2018.

Drax Announces Chief Sustainability Officer

Drax has appointed Miguel Veiga-Pestana to the new Executive Committee role of Chief Sustainability Officer.

Prior to coming to Drax, he most recently held the Executive Committee role of Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of Corporate Affairs at the British multinational consumer goods company, Reckitt Benckiser. He has also been Chief Communications Officer at the Executive Leadership level for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropic organization, and worked for 11 years at Unilever where he was Vice President of Global External Affairs and Sustainability.

“Drax has the potential to play a significant role in tackling climate change and I welcome the opportunity to join the business at such a critical moment in its journey,” Veiga-Pestana comments. “During my career I have focused on building and protecting reputation, purpose and embedding sustainability into core strategy and feel that this experience is closely aligned to Drax’s growth ambitions.”

Conference Returns To St. Simons Island

The seventh biennial international “Processing Technologies for the Forest and Bio-based Products Industries” (PTF BPI) Conference will be held October 30 to November 1 at St. Simons Island, again hosted by the Forest Products Society (FPS).

The PTF BPI 2023 conference dates back to 2010 when the inaugural conference was held at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences in Kuchl, Austria. Since that time, the conference has rotated between Kuchl, Austria, one year at the Technical University of Munich and St. Simons Island.

The PTF BPI conference series is held in a relaxed “brainstorming” atmosphere where ideas on applied innovation for direct application are discussed. The venue setting at the King and Prince Resort beachside resort provides this unique atmosphere.

In 2021, more than 20 exhibitors displayed some of the most current equipment and sensor technologies for manufacturing. Participants enjoyed a pre-conference golf tournament and technical workshops on wood adhesives and data analytics. The cocktail hour next to the ocean on Tuesday evening followed by a conference banquet is always a wonderful experience.

The conference will start with several industry keynote speakers followed by plenary talks from industry innovators working in R&D. After lunch on Tuesday, concurrent thematic technical talks will occur on wood adhesives, wood composite processing, wood processing, advanced materials, nanotechnologies, secondary manufacturing, and marketing. A new section will be held on data science and machine learning.

Contact the Conference Chair, Tim Young, at tmyoung1@utk.ed if you have any questions or require any additional information.

ROM Employees Better Themselves

The RoyOMartin University (ROM-U) program identifies emerging leaders and develops their potential to ensure that the company maintains a pipeline of leaders prepared to take the next step in their careers.

Recently, Louisana-based RoyOMartin recognized Luke Briley, dry end manager, RoyOMartin-Plywood; Brett Danzy, mechanical maintenance superintendent, RoyOMartin-Plywood; Jermaine Davis, corporate purchasing coordinator, corporate office); and Kelly Matthews, senior sales representative, corporate office, for completing RoyOMartin University-Management. This program is designed for leaders already in place with the company at a supervisor, team leader, superintendent, or manager level.

The program utilizes four key components to develop the participants: Experiential learning, formalized training, mentorship programs, and cross-departmental assignments.

“RoyOMartin is successful because of our people,” the company states. “We believe that growing people is essential to the future of the organization. Effective leadership is built on a solid foundation consisting of a clear mission, a vision for the future, strategy, and a learning culture.”

l The company also recognized a group of team members, who since January 2020 have participated in the Corporate College program at Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC), and have recently completed their Associate of Applied Science degrees, with concentrations in general office and accounting.

They include John Budnik, Land and Timber; Jenna Foster, RoyOMartin-Plywood; Brandon Granger, Land and Timber; Crystal Hoover, corporate office; Cale Parker, Land and Timber; Raymond Rollins, Land and Timber; and Robyn Smith, corporate office.

Aspen Wood Products Expands With Mesa Verde Pellets

By Dan Shell MANCOS, Colo.

Operating in remote southwest Colorado, Aspen Wood Products is diversifying its business base while expanding its capacity to handle green material with its new Mesa Verde Pellets operation. The wood pellet mill utilizes residuals from plant operations to produce domestic fuel pellets and is a subsidiary of Aspen Wood Products, which produces excelsior, a specialty wood fiber. Both businesses operate at the same site in Mancos. An associated business, Aspen Wall Wood, operates an aspen sawmill and paneling plant in nearby Dolores.

