Issuu

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/6/15 10:36 AM Page 1

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:42 AM Page 2

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:42 AM Page 3

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 12:03 PM Page 4

â– table of contents

www.woodbioenergymag.com

IN THE NEWS Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo

MID-ATLANTIC EXPO Chippers And More Chippers In Action

RAW MATERIALS Preparation Equipment At The Mill

EDITORIAL INDEX 2015 Wood Bioenergy Coverage Highlights

WOODLAND IMPROVEMENTS Longtime Logger Delves Into Chipping

Cover Photography: Lane Forest Products biomass job near Eugene, Ore. (Dan Shell)

LANE FOREST PRODUCTS Grinding And Moving Biomass

34 4

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 10:32 AM Page 5

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 7

Number 6

Acrowood Corp

425.258.3555

Airoflex Equipment

563.264.8066

Amandus Kahl Hamburg

770 521 1021

Andritz Feed & Biofuel

800.446.8629

Astec

423.867.4210

Bandit Industries

800.952.0178

Biomass Engineering & Equipment

317.522.0864

CPM-Roskamp Champion

601.732.9080

Duratech Industries

888.795.1977

Evergreen Engineering

888.484.4771

Flamex

336.299.2933

Fulghum Industries

800.841.5980

Hunt Guillot & Associates

318.255.6825

Hurst Boiler & Welding

877.774.8778

Idaho National Laboratory

208.526.1151

Imal S.R.L.

+39 059 465 500

Jenz GmbH

+49 5704 9409 0

Kice Industries

316.744.7151

Publishing Office Street Address ■ 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317

Lundberg

425.283.5070

Mailing Address ■ P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Tel: 334.834.1170 ■ Fax: 334.834-4525

Co-Publisher/Adv. Sales Manager ■ David H. Ramsey Co-Publisher/Executive Editor ■ David (DK) Knight Chief Operating Officer ■ Dianne C. Sullivan

Editor-in-Chief ■ Rich Donnell Managing 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

Metal Detectors

541.345.7454

Mid-South Engineering

501.321.2276

Morbark

800.831.0042

Pal S.R.L

+39 0422 852 300

Peterson Pacific

800.269.6520

Process Barron

205.663.5330

Promill-Stolz

+33 2 37 3891 93

Rotochopper

320.548.3586

Terex Environmental Equipment

989.588.4295

Terrasource Global

864.476.7503

U S Blades

800.862.4544

Universal Wearparts

800.647.8440

West Salem Machinery

800.722.3530

Advertising Sales

Wolf Material Handling Systems

763.576.9040

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

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 are $50 per year, Canadian subscriptions are $60 and foreign subscription are $95 per year (U.S. funds). 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 requesting change of address, please specify both old and new. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices.

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: 334.699.7837 ■ 800.669.5613 E-mail: bdevane7@hotmail.com A Hatton-Brown Publication Other Hatton-Brown Publications:

Timber Processing ■ Southern Loggin' Times ■ Timber Harvesting Panel World ■ Power Equipment Trade

Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Wood Bioenergy, P.O. Box 2419, Montgomery, AL 36102-2419 Member, Verified Audit Circulation Managed By HattonBrown Publishers, Inc.

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 ® 2015. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. Printed in USA.

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:37 AM Page 6

■ from the editors

Into The Woods It’s Not For Everybody M

any magazines and newsletters say they cater to biomass, but they fall short of actually stepping into the woods where the biomass action begins with heavy-duty chipping and grinding operations. But how can you cover the biomass industry if you don’t visit the in-woods jobs and talk to their owners, just as you would visit a wood pellet plant or a biomass power generation plant and interview those managers? To us, it’s all part of the same chain of supply, and all of it should be thoroughly addressed. And so we send our editors into the woods, wearing the appropriate safety gear mind you. Two of the stories they recently came back with are based in Oregon and Georgia. Lane Forest Products has been grinding hog fuel and other residue byproducts at its site in Eugene since the early 1990s. It went in-woods with grinding operations five years ago and has expanded to four Peterson grinders. A big customer is the relatively new Seneca Sustainable Energy CHP facility in Eugene. Working Weyerhaeuser land when Wood Bioenergy visited, the grinder on site ran with chipper bits, as Lane FP prefers the cutting action over pulverizing. The Lane operations have been used as research demonstration jobs for biomass utilization and biofuels conversion. Lane Forest Products also offers compost, soil, landscaping materials and bagged wood stove fuel pellets, so if one market is down, there’s usually another one on the upswing. If you’ve been associated with the Southern U.S. logging industry for some years, you know the name Deck Trevitt. His innovations in logging and his leadership roles gained him logger of the year honors in Georgia twice and national logger of the year from Timber Harvesting magazine. Several years ago he grew tired of daily logging activities and bowed out, but now he’s back, initially running a conventional job heavy to sawlog production, but as of late adding a chipper to the lineup, taking advantage of several

fuel chip markets in his home state. Trevitt’s new operation is called Woodland Improvements, which reports to his longtime timber management and procurement operation called Quality Forest Products. The chipping job is the first of his career, and the early returns are good. Also in this issue you’ll note the coverage of the Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Expo, held in North Carolina in September. Eight—count them eight—chipper and grinder manufacturers exhibited at the event held in the heart of fuel and pellet chips country. One final note: The importance of in-woods operations to the entire wood bioenergy scene has prompted the Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo to incorporate more of this discussion into the biennial event that also focuses on wood pellets production and biomass power generation. The event will be held April 5-6 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta. Fiber procurement personnel, chips contractors and obviously chipper, grinder and accessories suppliers are encouraged to attend. (www.woodbioenergyshow.com)

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:37 AM Page 7

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 2:00 PM Page 8

■ in the news

Wood Bio Conference Gains Steam

he fourth Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, which will be held April 5-6 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, announced the addition of three more speakers to its lineup of keynoters. They’ll join previously announced keynoters Peter Madden, CEO of Drax Biomass, and John Keppler, president and CEO of the Enviva family of companies. Dr. Cormac O’Carroll, director, London office, Pöyry Management Consulting, will address “European Pellet Markets: Where To Now?” He’ll review the impact of recent regulatory changes on European pellet markets as well as providing a perspective on pellet supply, demand and pricing. Brent Boyko, senior manager Business Development with Ontario Power Genera- Dr. Cormac O’Carroll tion (OPG), will address conversion from coal to biomass power generation and also the possibilities of cofiring with coal and biomass. Boyko joined OPG in 2011 as station manager, bringing more than 20 years of operational management and engineering experience in the pulp and paper and conBrent Boyko struction materials industries. Today he’s accountable for the safe and reliable operation and maintenance of a 211 MW single unit thermal station, which ran on coal from November 1985 to September 2012. Since then, The Atikokan Generating Station (GS), located in Atikokan, Ontario, has converted from coal to biomass. The two-year conversion project was completed on time, and on budget in the summer of 2014 and is now the largest capacity 100% biomass fired electricity generating station in North America. Dr. Richard Vlosky, director of the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center and endowed professor in Forest Sector Business Development at Louisiana State University, will address “Wood-Based Bioenergy: The North America Factor.” Vlosky is President-Elect of the Forest Products Society, Board Member of CORRIM (Consortium for Research on Renew- Dr. Richard Vlosky able Industrial Materials (CORRIM), Sector Leader-Wood Products for the Louisiana Institute for Biofuels and Bioprocessing (LIBBi), and Louisiana Representative for the Southern Bioenergy Working Group. The Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, hosted by Wood Bioenergy magazine, will include eight keynote talks, 40 technical session presentations and 70 equipment and supplies exhibitors in the Grand Ballroom North. The event immediately precedes the Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo,

which is held April 7-8. Numerous exhibitors participate in both events. For exhibit information, e-mail fredkurpiel@aol.com; also visit wwww.bioenergyshow.com.

Wood Bio Conference Sessions Organizers of the fourth Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo announced technical session topics under consideration for the event to be held April 5-6 in Atlanta. They include: l In-Woods Chipping and Grinding: The Optimum Chip Size l In-Woods Chipping and Grinding Technologies: Throwing Capacities, Feed Systems, Knife Arrangements, Screening Systems l In-Woods Chipping Operations: Bringing Chipping into Your Conventional Logging Operation l Fiber Procurement: Finding and Organizing Chipping Contractors To Supply Your Energy Facility l Urban Wood Residues: A Growing Alternative Resource l Wood Yard Raw Materials Handling l Raw Materials Processing and Reduction l The Influence of Wood Variability (seasonal differences, age, moisture, mixed species, particle size) on the Different Stages of Wood Pellet Production (primary sizing, drying, secondary sizing, pelletizing) l Pellet Presses (Mills): When Is the Optimal Time to Change Dies l Pellet Press Automation l Briquetting Technologies, Products and Markets l Boiler Technologies and Upkeep l Implementation Plan During Power Plant Outages l Drying Technologies l Developments in the Commercialization of Second Generation Solid Biofuels: Technologies, Properties, Pilot Plants, Market Drivers l Current Status and Challenges of Torrefaction Technology l Meshing Diverse Fuels for Power Generation l Merging a Combined Heat and Power Plant into a Traditional Wood Products Operation l Air Emissions Control: Technologies, Maintenance, Retrofits, Regulations l Fire Hazard Prevention—Technologies, Implementation l Good Machinery Means Good Fabrication l Finished Wood Pellets Handling and Transport l Wood Pellet Sustainability and Certification on an International Scale l Domestic Pellets Standards: Sampling, Bulk Density, Compliance

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 9:36 AM Page 9

in the news ■ Drax To Withdraw, But Project Continues Drax announced that while it remains committed to fulfilling its current work on a Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) feasibility and technology development project, it would not be investing further and will withdraw as a partner of Capture Power Ltd, the developer of the White Rose CCS project at the Drax site in Selby, North Yorkshire, UK. The Capture Power partnership— made up of Drax, Alstom and BOC—has been looking at the potential to capture up to 90% of carbon emissions from a proposed coal-fired power station and safely store them beneath the North Sea. The plan is to build a state-ofthe-art coal-fired power plant that is equipped with full carbon capture and storage technology. The plant will have the potential to co-fire biomass. The project is intended to prove CCS technology at commercial scale and demonstrate it as a competitive form of low-carbon power generation and as an important technology in tackling climate change. The standalone power plant will be located at the existing Drax Power Station site near Selby, North Yorkshire, generating electricity for export to the Electricity Transmission Network as well as capturing approximately 2 million tonnes of CO2 per year, some 90% of all CO2 emissions produced by the plant. The CO2 will be transported through National Grid’s proposed pipeline for permanent undersea storage in the North Sea. The power plant technology, known as oxy-fuel combustion, burns fuel in a modified combustion environment with the resulting combustion gases being high in CO2 concentration. This allows the CO2 produced to be captured without the need for additional chemical separation, before being piped for storage. Alstom will have responsibility for construction of the power plant together with the CO2 processing unit and BOC is responsible for the

construction of the air separation unit that supplies oxygen for combustion. Drax was to have responsibility for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the plant and the CO2 processing facility. National Grid will construct and

operate the CO2 transport pipelines and, with partners, the permanent CO2 undersea storage facilities at a North Sea site. Drax said that while it would cease to commit further investment, it will continue to make the site

December 2015 / Wood Bioenergy

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 9:36 AM Page 10

■ in the news

owned by Drax, along with the infrastructure at the power plant, available for the project to be built. Drax Group Operations Director, and Capture Power Board Director Pete Emery states,“We remain fully committed to completing what we’ve signed up to—the completion of a study into the feasibility and development of world leading technology that could result in dramatic reductions in carbon emissions produced by power stations and heavy industry. We are confident the technology we have developed has real potential, but have reluctantly taken a decision not to invest any further in the development of this project. The decision is based purely on a drastically different financial and regulatory environment and we must put the interests of the business and our shareholders first. We will focus our resources on the areas which we can deliver best value, particularly working with government to explore the potential for converting a fourth generating unit to run on sustainable biomass.” Capture Power has confirmed its continuing commitment to the delivery of the White Rose Project, following the news that Drax plans to pull out after its front end commitment. Leigh Hackett, CEO of Capture Power, comments, “Drax’s decision not to invest further in the project is disappointing, but we are keen to confirm that Capture Power remains committed to delivering the White Rose CCS Project. We can also confirm that we continue to work constructively with Drax on land, site services and shared infrastructure aspects to support the project’s delivery. “We are now well over halfway through the study and we are progressing towards receiving development consent. The final investment decision for White Rose will be dependent on successful outcomes of the FEED study, funding arrangements and the proposed Contract for Difference market mechanism designed specifically to encourage investment in new, low carbon generation. The team at Capture Power is

working hard to put the UK on the CCS map through delivering this groundbreaking project.”

ReEnergy Connects To Fort Drum

ReEnergy Black River facility, Fort Drum

The ReEnergy Black River biomass power facility is delivering behind-the-meter electricity to Fort Drum, enhancing the post’s energy security by allowing it to be independent from the electrical grid. The interconnection, a $15 million project that connected the power plant to Fort Drum’s two substations, was required under the terms of ReEnergy Black River’s 20-year renewable energy supply agreement to supply electricity to the post. The interconnection was energized on October 10. “This is not only a significant milestone for our company, but also for Fort Drum and the U.S. Army,” says ReEnergy CEO Larry Richardson. “We are proud to be supporting the critically important mission of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division. We also are pleased that this complex project, which required approximately 35,000 worker-hours on site, was completed safely, on time, and within budget.” The ReEnergy Black River facility, located inside the fence at Fort Drum, has 60 MW of generation capacity. Before it was idled in early 2010 by its former owner, the facility burned coal to produce electricity. ReEnergy acquired the facility in December 2011 and invested more than $34 million to convert the facility to use biomass as its primary fuel. The converted facility com-

menced operations in May 2013. It employs 30 and purchases biomass from local suppliers. The facility provides all of Fort Drum’s electricity needs, which currently peaks at about 28 MW. The facility began supplying 100% of Fort Drum’s electrical load on November 1, 2014. Under the terms of the agreement, ReEnergy was required to build the electric transmission system to directly connect the ReEnergy Black River facility to Fort Drum’s two substations. Prior to the completion of the system, ReEnergy arranged for bilateral deliveries to Fort Drum’s substations through an energy service company. The facility will continue to sell its excess output to the grid, and the post will keep its ties to National Grid as a backup in case of an outage at the power facility. “This was a project that required the close collaboration of many parties,” says Richardson. He congratulated the ReEnergy team, particularly project director Ainsworth James, and also thanked the primary participants in the project: National Grid; Fort Drum Dept. of Public Works; U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives (OEI); Defense Logistics Agency; New York Independent System Operator (NYISO); Eaton Corp.; Northline Utilities; D&D Power; WEG Electric Corp.; Three C Electrical; and Aubertine and Currier, LLC. ReEnergy owns three biomass-toelectricity facilities in New York: ReEnergy Black River at Fort Drum; ReEnergy Lyonsdale in Lewis County; and ReEnergy Chateaugay in Franklin County. Those three facilities have the installed capacity of 103 MW,

Biomass Plant Planned For Perry, Florida Applied Gaia Corp. of Houston plans to build a $60 million wood biomass power plant that will use a pyrolysis process to create energy and biochar byproduct in Perry, Fla. A company spokesman said they

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:37 AM Page 11

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 9:36 AM Page 12

■ in the news

chose the area because of its area supply of wood chips and has agreements with several suppliers. The facility may also burn chicken manure. The facility will operate as Perry Natural Technologies and could create and impact 300 jobs Pyrolysis is a high-temperature decomposition process for burning biomass in the absence of oxygen. The company expects to break ground in February 2016 and complete construction in eight months.

Biomass Big Factor In GEPAZ Progress In its October update, Good Earth Power reports that in the two years since GEPAZ took over the 4FRI (Four Forest Restoration Initiative) contract in Arizona, it now employs 150, owns and operates two lumber mills, has two pole peeling facilities, operates an in-house trucking fleet, has developed forest infrastructure capable of operating simultaneously on six individual Forest Service task orders, and is hauling 300 loads per week which will increase to 750 plus loads per week upon the arrival of new equipment. The company reports it has customer orders for more than 100 loads of biomass per day; can inter-

nally consume 35 loads of logs per day under normal operation and 60 loads with an additional shift at each location. “Many millions of dollars have been invested by GEPAZ in infrastructure, job creation and industry building,” the company states. “We have believed in the viability of this project from the start and we remain committed to its realization. No one wants to see 4FRI succeed more than we do.” 4FRI is the Forest Service project to restore/thin 300,000 acres in 10 years on the Coconino, Kaibab, Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto national forests, following years of devastating wildfires. Good Earth Power AZ, now based in Flagstaff, was created to take over the 4FRI contracts as part of its acquisition of the assets of Pioneer Forest Products, which had been awarded the contract in 2012 but failed to find financing for it. As of October, nearly 5,000 acres had been restored, and GEPAZ was working with 19 Forest Service Task Orders in various stages of activity or inactivity. Addressing some questions that restoration is proceeding slowly, GEPAZ points to biomass as a key difference between a 4FRI restoration task order and a routine timber sale. Biomass must

be processed and removed from every task order and biomass is “what makes 4FRI a model and a test case for landscape scale restoration. This is what we are working to prove: That it is possible to create a sustainable economic model for forest restoration—not forest thinning or logging.” GEPAZ emphasizes it is working without government subsidies and in a region where the wood products industry was basically dormant. “We are committed to refining the process, meeting the 10-year contract goal and creating a model for all forest communities to follow,” the company states. A recent development is that Campbell Global, which initially contracted with GEPAZ for forest restoration services, and which left the project in June, has sued GEPAZ for breach of contract and failure to pay nearly $3 million for services. GEPAZ has since counter-sued Campbell Global for $1 million for failure to perform services.