Company President David Sitton purchased the excelsior plant in 2018, a year after a catastrophic fire that took it out of operation. Dating to the 1940s and ’50s when it was a match stick company, the mill was converted to excelsior production years ago and for years the mill has provided a key market for short and small diameter timber in the area. When the Indiana-based owners decided not to rebuild the excelsior plant, Aspen Wood Products stepped in, bought the site and rebuilt the specialty fiber operation. The first bale of excelsior from the new facility rolled out in January 2019.

Today, the excelsior plant is a major supplier of the fibrous woody material that goes into the cooler pads for evaporative coolers, and the company has now expanded its serv-

ices in that market to include cooler pad manufacturing as well. The facility also produces erosion control products made of excelsior fiber.

Pellet Move

With its most recent move, the company has now added the new pellet plant business. This diversifies the Aspen Wood Products product line and also fills a key need in utilizing and monetizing the company’s residuals both at the excelsior plant and at the aspen paneling mill. The nature of the forest products industry and its infrastructure in southwest Colorado is such that there aren’t any large-scale chip or fiber consumers that become ready destinations for a mill’s residuals.

Mill personnel are now moving from a startup learning curve into striving for more efficiency and production.

Aspen Wood Products operates a major excelsior production facility, rebuilt after a 2018 fire, that’s been a fixture in the local log market for decades and Colorado Mill Equipment provided the pellet mills and much of the new plant’s fiber processing and pellet handling equipment.

As such, finding a market or application for residual materials such as chips and sawdust is a key part of building a successful operation. Establishing the pellet mill is one more step toward the company’s goal of creating a zero-waste operation.

Pellet production also enables utilization of the large amount of non-merchantable material coming off timber sales that needs to be removed along with the more desirable aspen sawtimber. This gives the whole company more flexibility on the ground when procuring raw materials.

In addition to utilizing sawdust and chips from the sawmill, the pellet plant gets much of its raw material from excelsior production that generates considerable residual material as logs are cut to proper length then fed through specialized shredding machines. Each segment is taken down to roughly a 2 in. core that’s sold as a firewood product.

“The excelsior residual is significant. We realized we needed to do something, and a pellet mill made sense,” says Plant Manager Corey Stafford.

Construction on the pellet plant began in 2020, with the facility initially starting with a used pellet machine and then expanding and upgrading capacity with three new Colorado Mill Equipment (CME) pellet machines. “They’ve been very helpful in the startup,” Stafford says of the in-state machine manufacturer that also supplied material processing and pellet handling equipment.

“We’ve had a learning curve, and now we’re moving

The addition of a rotary dryer system currently going in is expanding the plant’s ability to handle more green material and boost pellet production.

on to mill operations and efficiency and how to feed and operate the mill at full capacity,” Stafford adds. One key aspect of the production process and working with aspen in such an arid climate is fine-tuning the injection of needed moisture into the fiber stream that is essential to the pelleting process, he says.

Currently operating using only the excelsior residual, the pellet plant operates a Cambio ring debarker on every log. A rotary drum dryer is currently being installed.

Process

Excelsior residual raw material is introduced to two hammermills: one is a Williams hog machine that handles rough material and feeds directly to a new CME hammermill that produces smaller material as it’s sized down.

Material is blown into a bin, and conveyed from there to the pellet mills. Pellets fall down to a conveyor that catches all three mills, flow to a CME bucket elevator, go up and then drop into the CME cooling tower.

The cooling tower feeds to a shaker table that helps remove remaining waste, and the shaker table goes to another bucket elevator, back up to a conveyor then on

to a storage bin that feeds a bagging bin.

Currently the operation is hand-bagging into 40 lb. bags, with manual scaling. The manual bagging system was provided by CME.

The pellets are selling mostly local, with several retailers that want to make commitments and other sales channels still being negotiated. “We have in mind to make bedding pellets and barbecue pellets as well,” Stafford says.

Diversifying its product line by establishing Mesa Verde Pellets literally in the shadow of the beautiful Mesa Verde National Park, Aspen Wood Products’ expansion to utilize more raw material is providing another outlet for material generated through forest health improvement activities.

Colorado has been especially hard hit by pine and spruce beetles, leaving whole mountainsides of dead and dying timber at risk of wildfire. Stafford notes that the sawmill has begun producing blue stain pine paneling boards that have proven very popular in the market.

Just like the Mesa Verde Pellets plant that’s improving utilization and expanding the business, Aspen Wood Products continues to find ways to expand its footprint and conversion capability.