More Biomass Power Plants In The Works Georgia Renewable Power, LLC (an affiliate of GreenFuels Energy) is reportedly building a $100 million 58 MW wood biomass power

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/6/15 9:32 AM Page 13

in the news ■

plant in Colbert, Ga. at the site of a former Weyerhaeuser engineered wood products facility. The new operation, which will be called GRP—Madison Renewable Energy Facility, is expected to be operational in May 2017. Georgia Renewable Power is also reportedly building a 79 MW wood biomass power plant at Carnesville, Ga.

Composite Panel Assn. Pinpoints Positions Jackson Morrill, president of Composite Panel Assn., updated the executive committee’s recommendations on “policy positions” with regard to energy/biomass issues that impact wood fiber supply during the September Fall Meeting in Banff, Alberta. CPA opposes government policies that distort the market for woody biomass raw material, Morrill noted, adding that market forces should determine all uses of wood and wood residuals for renewable energy; policies that have the direct effect of diverting biomass supply to subsidized energy should be avoided; and governments that choose to initiate policies intended to increase demand for biomass energy production should couple them

with policies that increase the available long-term supply of wood to meet future demand of composite wood panels as well as new and growing markets for energy and other uses. Morrill said CPA will stay silent on the carbon neutrality of wood-toenergy, noting however that forest derived biomass should be treated as carbon neutral where there is a sustainable growing forest; within carbon accounting frameworks, the composite panel industry’s use of wood residuals to make long-lived products should be treated as a higher value use than energy recovery; the composite panel industry’s use of wood residuals is an important alternate use that should be considered when determining the scope of “qualified biomass” under the U.S. EPA Clean Power Plan. Morrill said CPA will advocate that composite wood products be recognized for their carbon sequestration benefits; that public policies should recognize that sustainably managed forests and forest products sequester and store carbon and reduce CO2; the use of biomass in creating long-lived products that serve as carbon sinks should be formally recognized in any carbon calculations that might be referenced in a future carbon economy.

Wood Suppliers Case Stems From BCAP A Monroe County, Alabama circuit court jury and judge awarded seven timber dealer-logging companies a combined $8.1 million in late August in a civil lawsuit they brought against Alabama River Group Inc. and its former principal, George Landegger, for default on payments due from contracts in 2010. This was one of the largest settlements in Monroe County history. The defendants of the case have indicated they are appealing the decision. The attorneys for the timber dealers presented a case that Alabama River Group (Alabama Pine Pulp and Alabama River Pulp) misrepresented itself to the government in order to receive matching money from the then newly implemented Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), but in the end left the dealers in a financial bind. The dealers alleged they entered into purchase contracts with various landowners for fuelwood at a higher than current market rate based on guaranteed contracts with ARG for a higher than market rate per green ton—all projected on payments ARG would receive

December 2015 / Wood Bioenergy

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 9:36 AM Page 14

â– in the news

from the Farm Service as part of BCAP. The BCAP, implemented in 2009, offered financial assistance to producer facilities that qualified based on usage of woody biomass in their facilities. The assistance was supposed to come in matching payments at a rate of $1 for each $1 per dry ton paid by the producer or conversion facility in an amount up to $45 per dry ton. According to the dealers, ARG said it would set up the purchase of their delivered green tons at a lower than current market rate, but add incoming BCAP matching payments, which would actually raise the per green ton price significantly above current market value. Furthermore, the dealers said ARG was explicit in the payment arrangement: The dealers would be paid the amounts agreed upon, even if ARG did not receive its BCAP matching payment.Â ARG apparently qualified ini-

tially as a conversion facility under the program, but its black liquor byproduct was not listed as part of BCAP and the matching payment program fell apart on ARG. The dealers said they were never told of this development by ARG as the dealers bypassed other business opportunities. The Monroe Journal reported, apparently using an example in the case, that ARG, working from a market green ton price of $36, reduced it $6 to $30, and then calculated a BCAP matching payment of $11.25, bringing the total payment per green ton to $41.25, which would give dealers a $5 boost above current market value. But the dealers never received the enhanced rate. Each of the seven timber dealerlogging companies were awarded $1 million in punitive damages, and varying amounts of compensatory damages ranging from

$77,000 to $344,000. Georgia-Pacific purchased the Alabama River and Alabama Pine pulp mills in July 2010.

Sumitomo To Construct 50 MW Power Plant Sumitomo Corp. will construct a 50 MW wood biomass power plant in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture (Sakata Biomass Power Plant) through Summit Energy Corp., a power producer and supplier wholly owned by Sumitomo. The Sakata Biomass Power Plant will be constructed in the Sakata Rinkai Industrial Park located adjacent the Port of Sakata and will be operated by Summit Sakata Power Corp., a company established in December 2012 and wholly owned by Summit Energy. The total project costs are expected to be 25 billion yen. Construction work will start in June 2016 and the plant is scheduled

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:37 AM Page 15

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 9:36 AM Page 16

■ in the news

to be put into commercial operation in May 2018. This 50 MW biomass power plant will be one of the largest in the Tohoku region. Biomass fuels will be procured through Sumitomo’s Materials, Supplies & Real Estate Div., which has a strong track record and expertise in handling Japanese wood chips, imported wood pellets and other renewable fuels. It is planned that fuels will be procured not just from local sources—such as unused wood materials and timber off-cuts from within and around Yamagata Prefecture, an area with abundant forest resources—but also from overseas sources. With the addition of the Sakata Biomass Power Plant to its existing power plants—the Itoigawa Biomass Power Plant (50 MW), which went into commercial operation in January 2005, and the Handa Biomass Power Plant (75 MW), which

is slated to start commercial operation by June 2017—Summit Energy will become one of the largest biomass power plant owners and operators in Japan.

Belgian Eco Energy Contracts With Veolia Belgian Eco Energy (Bee) has contracted with Veolia for the operation of a new 215 MW biomass power plant to be built at Port of Ghent, Belgium “With Veolia, we are confident of having a world-renowned partner able to commit to a results guarantee because of the experience they have acquired with similar projects,” says Michael Corten, CEO of Bee. Construction of the plant, scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2016, will take three years and create more than 1,000 jobs. The electricity generated will be sold to in-

dustrial concerns and fed into the grid. Veolia will work with Bee right from the beginning of this construction phase in order to ensure the best operability of the facility and then take charge, under the best possible conditions, of the power plant it will operate for the first 15 years after it is commissioned. By providing 2% of Belgium’s total electricity production, the plant will contribute to increasing the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix. Created in 2010, Bee is a Belgian company that provides companies with renewable energy including biomass, cogeneration, solar and wind power.

Lignetics Acquires Geneva Wood Fuels Lignetics Inc. acquired the assets of GF Funding LLC (whose facility

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:37 AM Page 17

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:37 AM Page 18

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 12:18 PM Page 19

in the news ■

was formerly known as Geneva Wood Fuels), expanding its footprint into Maine and upper New England. Lignetics is the largest residential wood pellet manufacturing company in the U.S. with a production capacity of 550,000 tons per year. The company is the only pellet manufacturing company that has wood pellet manufacturing plants on the East Coast and the West Coast in six plant locations in Maine, Oregon, Idaho, West Virginia and Virginia. Ken Tucker, CEO of Lignetics, states, “Completing this acquisition is in line with our strategy to continue to expand our geographic footprint in the U.S. and remain the market leader in the residential wood pellet industry. Geneva has great customers which we look forward to continuing to support with the help of Jeff and Lucinda Allen and the rest of the team in Strong, Maine.” Lignetics was founded in 1983 and is one of the founding pioneers of manufacturing premium wood pellets and Pres-to-Logs fire logs for home heating. Lignetics offers a broad array of products that include wood fuel pellets in bagged and bulk form, animal bedding pellets and shavings, BBQ pellets in a variety of flavors and compressed wood bricks and logs.

For the North Fork project, Phoenix Energy will use the GE gasification solution to convert excess forest biomass to electricity, heat and biochar, supporting the state and federal efforts to reduce wildfire risk, eliminate wasteful pile and burn manage-

ment practices and improve carbon sequestration. The renewable biomass is procured locally from U.S. Forest Service and CalFire managed lands. With GE’s process, the carbon in the biomass is left mostly in solid form as biochar. This ➤ 32

Phoenix To Install GE Gasification GE’s Distributed Power business, Western Energy Systems and San Francisco-based Phoenix Energy have signed an agreement for GE to provide equipment for an integrated biomass gasification solution to power a bioenergy plant in North Fork, Calif., the next in a series of bioenergy plants that Phoenix Energy is building in the state. GE’s integrated biomass gasification solution includes an Ecomagination qualified, 1 MW engine and biomass gasification system. Phoenix Energy and GE have collaborated to design and implement this solution statewide.

December 2015 / Wood Bioenergy

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:51 AM Page 20

■ Materials Preparation

CPM/Champion Hammermills It’s important to start your pelleting process off right. That’s why CPM builds the best hammermills with the highest tip speed. Its machines are built to last, so you can rest easy knowing you won’t be interrupting the process to make repairs Champion biomass hammermill to your equipment. One size does not fit all, which is why CPM/Champion HM Series hammermills are available in multiple sizes to match your requirements. The HM Series of hammermills is capable of finegrinding fibrous materials to obtain the optimum size for pelleting. It also features double-wall box construction filled with vibration-dampening material to reduce noise pollution in your workplace. The mechanical steel tube base provides efficient energy transfer, even in the most demanding conditions. The Champion patented regrind chamber prevents material from recirculating within the grinding chamber, giving you improved grinding capacity and efficiency. The grinding chamber itself has a top-feed, fullwidth mill inlet to introduce material evenly. It also allows for maximum hammer and screen utilization and guides the feed into the path of the hammers on the downswing, promoting uniform motor loading without surging. The air swept design reduces dead air space in the housing for a more efficient airflow. CPM takes safety seriously. That’s why the HM Series uses a trapped key interlock system that makes sure the rotors are completely stopped before you open the double-pivot, full-access doors that swing completely out of the way during service. The system will not allow the motor to start again until the doors are secured and the keys are in the proper operating position. A vibration monitor switch shuts the hammermill down in the event of an unbalanced running condition, and is fully adjustable to accommodate a wide range of operating conditions. Each hammermill comes standard with inboard and outboard double-row spherical roller bearings and bearing temperature monitor probes for safe, efficient and maintenancefriendly operation. The HM Series is just one of the CPM lines of ham-

mermills. When you’re ready to build your pellet plant or upgrade your existing operation, CPM can find the pelleting solution that’s right for you. Visit cpm.net/equipment/hammermills.

MDI Metal Detectors

MDI surround metal detector

Metal detector systems are a necessary part of the production process for your mill’s bio-fuel operations. As a leader in the metal detection industry, MDI will help you meet these demands and design the right metal detector for your application. MDI metal detectors are designed to work in harsh environments and give you the peace of mind that the system is doing its job. The MDI service department is available to help you with any questions that you may have in order to make sure your system is running efficiently. MDI has several systems that can be incorporated into your conveyor lines depending on the width and depth of material that you are scanning. MDI will work closely with you to make sure you have the right metal detector for your application. The new TWA-2000 Series surround metal detector system for hogs and chippers with burden depths over 10 in. is the best metal detector protection you can get. This system gives you great sensitivity and protection against environmental interference like radios, variable frequency drives, and AC noise. The MP-2000 Series metal detector is the top of the line under conveyor system. This system gives you more options to deal with environmental noise or radio interference, plus it provides greater sensitivity. MDI’s latest XR-3000 Series under conveyor system has enhanced radio protection against false tripping. This system is used when load depths are low. There are four main reasons to buy an MDI metal detector: equipment protection, product purity, reduced downtime and increased profits. Installing the MDI metal detector will reduce your downtime and mainte-

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:51 AM Page 21

Materials Preparation ■

nance costs, ultimately providing a definitive return on investment. Visit mdiblue.com

ProcessBarron Handling Equipment

Mid-South Engineering Capabilities

ProcessBarron continues to expand services.

Mid-South Engineering caters to wood bioenergy.

Mid-South Engineering provides a broad range of professional engineering services centered on the forest products and energy industries, with offices in Arkansas, North Carolina and Maine. Mid-South offers innovation and experience to its clients, providing complete design capabilities from feasibility to detailed design to construction coordination; and integrating the best that vendors offer in the way of machinery into systems supported on steel and foundations specific to your geological area and seismic zones, as well as connecting everything with power designed to meeting codes. Whether the need is a small renovation or a complete facility, Mid-South can provide a knowledgeable team capable of working with clients for the bestpersonalized solution to any unique situation. A multi-disciplined staff of engineers and designers offers professional services to manufacturing facilities producing: pellets (white, torrified, steam exploded), bio-fuels, lumber, engineered wood products or any other product using wood as its resource. A history of working with various wood products manufacturers and in heavy industrial settings is a specialized set of qualifications of the Mid-South team. Mid-South Engineering has provided services in a variety of locations in North America and in 19 countries. Its goal is to partner with companies and individuals to prove to them the value of deep industry experience which is unique to Mid-South. Visit mseco.com.

In 1981, Process Equipment, Inc. was formed to offer general heavy steel fabrication, engineering design services, and fan impeller fabrication. The founders asked themselves the question: “What else can we do for our customers?” The answer was to expand their offerings to include fan repair and rebuild, air system auxiliary equipment, solid fuel and ash handling systems and field installation, opening the door to a strong demand for on-site field work and time-sensitive technical services (equipment repair, unexpected outages, and maintenance shutdowns). ProcessBarron is now a leader in the design, manufacturing, installation, maintenance and repair of air, gas, bulk materials, solid fuel and ash handling equipment for a variety of heavy industrial applications. Since its founding, ProcessBarron has increased its service and production capabilities through strategic acquisitions, a long history of quality workmanship, and superior customer responsiveness. Over the past three decades, offerings have grown from fans to “integrated solutions” that include all components related to the movement of air, gas, or materials to and from boilers, kilns and furnaces. ProcessBarron offers a wide range of products and services to customers throughout the world in the pulp and paper, iron and steel, utility, cement, lime, wood products, textile, foundry and mining industries. Product lines include, but are not limited to: air handling equipment with appurtenances such as ductwork, dampers, dust collectors and expansion joints; ash handling equipment such as fly ash drag and screw conveyors, submerged bottom ash drag chain conveyors, fly ash conditioning and truck loading systems and fly ash storage silos; and fuel handling systems such as biomass conveying systems, fuel storage and metering bins, circular and traveling screw reclaimers. ProcessBarron offers experienced, comprehensive and trusted turnkey services on boiler and kiln auxiliary equipment including: boiler fuel feed systems, energy efficient upgrades, and boiler and kiln draft system improvements. Visit processbarron.com.

December 2015 / Wood Bioenergy

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/6/15 9:49 AM Page 22

■ Materials Preparation

Terex/CBI Grizzly Mill

TerraSource Wood Hogs

CBI grinder

Jeffrey Rader wood hog

Continental Biomass Industries, a Terex brand, designs and engineers its popular CBI Grizzly Mill as the backbone of its reputable biomass recovery systems. Available as a primary, secondary or tertiary grinder for waste wood, this powerful stationary grinder accepts material such as stumps, logs, demolition debris, municipal solid waste (MSW), telephone poles railroad ties, stringy bark and yard waste. As CBI’s original product that was introduced over 26 years ago, this industrial grinder has stood the test of time as it continues to be installed at various biomass recovery systems around the world. Its three rotor options are the 6 in. segmented rotor, drum rotor (also known as the C-Model) and the 12 in. segmented rotor. The thorough design of the solid steel rotors (available with optional brute package) allows it to turn at half the speed of a conventional hammermill’s rotor, saving up to 90% of maintenance costs. The rotational speed is fast enough to make a highly uniform end product but slow enough to make the CBI Grizzly Mill extremely tolerant to rock and metal contamination. All rotors are locked to the high strength alloy shaft by two B-Loc locking assemblies The CBI Grizzly Mill can be considered as energyefficient as it is productive. It is engineered to consume the lowest amount of energy (per ton). Owners of major biomass recovery systems can expect to save tens of thousands of dollars every year with the CBI Grizzly Mill’s verified energy efficiency. Meeting all OSHA standards, this stationary wood waste grinder also features a clam shell opening that grants full access to its rotor and screens. Moreover, its main frame is an extra heavy-duty 1.25 in. - 1.5 in. thick wall structure designed to continually withstand extreme peak loads from logs, stumps and all other types of feed material. Visit cbi-inc.com. Visit terex.com.

TerraSource Global’s Jeffrey Rader brand wood hogs feature EZ-Access technology, which minimizes downtime by allowing safe, fast and easy access to the hammers, rotor and liners. Additionally, the hog’s rotor can be removed without the need to remove the feed chute. Maintenance time is further reduced with the firm’s DuraTip high-alloy replaceable tip hammers for increased shredding action and quick change-outs, as well as a rotor shaft drilled for hydraulic removal of the bearings, ensuring quick bearing removal without damaging the shaft. The Jeffrey Rader heavy-duty rotor design incorporates a disc-type rotor assembled on a high-strength, alloy-steel shaft. The rotor is mounted in self-aligning spherical roller bearings in rugged steel housings. For premium efficiency when shredding to a smaller product size, the rotor can be set up with three, four or six rows of hammers. Unlike equipment with solid rotors, this unit’s swing hammer design helps minimize damage when an uncrushable material enters the rotor circle. Additional advantages of the design include liners manufactured from thick, abrasion-proof steel plate to protect against high impacts and normal wear, an integral metal trap that effectively collects smaller pieces of tramp metal to help prevent damage, and Slant-Flow screen grates which are angled into the flow of material being shredded for more shredding action, faster evacuation of material, and the added bonus of producing less wear on the grates and hammers and a more uniform product size. An optional design featuring a stainless steel rotor incorporating heavier and wider hammers, a larger diameter shaft, thick rotor discs, and in some models larger hammer pins is available for difficult applications. Visit terrasource.com.