NOTE: The

BIOMASS ENGINEERING & EQUIPMENT

Biomass Engineering & Equipment (BE&E) provides customized solutions for processing, conveying, storing, and receiving biomass. Our solutions range from individual machines to turn-key bulk-handling systems and pellet plants with outputs of at least 34,000 tons per year. With decades of experience among wood-product manufacturers, we understand what works and what doesn’t when it comes to wood and can design complete systems that perform better than the competition.

Our SMART Conveyors are designed to lower operational costs and keep your facility compliant with NFPA standards to prevent fires and explosions. EHS professionals can confidently recommend our unique, twin-chain drag conveyors because we’re committed to manufacturing machinery that sets the bar for performance and safety. To this end, we offer our conveyors with bolt-on explosion panels, flameless vents, spark detection, deluge, and fast-acting diversion gates. Components standard on our conveyors include enclosed troughs, dust-tight bearings and bushings, dust-tight inspection doors, sealed shafts, low-friction chain assemblies, and plug detection.

In our commitment to safety, we have physically tested and modeled our conveyors’ ability to withstand explosive pressures. We have also had our most common model analyzed by a third party for its ability to withstand a deflagration event.

We also offer explosion-mitigation technologies for other bulk-material handling equipment: Containerized silos, metering bins, and surge bins. Plus, we offer belt-drive disc screens to remove metal and other foreign objects from the material stream as required by NFPA 664.

Other equipment we manufacture includes ash conveyors, push-pull reclaim floors, feeder bins, trailer-receiving stations, trailer-loading stations, drum chippers, high-volume roller debarkers, log decks, log troughs, and rake-back systems for chain bin outfeed. We design all our equipment for long life and optimal efficiency to provide our customers with the best value for their purchase.

CLARKE’S INDUSTRIAL

The PyroGuard System, manufactured by Clarke’s Sheet Metal, Inc., is designed to detect and extinguish sparks in pneumatic conveying and material transfer systems. The spark sensors detect infrared radiation, which in turn activates a solenoid valve to introduce an atomized water spray inside the duct to extinguish the sparks. During a normal activation, production can continue, as only a limited amount of water is introduced into the pneumatic system. The system is typically installed prior to a dust collector and provides protection for plant personnel as well as equipment and assets.

In addition, Clarke’s offers the PyroComm Windows software package, providing for interaction from the PyroGuard Control Console to a PC unit. This powerful software program enables monitoring of the spark detection and extinguishment system from a remote location.

To supplement the PyroGuard system, Clarke’s manufactures a complete line of safety devices such as HiSpeed abort gates, backdraft dampers and isolation dampers.

Other products which Clarke’s manufactures include Flo-Matic storage and metering bins, rotary screens and classifiers, Pneu-Aire filters, rotary airlocks, rotary feeders, fans and complete low pressure and high pressure pneumatic conveying systems.

following companies submitted these editorial profiles and images to complement their advertisements placed elsewhere in this issue. Please refer to those advertisements for web site and contact information. All statements and claims are attributable to the companies

Common causes of fires in wood bioenergy production are heat, sparks, embers, and hot particles. One of the most efficient measures to prevent fire or dust explosion is the early identification of the ignition source so it can be extinguished quickly.

GreCon spark detection and extinguishing systems provide excellent preventive protection; it does not wait for an actual fire or dust explosion to erupt. The GreCon system prevents the development of these hazards by early detection and elimination of the ignition source.

Now there is also an even better “smart” extinguishing option. The New GreCon Intelligent Extinguishing Module (IEM) reliably extinguishes sparks while also monitoring early wear recognition. The new smart GreCon IEM has sensors integrated into the extinguishing module to detect the wear of your nozzles while also monitoring low pressure flow to the nozzles. Thus, increasing plant and system availability with efficient planning of maintenance to reduce downtime. In addition to monitoring flow to the nozzle, the system will also detect and recognize when micro leaks are occurring within a nozzle. This allows for repair of defective nozzles before they become a problem. The IEM system can also add a built-in integrated frost monitoring component into the system, for greater operational safety. Another benefit of the system may be less intelligent, but it is certainly smarter for saving time while maintaining the system: The non-tool needed quick release latches are built into the system to allow for changing a nozzle in less than a minute.

The IEM builds upon Fagus GreCon’s existing knowledge of intelligent systems, which includes the intelligent DLD 1/9 spark detector. The DLD 1/9 also offers additional protection to industries with intelligent detection technology (IDT). IDT not only identifies hazardous moving ignition sources before a fire breaks out, but the DLD 1/9 detector is also able to differentiate between dangerous sparks or harmless incidence of extraneous light due to leaky/damaged pipes or an opening of an inspection flap.