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:52 AM Page 23

Materials Preparation ■

West Salem Machinery Screen & Milling

Williams Biomass Systems

West Salem apparatus at Pacific Pellet

WSM Green Milling Islands combine screening and green milling machinery, like WSM’s Super Shredder, with a wide array of infeed and outfeed machinery to deliver a complete high capacity Green Milling Island, including metering feeders, screening/cleaning centers, and gravity or air-assist discharge. Because each component is of the same mill-duty construction, your Green Milling Island will operate with 24/7 reliability and durability. WSM’s Super Shredders are massive machines for the largest capacity requirements. The Super Shredder delivers high tip speed for small, consistent fiber sizing, increased screen area for more throughput, with flexible and interchangeable tooling for easy maintenance. Mill duty construction delivers continuous production for premium quality feedstock. Materials processed included wood chips, agricultural residuals (corn stover, straw, bagasse), pre-hogged wood, sawdust and shavings. Dry Milling Islands include WSM’s 4400 Series hammermills with ancillary machinery, including conveyors, feeders and screening/cleaning equipment. This provides a complete high capacity dry screening and milling island for efficient production of fine-grind fiber. WSM’s 4400 hammermills get the job done. These high speed, high volume hammermills operate at a high tip speed for high capacity milling to a small particle size. Features include a large diameter hammer circle and throat widths from 20 in. to 60 in. These rugged mills have extended sizing screens to maximize production. Heavy duty fabricated steel housing and easy glide access doors make for superior strength and wear life. WSM’s complete hog fuel screening and grinding systems feature bulk feeders for metered feeding, magnetics, pre-screening and cleaning for reduced grinder wear and increased throughput, and grinding of oversized material to a consistent fuel size. Material transfer conveyors and support structure and access platforms provide a fully integrated fuel preparation package. Visit westsalem.com/pellet-processing.

Williams Meteor hammermill

Williams Patent Crusher & Pulverizer Co., Inc. has been manufacturing quality heavy duty size reduction equipment since 1871. For biomass and bioenergy, it offers a wide array of solutions including primary, secondary and fine-grinding hammermills, as well as rotary disc screens. The Williams GA Series Hog hammermill is perfect for primary grinding applications. Available in 23 different size and capacity options up to 300 TPH, these mills can produce a nominal product down to 1.5 in. to 2 in.. Williams GA hogs are perfect for bark and wood chip processing as well as other applications. Williams chip hogs are the first hybrid hammermills combining the high capacities and heavy duty features of a Hog hammermill with the fine-grinding capabilities of a high-speed Meteor hammermill. They produce a nominal ¼ in. to ½ in. product suitable for further processing. Several sizes are available with capacities up to 100 TPH. Williams’ Meteor and new Reversible Meteor hammermills are best suited for fine grinding applications where ½ in. to much finer product sizes are required. These high-speed hammermills feature high hammer tip velocity to obtain fine grinding and to shred wet, fibrous materials—great for grinding a variety of materials including wood chips, wood pulp, sawdust and shavings, grains, and shelled corn. Williams rotary disc screens are the perfect addition for consistent, high-speed separation of oversized and undersized wood waste for feed to a primary hog. With self-cleaning intermeshing discs, they can screen most fibrous materials including shredded bark. They offer easy maintenance with heavy duty construction and no loosening shaft assemblies. Williams offers complete systems for grinding and/or drying a wide variety of biomass materials including wood chips, bark, algae, switchgrass and kenaf. It can customize a solution for your application. Visit williamscrusher.com.

December 2015 / Wood Bioenergy

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:37 AM Page 24

■ fuel chips

Woodland Improvements

Fuel Markets Paying Off By Jay Donnell FORSYTH, Ga. fter a seven-year hiatus, Deck Trevitt not only returned to conventional logging in early 2014, but in the latter part of the year added a chipper to his operation and today provides fuel chips to three markets in Georgia, including the new Piedmont Green Power biomass plant in Barnesville, Ga. When Trevitt decided to leave the logging business in 2007 he wasn’t sure if he would ever return to the hands-on aspect of it. Trevitt, 63, a graduate of Mercer University, started Trevitt Logging in 1978 and later changed the name to Quality Forest Products to indicate the business was about more than just cutting trees. He quickly gained a reputation as one of the most innovative loggers in the Southeast and was twice honored as

Georgia’s Logger of the Year (1986 and 1997) as well as Timber Harvesting magazine’s Logging Business of the Year in 2001. Trevitt was one of the first loggers to serve on the American Pulpwood Assn.’s Board of Directors. In 1999, Trevitt turned some heads in the Southern ranks by converting one of his three logging crews into a cut-to-length operation to merchandise a growing number of log sorts more efficiently. CTL

Trevitt, always an innovator

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 9:33 AM Page 25

fuel chips ■

Opposite page, and above, Woodland Improvements began chipping in late 2014.

The crew goes back nearly 30 years with Trevitt; left to right, Isiah Gibson, Ed Singleton, Jeffery Alexander, Schyulor Fields and Trevitt

Trevitt does a lot of the dozer and clearing work himself. Overall, he feels better about having greater control over the quality of his work.

had its advantages and disadvantages for Trevitt. Many potential clients were unfamiliar with the logging system so they didn’t understand the benefits. Others were willing to make price concessions for it because they understood CTL aesthetics and environmental benefits. One pitfall Trevitt had not counted on was the way underbrush hindered CTL productivity. Trevitt had to assign a third member to the crew whose job was cutting brush and small saplings with a brush saw. While production improved, the extra expense proved costly. In the 1980s, Trevitt was one of the first in the region to use on-board scales in order to keep load weights in legal check. He also explored ways to make trucking more efficient by using special order trucks and lightweight trailers equipped with super single rear tires. In the late ’80s, Trevitt made efforts to improve trucking efficiency by eliminating more than 2,000 lbs. in tare weight. Many of the concepts he came up with became standard trucking specs.

timber buyer contracting with those three crews. But that setup would change. One of the crew owners was from northern Minnesota and he returned home and took his CTL operation with him. One of the contractors decided there was somewhere better to log other than Quality Forest Products and the third operation couldn’t make a go of it. Quality Forest Products hired other contractors to replace the lost ones, Trevitt recalls, but as the recession wound down the number of loggers began to dwindle and it was tough to find good contractors. “All the contractors we’ve had are excellent contractors,” Trevitt says. “Sometimes things just don’t work out.” Trevitt learned a lot during this period. “We were somewhat spoiled when we did all of our own logging because we owned the equipment and had the manpower,” he says. “When we got out of the logging business we lost some control over the quality of the work we were able to do and it’s a lot easier to get the quality work that we want by doing it ourselves. That’s the biggest advantage of being in the logging business. When you tell a man you can do something, you can do it. When you tell a landowner you can do something, you can do it.” In January 2014, when an opportunity came up to buy some used equipment, Trevitt became a logger again. A company-owned logging operation was looking to shut down and Quality Forest Products bought everything they had. Trevitt named his new logging operation, Woodland Improvements, serving as a contractor for Quality Forest Products, along with four other contract jobs. ➤ 26

Here And Now For much of the 2000s, Trevitt was managing three crews in Georgia and then he decided it was time for a change. Trevitt was starting to grow weary of all the responsibilities that came with managing multiple crews so in 2006-2007 he sold each of the crews to the guys that were running them. Trevitt and Quality Forest Products continued to operate as a timber dealer and

December 2015 / Wood Bioenergy

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:38 AM Page 26

■ fuel chips

If markets are there, Trevitt could expand chipping production.

Sawlog market is big for Woodland Improvements.

Fuel Chips

Macon. Hardwood grade logs go to T&S Hardwoods in Milledgeville, pallet wood to Southern Forest Industries in Forsyth and hardwood pulpwood goes to Rayonier in Barnesville. Fuel chips are going to Piedmont Green Power in Barnesville, Graphic Packaging in Macon and Weyerhaeuser in Oglethorpe. When Woodland Improvements arrives on a new tract they build their own roads and clear the landings with a 2006 model John Deere 700J dozer. Trevitt runs it at times and also has a part-time employee who will run it. “We’ll cut them (the landings) out first, particularly since we’re chipping fuel wood,” Trevitt explains. “It makes a neater job if we can chip all that instead of pushing it up in a pile so we’ll try to have an area where we can get on the tract and get setup. When we’re working on a tract that has already been thinned, we’ll sometimes use the loading docks that are already there.” Woodland Improvements puts in water bars and skid trails and has two portable bridges that they use whenever necessary. Employees arrive on site at 7 a.m. and leave at 5 p.m. The company offers holiday pay as well as two weeks of paid vacation. They also grant time off for sickness and family emergencies. Employees are Isiah Gibson, cutter operator; Ed Singleton, skidder operator; Jeffery Alexander, skidder operator; and Schyulor Fields, crew supervisor and loader operator. All of the employees have not only been with Woodland Improvements since its inception but they were also with Trevitt for 20 years before he got out of the logging business. “I was very fortunate to get all four of them back when we started back up,” Trevitt says. Christie Wheeler is the office manager. She takes care of payroll, insurance, payables and receivables. Don Deckbar is the company’s timber buyer. Years ago, Trevitt started an in-house safety training program for his employees before safety consultants existed. He decided to hire a full-time manager explicitly to focus on safety and training. Her name was Darlene McDonald. Today, McDonald owns a safety consulting business known as Safety On Site and she handles Woodland Improvements’ safety program.

As the new logging operation gained momentum, Trevitt took notice of the regional fuel chip markets, and talked to Piedmont Green Power, which had started up a biomass power plant in Barnesville in May 2013 that would require more than 500,000 tons of wood residue annually. He also spoke with Graphic Packaging in Macon. In October 2014, he purchased a 2014 Vermeer 2300XL chipper, the first chipper Trevitt had ever owned during his distinguished career. Another market opened this past April when Weyerhaeuser at Oglethorpe, Ga. started a second boiler. Trevitt wasn’t nervous about entering the chipping business. “With two markets and one emerging, I went into it with little hesitation.” So far it’s working out. “That’s probably the thing that has helped us the most because it’s really kept our production at a good level,” he says. “It’s big to have another market that we’ve never had before. We’ve got three good markets for fuel wood in this area and it was definitely a good move. There are a lot of chippers in the woods in this area because of those markets.” Trevitt doesn’t have plans to add a second chipper, but says if markets were to expand he would consider it. Today Woodland Improvements moves about 15 van loads of chips per week. In total the company usually clear-cuts and thins 40 loads a week (1,200 tons). When Wood Bioenergy visited, they were half clear-cutting and half thinning a 140-acre tract. The recently established crew was clear-cutting the upland ground and thinning the low ground. It was a mixed stand of natural wood and they were separating pine sawlogs, chip-nsaw and pulpwood. For the hardwood they were separating grade logs, pallet wood, pulpwood and fuel wood. “We’re thinning it and taking out fuel wood and some higher value product,” Trevitt explains. “They’re going to replant the high ground.” Pine sawlogs and pine chip-n-saw go to Interfor (formerly Keadle Lumber) in Thomaston, Ga. Pine chip-nsaw also goes to Jordan Forest Products in Barnesville, Ga. Pine pulpwood moves to Graphic Packaging in

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:38 AM Page 27

fuel chips ■

Equipment Almost all of Trevitt’s equipment was bought from the company logging crew that worked for Interfor out of Thomaston. It includes a ’09 John Deere 648H skidder, ’06 Deere 648G-III skidder, ’10 Cat 559B loader, ’13 Tigercat 718E feller-buncher and ’13 Deere 700J dozer. A Tigercat 240B loader and ’06 John Deere 700J dozer were purchased later as was the Vermeer chipper. Brantley Trucking does all of the company’s hauling. The company runs Primex tires and uses Kendall and Citgo oil. Primary equipment dealers are Flint Equipment of Macon, Tidewater in Forsyth, Yancey Bros. in Macon and Vermeer Southeast in Marietta. Trevitt decided to purchase the Vermeer 2300XL chipper for a number of reasons. “I liked that they were local in Marietta, Ga.,” he says. “At the time they were the only brand that had replaceable wear items like the drum belly pan, chute spout liner and infeed deck floor.” The company does most of its maintenance and repairs in the woods in order to keep costs down, but they also do some maintenance at their shop in Forsyth. Trevitt’s new shop is right next door to his old one. He had been renting the building out where his new shop is for quite some time, but lost the tenant during the recession

so he decided to sell the old building and make the move. The company operates a 24 hour Cardlock fueling system on the same premises. Trevitt and company perform oil and filter changes every 250 hours and they drop all fluids at 1000 hours. Machines are greased at the end of each day. “I like greasing the machines when they’re hot because it won’t allow condensation to collect,” Trevitt explains. “Heating and cooling is what causes condensation so it’s not good to let it sit all night and cool.”

Challenges While the chipping business is steady, one of the biggest challenges for Woodland Improvements has been the recent development coming out of Interfor. The Canadian-based company implemented market-related downtime at several of its Southern U.S. sawmills, including the reduction of a shift at the Thomaston mill, which is Trevitt’s main sawlog market. “We’re kind of in a dilemma right now as a result of them shutting down a shift,” Trevitt says. “We’re going to have to make adjustments in the types of tracts that we’re buying. It’s going to be a challenge to get some of the new ones cut that we have in inventory now because we have a lot of sawlog inventory in what we have bought.”

December 2015 / Wood Bioenergy

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:52 AM Page 28

â– wood grinding

Lane Forest Products:

Producing Fiber Value By Dan Shell

Lane Forest Products operates four grinding crews, two dedicated to in-woods work.

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:52 AM Page 29

wood grinding ■

Diverse company has grown successfully in 30+ years.

Innovative bit configuration improves performance.

EUGENE, Ore. s a major player in wood fiber and organic and landscaping materials markets in and around Eugene and the upper Willamette Valley area in western Oregon, Lane Forest Products offers a broad and diverse range of products that serve a customer base ranging from large biomass power producers to weekend gardeners. The business is composed of many segments such as recycling, mill- and woods-based biomass hog fuel production, compost, soil and landscaping materials such as rock and sand—and even wood stove fuel pellets by the bag. Lane Forest Products Vice President Oren Posner says the company got into the wood bioenergy business in 1993, when a nearby particleboard plant approached Posner about setting up an urban wood waste operation to produce particleboard furnish and hog fuel. “We’ve been grinding hog fuel ever since,” says Posner, who runs the company with his partner, Susan, Lane Forest Products President. Posner started the business mainly as a firewood producer in the early ’80s,

moved into landscaping materials then became a major fiber producer, recycler and landscape materials supplier through the ’90s. Lane Forest Products is a large yard debris and urban wood waste recycler, and depending on grade, resulting material produced may go into hog fuel, particleboard furnish or landscaping materials. Lane Forest Products benefits from its location near several major forest products manufacturers that consume hog fuel as well as produce residual material, plus other industrial operations that operate boilers for steam and heat. Lane Forest Products also operates wood fiber concentration yards in Springfield, Junction City and Lebanon, Ore. Working with forest products facilities, Lane Forest may supply hog fuel or raw materials or purchase or trade for higher value material such as bark that’s more valuable as a landscaping material. In 2010, Lane Forest Products expanded its business to include in-woods grinding operations, plus on-site grinding in log yards at area mills. A major customer is Seneca Sustainable Energy, a 19.8 MW CHP facility that started up in 2011 and is located only a few miles away from Lane Forest Products’ 18-acre site in west Eugene. At the Lane Forest Products facility, a Peterson 3450 grinder in stationary application and a BM&M screening system handle incoming wood fiber, which includes all types of urban wood and yard waste.

In-Woods, On Site

Grinder site contributed to jet biofuel research project.

Lane Forest Products’ grinding operation features four portable Peterson 4700 Series machines, two wheeled and two tracked grinders, that perform in-woods and mill yard operations. Ideally, work sites are within 50 miles of final material destination to make transportation feasi-

December 2015 / Wood Bioenergy

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:52 AM Page 30

■ wood grinding

ble, says John Essner, Lane Forest Products Off Site Operations Manager. The company has its own contacts, but Seneca also refers landowners to Lane Forest Products, and “A lot of people just come to us,” Essner says, adding that mills will also call about on-site grinding as their residual inventories build. On a biomass site, “We’ll go out after the loggers leave, pile it up in the early fall and get it ready to grind and move,” Essner says, noting that winter months are better for biomass production demand since higher moisture contents require hog fuel customers to burn more material to get the same BTU values. Four employees are dedicated to the grinding crews, and all can work in either woods or mill yard applications. The tracked units handle in-woods grinding while the wheeled units do mill work, though all can work in either application if needed. A mixture of Peerless and Western 40-45 ft. two-axle chip trailers are used for easier in-woods access. Lane Forest Products operates five haul trucks and contracts several others for its wood fiber and hog fuel hauling. When Wood Bioenergy visited earlier this year, one of Lane Forest Products’ in-woods grinding crews was working a tract of Weyerhaeuser land south of Eugene near the small town of Lorane. A Peterson 4710B portable tracked grinder was in operation, fed by a Deere 200 excavator working slash piles. (Interestingly, some of the biomass material produced there may have been turned into jet fuel—see below.) According to Essner, the in-woods grinders are run with a 12 chipper bit/8 carbide bit configuration. “Even though they’re more expensive, we try to run the chipper bits instead of carbide,” he says. “We believe the chipper bits do a better job of cutting the wood instead of pulver-

izing it, and you produce less long, stringy material.” Most of the material handled is 40% MC or less, and Essner notes that the average 22-25 ton load usually translates into 13-14 BDT in decent material. While Posner believes wood bioenergy utilization and fiber markets will grow in the long term, market conditions have led to lower prices, primarily due to a hot log export market that had helped bring more residual fiber on the fuel wood market, thus lowering prices. (The log export market has since cooled off.) The diverse nature of Lane Forest Products business operations hedges against poor hog fuel markets, he says. “We’ve done fine through and after the downturn because we’re so diverse; it helps insulate us from the worst market effects,” Posner adds.