FLAMEX

In the wood pellet manufacturing industry, many production processes present fire and explosion hazards that must be addressed to ensure workplace safety, protection of assets and avoidance of downtime. In particular, drying and hammer milling of wood material are quite conducive to the generation of sparks and fire within the pneumatic transport system. Other processes such as pelletizing, pellet cooling, screening and product load out are also subject to possible ignition from sparks, overheated pellets and mechanical friction sources.

Flamex Inc. has considerable experience in protecting wood pellet manufacturing facilities of all production capacities and understands the specific process protection requirements that these applications demand. The company specializes in the protection of industrial facilities that handle combustible dusts, with capabilities including design, supply, repair and service of complete fire protection systems.

To combat the all-too-common problem of dust fires and explosions in woodworking industries, Flamex pioneered the use of a new technology in North America by introducing the Flamex Spark Detection and Extinguishing System in 1977. Soon, it became the first system of its kind to gain a Factory Mutual Approval. Since that time, thousands of Flamex systems have been installed in a variety of industrial facilities across North America, including many medium and large industrial wood pellet operations.

The Flamex system offers a number of unique advantages to the users of these systems, which enhance reliability, effectiveness and ease of maintenance. Automatic detector self-testing function, in-line flow monitoring, field removable IR filter lenses and a self-closing stainless-steel nozzle that emits a 180° curtain of water are a few of the features that provide practical benefits in the daily operation and maintenance of these systems. The wide range of detection and suppression offerings allow selection of the proper components for the application instead of a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Hot particle detectors are often used in downstream applications where the ignition of dust layers from heated pellets are a primary concern. Deluge valve assemblies can be supplied for automatic suppression in bins, collectors and silos, and may be activated by thermal, gas or optical detection.

Advanced remote system supervision capabilities include a web module for monitoring the status of the system via the internet and the Inveron HMI software, which can allow multiple systems to be networked, supervised and operated by a single or multiple computers from a control room setting.

IEP TECHNOLOGIES

Spark detection and extinguishing systems are widely used to protect and mitigate against fires and explosions in many industrial facilities, by continually monitoring for ignition sources (like sparks, embers, hot particles and overheated fan components) within pneumatic process line, and activate rapidly when required to prevent the potentially serious safety and financial consequences for the plant, the process, and any people working in the vicinity of the operation.

A key component in the Atexon system from IEP, is the innovative SD300-EX series spark detector, which ensures reliable detection of ignition sources in the visible or infrared light wavelengths, even in the presence of dense material flows. The SD300-EX also features a 180° wide field of view, ensuring no blind spots, potentially resulting in a reduction in the quantity of detectors required. These detectors feature corrosion resistant stainless steel (AISI 316L) housings and for certain applications, they can be mounted without the need for welding, providing reduced installation time and cost.

Atexon spark detection and extinguishing systems provide protection for many different industrial sectors that routinely handle explosible dust and/or powders. Due to the danger of dust explosion, such applications require a reliable extinguishing system. The Atexon spark detection and suppression system can be the ideal choice for many of these demanding applications.

IEP Technologies has recently received third party approval by Factory Mutual (FM), meeting the detailed requirements of the latest version of FM 3265:2020.

The Atexon system also recently underwent an overall design upgrade, providing users with even more application, operational and installation benefits.

MID-SOUTH ENGINEERING

Your assets, whether personnel or equipment, represent the foundation of your business. Prioritizing worker safety is crucial because employees who are valued are more dedicated and mindful of the business’s welfare. Production and operational efficiency are improved when equipment is not compromised through deferred maintenance or risky operation. As unglamourous as dust mitigation and fire control are when compared to process equipment that directly affects the bottom line, both are critical to preserving these foundational assets of your business.

Contrary to popular belief, an optimized dust collection system does directly improve the bottom line. The EPA estimates that lost productivity and incurred healthcare expenses attributable to work environment air quality are tens of billions of dollars per year. OSHA’s findings place these expenses in excess of $15 billion annually. These figures don’t even capture the costs associated with catastrophic fire and dust explosion events.

Dust hazard analyses (DHAs) that are part of the National Fire Protection Assn. (NFPA) 652 standard raised awareness in the wood products industry about safety risks stemming from deficient dust control and explosion protection. While DHAs may have provided your plant with a list of issues, they may not have provided clear improvements and designs to improve the efficacy and safety of the dust collection systems in the facility. Mid-South Engineering has the experience to assess dust collection systems and engineer improvements that bolster their safety and functionality.

Proper system design pays dividends with maximized dust collection from equipment and minimized airborne dust in the work environment of your employees, while using the least horsepower to get the job done. Attention to hood design, duct sizing, system balancing, fan parameters, and emission control devices (such as cyclones and fabric filters) yield effective and safe results. When these designs are complemented with the correct application of spark detection and/or explosion suppression equipment, risk to personnel and equipment assets are minimized.

A poorly optimized dust and fume control system exacts a toll on operational efficiency and workforce well-being. Mid-South Engineering stands ready to offer design services addressing these concerns and steering you towards optimized efficiency and peak performance.

Over-drying a product can result in a dusty environment that can lead to a fire or dust explosion. As such, greater plant safety is achieved with a proper moisture measurement system, plus cost savings are enhanced. The overuse of dryers results in overpaying on energy costs. By implementing a moisture detection process, producers can monitor 100% of their product quality instantly and consistently. Additionally, active adjustments can continuously be made to the process, optimizing the outcome.

Preventing airborne dust and controlling the weight of the ash residue can be controlled by reading the moisture levels during processing. Data collection and analysis during the production process helps to determine the characteristics of the material prior to final processing, which provides process efficiency and optimization. Regular measurement of moisture in powdered and granular product manufacturing lines remains necessary for drying control, which reduces treatment costs.

Optimizing the manufacturing process to include a moisture measurement and control system improves product quality and production efficiency and reduces the amount of dust and build-up created. Small variations in moisture content can result in clumping, affecting the quality and consistencies in the production; absence of moisture can result in excess dust. Non-contact moisture detection can provide real-time accurate data to help line personnel to properly control and eliminate common issues.

By mounting a sensor several inches above the conveyor and/or after the dryer, the process can be continuously monitored and moisture content can be controlled either manually or automatically during production. Another reason for moisture detection with the process is that dust from the product creates and environment prone to fires due to the dry conditions. The sensors are specifically designed to ensure accuracy and repeatability. Additionally, there is no need to regulate temperature control, making them easy to use.

MoistTech Corp. manufactures the diamond standard in moisture measurement sensors backed by service, and support. With over 40 years of experience, our equipment stands above the competition providing continuous, reliable readings with zero maintenance, a one-time calibration with a non-drift optical design that allows operational personnel to confidently make line adjustments based on real-time measurements.

NESTEC

NESTEC can eliminate expensive, downtime inducing ductwork cleaning and maintenance in exhaust ductwork. NESTEC provides technology for continuous ductwork irrigation on the exhaust from wood dryers, pellet coolers, hammermills and press vents. The system prevents fires from occurring or spreading into the exhaust ductwork by keeping it clean and free of process deposits. These processes produce sticky condensables, tars, pitch and wood fibers that create combustible build up on the ductwork in a dry system.

The NESTEC technology quenches the gas stream with recycled water to cool the gas streams to saturation and then maintains a continuous water film on the ductwork surfaces, with multiple stages of spray inside the ductwork. This approach prevents process deposits from forming and maintains clean surfaces. NESTEC includes the continuous irrigation technology on their wet electrostatic precipitator (wet ESP) and wet scrubber systems.

The exhaust from dryer systems often has a long section of ductwork before reaching the emission control system such as the wet ESP. NESTEC custom engineers their continuous irrigation system close-coupled to the exhaust connection with flow modelling for spray coverage and trajectory, utilizing plug resistant spray nozzles and high liquid flowrates to ensure surfaces are kept clean. The ductwork and spray system materials of construction are seal-welded stainless steel to provide a long equipment life and feature access platforms and large inspection doors.

NESTEC is experienced in retrofitting existing wet ESP systems (regardless of manufacturer) where the system is experiencing ductwork build up issues. Regardless of the wood process, dryer type, exhaust temperature or wood species, manually cleaning exhaust ductwork can be eliminated.

Maine Virtual Course Wants New Workers

A Maine forest industry coalition said it plans to use a grant of $113,243 to offer a 10-week, virtual course designed to help Mainers earn microcredentials and college credits for jobs in the burgeoning sector.

The grant to the FOR/Maine (Forest Opportunity Roadmap) Coalition comes from a private trustee’s group and will be administered by the Maine Business Education Partnership.