Involvement

The Wood Bioenergy spring 2015 visit to Lane Forest Products (and also Seneca Sustainable Energy) was like the old fishing story: You should have been here last week when they were biting. Of course, it was an operator on the in-woods grinding crew when Wood Bioenergy visited last spring who said, “You should have been here two days ago. We had professors, politicians and TV crews running all over.” Just days before the visit, the Lane Forest Products grinding job on Weyerhaeuser land south of Eugene was used as a demonstration for a group of researchers with the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA), of which Weyerhaeuser is a member. The NARA is an alliance of regional universities, government labs and private industry that conducts research on using forest residuals to create bio-based alternatives to petroleum-based products such as jet fuel. The NARA group’s goal is to produce 1,000 gallons of renewable jet fuel from forest residuals, and Alaska Airlines has committed to using the fuel on a commercial flight. And just a month before WB visited Lane Forest Products, the company was involved in a screening system test performed in cooperation with the “Waste to Wisdom” biomass utilization research project run by Humboldt State University. The screening efficiency test was conducted at the company’s Junction City, Ore. wood fiber concentration yard. The test looked at screening productivity with three sorts, accompanying diesel fuel usage rates and resulting size distributions in the Biomass markets improve with higher winter moisture contents. screened materials.

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:38 AM Page 31

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_cs.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 12:18 PM Page 32

■ in the news 19 ➤ biochar is then put back into California agriculture to improve soil health and water retention and can also be used as carbon filter media. GE will provide the gasifier, gas conditioning system and engine. “GE is the first company to offer us a single end-to-end solution on the complete biomass system, rather than piecing it all together from multiple vendors. This is game changing for the forested communities,” says Phoenix Energy CEO Greg Stangl. The North Fork project is the recipient of a $4.9 million grant awarded by the California Energy Commission. Other Phoenix Energy projects nearing agreement will interconnect with various local utilities under California’s new SB-1122 legislation, which seeks to support further deployment of bioenergy in the state. Phoenix Energy plans to commence operation of the North Fork plant in the fourth quarter of 2016. GE and Western Energy Systems also will provide technical support and service for Phoenix Energy’s installed systems.

Westervelt Gains SBP Certification The Westervelt Company announced that its wood pellet production facility in Aliceville, Ala., operated by Westervelt Renewable Energy, LLC, has been certified to the Sustainable Biomass Partnership (SBP) Framework by global organization NSF International Strategic Registrations. The SBP Framework of standards and processes enables producers of woody biomass to demonstrate they source their raw material responsibly, complying with the regulatory and sustainability requirements applicable to power generators burning woody biomass to produce energy. “Seeking internationally-recognized certification for our renewable energy operations validates our ongoing commitment to best management practices as we seek to fulfill

our land stewardship mission,” says Alicia Cramer, president, Westervelt Renewable Energy. “With SBP certification, we have added another layer of affirmation that our long-established forestry and sustainability practices meet the needs of both the present and the future.”

Indeck Qualifies For PFI Standards Indeck Ladysmith, LLC, manufacturer of Indeck Energy Premium Wood Pellets, announced its qualification to the Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) Standards Program. As a program participant, the company can proudly display the PFI Quality Mark on Indeck Energy Premium Wood Pellet Fuel bags. “Producing consistent quality premium wood pellet fuel has always been and will continue to be one of our highest priorities in order to ensure consistent fuel for our customers,” says Nunzio Maniaci, business development manager. The PFI Standards Program is relatively new and the only one of its kind in the United States. Indeck Ladysmith, LLC is currently one of 13 wood pellet manufacturers that have qualified for the program in the U.S. To meet the criteria of the PFI Standards Program, Indeck Ladysmith, LLC, works on an ongoing basis with an independent accredited auditing agency and testing laboratory. Random monthly audits are performed at Indeck Ladysmith, LLC to ensure a quality program is being followed. This is in addition to daily in-house quality testing conducted by trained personnel. Auditors randomly sample and test wood pellets according to the program specifications on an ongoing basis. “We are very pleased to have qualified for this accreditation program,” says Darren Winchester, Safety, Quality and Logistics manager at the Indeck Ladysmith Biofuel Center. “It demonstrates our commitment to product quality and consistency, proving to our re-

tailers and customers that we strive to produce a clean and efficient fuel source.”

Kior Plant Equipment Sold To Energy Firm Georgia Renewable Power has reportedly purchased the defunct biofuel refinery plant built and briefly operated by KiOR in Columbus, Miss. for $2.1 million. Various reports indicate GRP will either remove the equipment from the site or operate a wood chip mill there. The land will revert to the Lowndes County Port Authority. KiOR built a $200 million biofuel plant that was designed to convert wood chips to fuel. The company struggled to make the facility operational, and it has not operated since late 2013. KiOR reportedly owes the state of Mississippi approximately $69 million in loans.

Bioenergy Booming In European Union European Biomass Assn. (AEBIOM) released its annual Statistical Report, which shows that in 2015 bioenergy is accounting for more than 60% of all renewable energy consumed in the EU28. “Bioenergy is by far the leading renewable energy source in Europe, accounting for 61.2% of all RES energy consumed,” explains Cristina Calderón, publishing director of the AEBIOM Statistical Report. The increasing demand can be explained by the fact that biomass is the only renewable energy source providing solutions for all energy sectors: transport, power and heating & cooling. According to the AEBIOM Statistical Report, 74.6% of the biomass consumed for energy purposes is used to produce heat, followed by bioelectricity and biofuels for transport. According to the AEBIOM report, about 70% of total bioenergy feedstock delivered in Europe originates from the forestry sector, while the rest comes from waste and agriculture.

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:38 AM Page 33

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WB_1215_ASM_Layout 1 11/3/15 2:40 PM Page 34

■ Mid-Atlantic Expo

Mid-Atlantic Expo

Feeling Chipper

SELMA-SMITHFIELD, NC. t the 2015 Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Expo held September 18-19 visitors were treated to perfect weather and a variety of equipment. With a record 3,500 in attendance, the crowd in Selma-Smithfield was upbeat about market conditions and new equipment rollouts, especially the abundance and variety of chipping equipment. “I did not hear anything but positive comments. The weather was

A Eight chipper manufacturers participated in the event.

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WB_1215_ASM_Layout 1 11/3/15 2:41 PM Page 35

Mid-Atlantic Expo ■

Terex drew a large gathering to its multiple machines.

Smokey The Bear got his message across.

Sustainable forestry was on everybody’s mind.

The event layout made demonstrations easily accessible.

beautiful; the attendance was outstanding, and we had higher vendor participation than ever; it was a huge success!” Expo Coordina-

tor Jack Swanner said. Swanner credited emerging markets in North Carolina such as biomass and the uptick in the tra-

ditional markets as reasons why the Expo enjoyed such a strong turnout. Swanner noted that attendees and exhibitors seemed to like the layout of the event. “It was compact. Everything was right at hand. The static displays were there in the field and the live displays surrounded the field.” Landowners Mary Earp Worley and Nancy Crews Earp are in discussions about having the show again in the same general area in 2017. One interesting note was the amount of chipper participants. Eight chipper manufacturers— Barko, Trelan, Morbark, Bandit CBI, Terex, Vermeer and Petersen—all had equipment on display. New industrial wood pellet mill market and traditional pulp and paper facilities mean the chips have been flying in the region. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., parent of Wood Bioenergy magazine, along with Carolina Loggers Assn. and North Carolina Forestry Assn. co-partnered in the production of the event.

December 2015 / Wood Bioenergy

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WB_1215_ASM_Layout 1 11/3/15 2:41 PM Page 36

■ product news West Fraser Starts ORC Power Systems

Turboden, a group company of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), leader in Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) power systems for distributed generation from renewable sources and waste heat, announced the successful commercial operation of biomass-fed ORC units supplied to West Fraser. West Fraser’s four 6.5 MW ORC turbogenerators are installed at Fraser Lake and Chetwynd sawmills. The power systems have a total power capacity of 13 MW at each site to supply electricity to BC Hydro. In the West Fraser projects the heat of flue gas from biomass combustion is conveyed in a closed-loop system to the ORC unit, which converts thermal energy into electricity. The lower temperature waste heat is released to the environment by means of evaporative cooling towers. In addition to West Fraser’s plants, Turboden is starting up the world largest biomass-fed ORC power unit, supplied to Maine Woods Pellet Co. for its pellet production facility in Athens, Maine. The ORC system will produce 8 MW by converting the heat of thermal oil generated by wood residues from debarking and chipping operations. The startup of the plant is scheduled for March 2016. Power systems equipped with a Turboden ORC are installed at other wood product companies in Canada. A 2.2 MW ORC unit has been operating in Vanderhoof, BC

Expobiomasa Completes 10th Event

Expobiomasa, held each year in Valladolid, Spain, closed its 10th event September 24 with a final headcount of 15,041 visitors, according to Spanish Biomass Energy Assn. (AVEBIOM), the event organizer. Seventy percent of the professionals arriving at Expobiomasa came from outside the Castile and Leon region. Of the people from the region itself, 13.8% came from Valladolid. Because the fair is highly oriented towards professionals, participation of visitors from Castile and Leon decreased compared to last year, whereas the number of professionals from the sector coming from other Spanish regions was up 15% on the previous year. Expobiomasa registered professionals from 32 nations, 5% of them from Portugal. More than 540 exhibitors from 27 countries participated.

at Nechako Lumber (Sinclar Group) since February 2013; a 3 MW ORC converts heat to power at Manning Diversified Forest Product (MDFP) wood residue biomass plant in Northern Alberta; another 3 MW ORC module is under construction for Canfor Corp. in Chetwynd, BC. This is a pellet plant that will be operated in partnership with Pacific Bioenergy Corp.