FOR/Maine is a collaboration among industry, communities, government, education and nonprofits trying to realize the next generation of Maine’s forest economy. The coalition is supported by the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and was created to assess Maine’s current industry, assets and readiness and determine a strategy to capitalize on new opportunities.

The course will be called “The Business of Maine’s Forestry Products Sector” and will use industry and workforce partnerships to link Mainers with jobs, support resources, education and industry experts.

FOR/Maine, which is staffed by the Maine Development Foundation, will partner with Sunrise County Economic Council to develop and implement the course. It will be offered through Washington County Community College and available virtually to Mainers statewide.

“Participants will come away with the knowledge, credentials and relationships they need to begin their own career journey and earn a family-supporting wage,” says Denise Cilley, associate director of the Sunrise County Economic Council. “At the same time, companies will have a new pool of well-prepared candidates for the workforce they need to continue expanding in Maine.”

The need for skilled workers across the forest sector is growing, according to a 2021 FOR/Maine Workforce Strategy Report. By 2030, more than 26% of the forest products workforce will have reached retirement age, with 37% at retirement age by 2035. Younger workers coming into the field are well below replacement levels.

“We have great jobs that pay family-supporting level salaries and generous benefits that we cannot fill,” says Ryan Bushey, human resources and safety manager for LP Corp.-Houlton and chair of the FOR/Maine Workforce Committee. “Between 1,100 and 1,300 jobs will be needed in emerging forest industries over the next decade. In addition, approximately 1,500 to 1,750 jobs will be needed in the harvesting industry. Programs like this course are a tremendous help.”

(As published in Mainebiz, by Laurie Schreiber)

ALC-Idaho Reveals Insurance Plan

Responding to concerns from its members, officials with Associated Logging Contractors-Idaho presented the organization’s medical insurance plan with special discounts and coverages designed for ALC-Idaho members, says ALCIdaho Executive Director Shawn Keough.

The plan is open to ALC Regular members and is tailored for small businesses like logging and log truck driving. For example, groups as small as two are eligible, as long as both work at least 20 hours a week in the business. Employers can offer one to three different plans.

“The prices are competitive and the coverage is great,” Keough says. “The more people we get enrolled, the stronger the plan will be.”

Since she began working with ALC-Idaho in 2000, obtaining affordable health insurance has always been an issue for association

members, Keough says. The group tried a self-funded plan 40 years ago but wasn’t able to sustain it. She adds that ALC-Idaho members have always wanted some sort of health plan but their voices have become louder more recently as costs have risen.

The association was able to put the plan together by working with its long-time affiliated insurance company Associated Insurance Service, which in turn has coordinated with PacificSource Health Plans.

Emily Koleno, director of operations for Associated Insurance, notes that the ALC-Idaho board has been tremendously supportive of the formal process as the plan was developed over roughly 16 months. She adds that officials with the Idaho Dept. of Insurance were very responsive and ALCIdaho’s experienced staff were a big help. PacificSource also has some of its business roots in the forest products industry and their people were excited about helping make the plan work, she says.

The issue of health insurance being offered—or not—by logging contractors is increasingly being raised as a big obstacle to both recruiting employees and retaining the ones already on the payroll.

In addition to Idaho several other groups are also working on health plans. North Carolina Forestry Assn. (NCFA) is putting together a health care plan that the group hopes to begin offering the first of 2024, pending a board vote in September.

Other logging groups are taking a closer look: An item in the Timber Bulletin newsletter from the Minnesota Timber Producers Assn. (TPA) noted that the group’s annual meeting included presentations on the steps required to put together a plan.

TPA Executive Vice President Ray Higgins reports that the association has begun working with Choice Plans to begin research about a potential plan.

Delta Biofuel Teams With Player Design

Delta Biofuel announced a $100 million final investment in the construction and startup of a fullscale renewable fuel production facility pelletizing sugar cane waste in Jeanerette, La., with annual production estimated at 340,000 metric tons of bagasse pellets. Player Design Inc. (PDI) has been selected to provide two PDI 17 ft. x 70 ft. dryers (each with a 100 million BTU/hour furnace). Additionally, PDI is serving as the complete engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) provider for the facility.

PDI has built EPC pellet facilities for FE Wood Natural Energy, and MaineFlame, and is a wellknown supplier of EPC drying and energy systems in the pellet industry in North America and Asia.

Tyler Player, President, Player

Design Inc., comments, “This is the natural growth of our capabilities as a full-service provider of pellet plants. With drying and energy systems being such a cornerstone of a successful pellet operations, the guaranteed performance and capital cost of the facility were already something we provided. Adding PAL pellet presses and other systems was a logical step to rounding out our complete package.”

Construction in Iberia Parish is beginning, with long-term feedstock purchase agreements already in place, as well as several longterm contracts with power utility companies located primarily in Europe for the sale of more than 1.8 million tons of pellets over the next several years.

The PDI EPC Services division was developed in response to the need for a turnkey approach to capital projects.

The operation is expected to create 126 jobs and Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 149 indirect jobs in the Acadiana region.

“Louisiana has emerged as a leader in renewable energy through continued investment and innovation,” Gov. John Bel Edwards says. “As one of the nation’s top producers of sugar cane, producing more than 2 million tons of raw sugar in 2022, it is only fitting that our state will lead the way in the production and export of this new renewable fuel source. Once again we see how the transition to cleaner energy creates investment, jobs and opportunities across multiple economic sectors and regions of our state.”

The facility will be the first of its kind in North America for its use of bagasse, a byproduct of

Apprenticeship Program Starts Up At BID

In a significant development for the local community, BID Group has collaborated with the Dept. of Labor and Apprenticeship Carolina to launch a groundbreaking apprenticeship program in its Fabrication Shop. The program provides valuable opportunities for aspiring professionals in the manufacturing sector.

BID Group has committed to nurturing talent and strengthening the workforce by offering comprehensive hands-on training and mentorship to apprentices. The selected welding apprentices will have the opportunity to work alongside experienced professionals at the BID Group Fabrication Shop, enabling participants to develop technical skills and a solid foundation in the manufacturing sector. This partnership with the Dept. of Labor ensures the program’s adherence to essential and professional standards.

To support this initiative, the Dept. of Labor and Apprenticeship Carolina will provide resources, oversight and guidance throughout the apprenticeship program. This collaboration highlights the government’s and state’s commitment to fostering skill development and promoting sustainable economic growth in St. George and the surrounding areas.

“By prioritizing the development of the next generation of manufacturing professionals, we are not only investing in their future but also in the sustainable growth of St. George and its neighboring areas. Together, we are nurturing talent, creating opportunities, and strengthening our community’s workforce for long-term success,” comments Simon Potvin, President of Wood Processing at BID.

The initiative offers an alternative pathway for individuals seeking rewarding careers in manufacturing while addressing the industry’s need for skilled workers. BID Group is currently welcoming its first students.

Apprenticeship program ribbon-cutting at St. George, SC

sugar cane production, to manufacture biomass fuel pellets on a commercial scale that offers a lower-cost and stronger greenhouse gas reduction profile versus other biomass fuels, such as wood pellets, used in power generation, according to the participants.

“Delta is thrilled to reach this milestone and begin construction,” Delta Biofuel CEO Phil Keating says. “We look forward to putting waste bagasse to good use, solving a serious problem for the sugar industry and reducing GHG emissions. I’d like to thank Iberia Parish, One Acadiana and LED for helping us get this project off the ground. Of course, we could not have done this without the coordination and support from our sugar mill partners.”

The total capital expenditure is 43% higher than the $70 million investment that was anticipated when the project was first proposed in 2021. The higher level of capital expenditure is reflective of increased labor and equipment cost, as well as Delta’s decision to increase the facility’s production capacity.

Delta Biofuel reports it has secured exclusive long-term agreements to acquire supplies of feedstock bagasse from five sugar mills in surrounding parishes.

To secure the project, the state of Louisiana offered Delta Biofuel a competitive incentive package that includes the comprehensive workforce development solutions of LED FastStart and a $1 million performancebased grant for infrastructure improvements. The company has been approved for the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption program and has applied for the Quality Jobs program.

Bathan Appoints Streetz As CEO

Bathan AG, a manufacturer of specialized lubricants based in Switzerland, appointed COO Dr.

Holger Streetz as CEO, succeeding Rüdiger Heller.

“We would like to thank Mr. Heller for his contributions to building Bathan AG,” comments Manuel Salvisberg, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “We are confident that Dr. Streetz, to-

gether with our employees, will competently accompany the company into its new phase of life and continue to expand our business. We wish him every success in his new role.”

Streetz, who worked closely with Heller in recent years, brings

proven leadership experience and deep technical expertise. He will lead the company into a new phase of international growth and innovation.

“I am very honored to take over the leadership of Bathan AG,” Streetz says. “We have an outstanding team and I am confident that we will continue to develop innovative solutions and strengthen our position as a leading supplier of specialty lubricants.”

Bathan manufactures of specialty ceramic lubricants for a wide range of applications in various industries.

Valmet Will Supply Korean Power Plant

Valmet will supply a Valmet DNA distributed control system (DCS) to Gwangyang Green Energy Corp.’s biomass power plant under construction in Southwest Province in South Korea. The order was placed by Lotte Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. (Lotte E&C), which is the EPC contractor for the plant.

The order was included in Valmet’s orders received of the second quarter 2023, with deliveries starting in June 2024, and startup scheduled for March 2025. This is the first time Lotte E&C has chosen Valmet’s automation technology for its power plant projects.

Valmet’s delivery consists of a DNA automation system, a safety control system, and an information management system to control the boiler and balance of plant (BOP) of the new biomass power plant, covering engineering, design, documents, commissioning and supervision.

“This is a continuous order in the biomass power plant business in Korea, following the Dangjin biomass power plant. This is meaningful for

Valmet’s automation systems, which have proven their high quality and flexible operation over the past year and have diversified Valmet’s business portfolio in Korea,” says Emilia TorttilaMiettinen, President, Automation Systems business line, Valmet.

Mississippi School Gets Deere Simulators

This summer the Logging Equipment Operator Academy at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Miss. received several training simulators from John Deere. Deere provided three fullsize standalone simulators, which offer a more immersive experience, and four desktop simulators, which include joysticks and pedals that connect to a computer. These simulators can be

used to train students in the controls of tracked or rubber-tired feller-bunchers and skidders.

Administered as a partnership of Hinds with the Mississippi Loggers Assn. (MLA) and Mississippi Forestry Commission, the eight to 16-week Logging Academy program is designed to train students with little or no prior experience in logging how to operate equipment, with safety certifications and Professional Logging Manager (PLM) status upon completion of the course.

David Livingston, Executive Director at MLA, says these simulators are for the time being the only ones of their kind anywhere. “We have the original prototype as well as the only ones that have been built so far,” he says. “The three standalone units are identical to the same controls you would

find in a machine cab, so it’s just like sitting in the real machine.”

The simulators arrived in late July, and were paid for by a grant to get the school started.

Justin McDermott, John Deere’s Forestry Sales and Tactical Marketing Manager for U.S. and Canada, says this all started when MLA reached out to inquire about a prototype training simulator that John Deere had developed and exhibited at an event a few years ago. “We went to our engineering group and said there is a need for this in market, so can we make this available?” McDermott says. Deere relied on its software design team in Finland to develop the training tool.

“It was not a smooth process,” McDermott reveals, noting that they were working on the project in the middle of the COVID pan-

demic, so there were major delays on components to get them built. “It was challenging, and Hinds was incredibly patient.”

David Creel, Associate Vice President of Workforce Development at Hinds, worked with local Deere dealer Stribling Equipment to complete the transaction and set up the units, which will soon be available to train the next class of students to go through the program.

Kirby-Smith Is New Morbark Dealer

Morbark has selected KirbySmith Machinery Inc. as an authorized dealer for Morbark, Rayco, Denis Cimaf, and Boxer equipment product lines in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and

western Illinois.

Kirby-Smith has served the construction, mining and industrial markets since 1983 as a full-service dealer. Its branch locations in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, McAlester, St. Louis and Kansas City will provide customers in the region with greater accessibility to all Morbark product lines, as well as top-of-the-line service and support from KirbySmith’s team of experienced sales and service professionals.

Joensuu Biocoal Plans New Facility

Finnish company Joensuu Biocoal Oy will use innovative technology from Austria to produce renewable alternatives to fossil

Top Wood Jobs

coal. Sustainably harvested forest residues will be heated in a lowoxygen environment to produce a carbon-rich end-product—torrefied biomass or biocoal.

The innovative technology for the torrefaction plant comes Andritz, which will design, manufacture and supply the reactor based on NextFuel AB technology. POLYTECHNIK will design, manufacture and supply the lean gas burner and the technology for energy treatment and utilization.

Construction is scheduled to start in mid-2023, and production to begin in late 2024. The new bio-industrial plant will produce up to 60,000 tons of biocoal briquettes per year, which will replace fossil coal in various industrial processes. The plant can utilize sustainably sourced byproducts of local forestry, such as bark and low-grade biomass.