Sennebogen Plans Factory Expansion Sennebogen, a leader in purpose-built material handling machines, will expand its Plant II facility in Southern Germany by 350,000 sq. ft. The project will also include a new 67,000 sq. ft. assembly and paint facility. The Plant II factory site is located near the Sennebogen head office and Plant I complex at the port of Straubing. Constantino Lannes, president of Sennebogen LLC, welcomed the

announcement as good news for Sennebogen customers and dealers in the Americas, too. “Straubing Plant II is focused on production and testing for the larger machines in our lineup. We have seen increased demand for high capacity machines, so this investment shows that the factory will be ready to support future projects.” The factory expansion will be completed in two construction phases. For the first phase, already under way, a paved surface south of the current premises will provide a spacious shipping area for machines and components. It will also be the site for technical approval and testing of new equipment. The second phase, a new assembly and paint shop, will be built by the end of 2016. Erich Sennebogen, managing director of the firm, adds, “As a family-owned company, we feel committed to long-term planning and to adjusting our production facilities to the market requirements of the future. This project ensures

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:38 AM Page 37

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WB_1215_ASM_Layout 1 11/3/15 2:41 PM Page 38

■ product news

optimized logistics, enhanced reliability and an even better working environment for our team.” The new assembly and finishing expansion, part of phase 2, will also increase the plant’s quality control area and will feature a section dedicated to customizing machines for special customer requirements.

NESTEC Adds Elsman To Team NESTEC, Inc. has added Ray Elsman to its experienced OEM and aftermarket team. Elsman brings 34 years of experience in the application, design and installation of air emission control and energy conservation systems, increasing NESTEC’s 300 + years of staff experience. Elsman joins the NESTEC team from Lundberg (Geoenergy Div.). “NESTEC, Inc. is once again uniquely fortunate to be in a position to bring one of the most talented engineers in our field onto the NESTEC, Inc. team,” comments President James Nester.

Morbark Opens Door For Manufacturing Day

More than 130 area high school students, parents, school officials and other guests visited Morbark in October for the company’s career-focused Manufacturing Day event. Titled “March into Your Future with Morbark,” the event featured a tour of the Morbark factory and presentations by numerous employees explaining their duties

and personal career paths in manufacturing. Manufacturing Day, officially the first Friday in October, is a coordinated occasion during which U.S. manufacturers open their doors to demonstrate the potential of modern manufacturing and foster interest in the wide range of manufacturing career opportunities available upon graduation from high school, trade schools or college. “Today’s manufacturing is not your grandfather’s or even your father’s manufacturing,” says Morbark President Jim Shoemaker Jr. “Modern manufacturing is highly technical, requires a skilled labor force and provides well-paying careers with diverse opportunities for advancement. But we’re facing a skills gap, with as many as 60% of skilled production positions in the U.S. going unfilled, combined with misperceptions about what manufacturing is. That’s why it’s important to have events like this.”

Yancey Bros. Teams With Bandit Industries Bandit Industries has added Yancey Bros. Co. in Georgia to its dealer network. In business for more than 100 years and with more than 20 dealer locations, Yancey Bros. will offer Bandit’s complete lines of whole tree chippers, forestry mowers, and The Beast horizontal grinders. Bandit also announced that Southland Machinery in central and northern Alabama will represent Bandit small equipment including hand-fed chippers and stump grinders. FMI Equipment will represent Bandit in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana.

Fairbanks Offers Trident Truck Scale Fairbanks Scales, Inc., a leader in weighing technology, offers the Trident Truck Scale with Intalogix technology. The fully electronic,

Fairbanks new Trident truck scale

heavy capacity Trident scale is built with advanced methods for superior structural integrity, producing a longer-lasting scale with consistently reliable and accurate performance. The scale, which is built to federal bridge standards, can be shipped from the factory and installed in one day. The Trident Truck Scale features a factory-poured and steamcured concrete deck for permanent above ground or shallow pit type use. The engineered 8,000 psi concrete, finished under American Concrete Institute (ACI) guidelines, wears better than steel, resulting in a longer-lasting scale. The Trident’s open-bottom design creates a natural ventilation system, while the solid deck design resists deflection and metal fatigue giving it the lowest deflection in the industry. Armored stainless steel load cell cabling is provided for durability and load cells are hermetically sealed to protect from moisture. The Trident also features encapsulated circuit boards, a scale industry exclusive. All Trident scales come with Fairbanks’ innovative, proprietary Intalogix technology. Visit fairbanks.com.

Boiler Plant Bound For Loviisa District Porvoo Energy will increase the production of district heat with a new boiler plant, which will be

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WB_1215_ASM_Layout 1 11/3/15 2:41 PM Page 39

product news ■

ing for operational personnel. The plant will be handed over to the customer in April 2016.

Mike Porter Joins Uzelac Industries

Biograt combustion technology

built at Loviisa, Finland. The Unicon Biograte 10 MW biomass boiler plant will use local wood based biomass such as bark and wood chips as fuel. The new plant will serve as a base load plant to produce hot water to Loviisa’s district heating network. The turnkey delivery includes the KPA Unicon Biograt combustion technology, all process equipment, buildings, installation works, commissioning and train-

Uzelac Industries appointed Mike Porter as Sales Manager-Biomass. Porter will lead a team of regional sales people establishing new relationships and business partners throughout the U.S. and Canada. Porter has extensive experience in the biomass and wood drying industry having served as the director of New Business for Firefly North America, as well as sales coordinator and sales manager for M-E-C Co. Uzelac Industries, located in Greendale, Wisconsin, has designed, engineered and built direct-fired rotary dryers for more than 30 years.

King Of Sweden Inaugurates Plant The inauguration of Oskarshamn Energi’s new biomass fired power plant was held August 28 with The King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf and the Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria present to honor the occasion, and symbolically feed forest residue to the fuel feed system. The inauguration was followed by open doors at the power plant, where the public could visit the plant and learn about its operation. In his speech the King linked the power plant to local action on combating climate change and the upcoming climate meeting in Paris. He lifted the use of forest residue as a good example of utilizing something that would otherwise go to waste. The new CHP plant has a thermal

December 2015 / Wood Bioenergy

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WB_1215_ASM_Layout 1 11/3/15 2:41 PM Page 40

â– product news

output of 17.7 MW of district heating and an electrical output of 3.8 MW. The plant also has a flue gas condenser to provide additional 4 MW thermal output to district heating network. The plant will cover 70% of the Oskarshamn municipalityâ€™s annual district heat demand. The boiler is able to use renewable fuels with moisture content up to 55%. The plant utilizes modular power plant design and has low emissions due to high combustion efficiency. Valmet provided turnkey delivery, including patented BioGrate combustion technology, installation, training and commissioning. The plant automation is based on Valmet DNA technology.Valmet also delivered a flue gas condenser and a ventilation system.

Konecranes Enhances Portal Crane

Konecrane portal crane

Konecranes, whose portal crane design has been a proven performer for nearly 40 years, continues to develop its workhorse portal crane for demanding applications and environments in the steel, forest products, intermodal, biomass/ pellet and concrete industries. Konecranes open lattice design is cost-effective compared to boxgirder structures and allows easy inspection of critical welds throughout the life of the crane. Compared to a conventional gantry, portal cranes operate on easy-to-install and maintain tie and ballast runways. Available in straight track and rotating configurations, these portal cranes are designed for maximum flexibility, which reduces load deflection damage and associated

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WB_1215_ASM_Layout 1 11/3/15 2:41 PM Page 41

product news â–

structural and track maintenance to a minimum. This design is so rugged and reliable that the first Konecranes loghandling portal crane, built in 1977, is still in operation. But while the basic design endures, the portal cranes that Konecranes is building now have evolved. They are now designed to create a smarter, safer, more productive workplace. TRUCONNECT, Konecranes advanced Remote Monitoring technology, automatically monitors and captures data on the operation of the crane, which is transmitted in realtime to Konecranes where it is compiled into reports for customers. It reveals when the crane is operating and when it is idle. As part of a wide scope of available data about crane operations, it provides details of overloading and side-loading incidents, indicating when further op-

erator training may be needed. Other available smart features range from GPS collision avoidance systems and diagnostic PLC systems to emergency egress descent devices with full body harness. The advanced ergonomic operator cabs available on current portal cranes include comfort considerations that were undreamed of when the first Konecranes portal crane was built. Visit konecranes.com.

Bron Produces Mulcher Series Bron offers its newest series of mulcher models, the 490 and 590, replacing the previous generation of 475 and 500. Both new machines are powered by a fuel efficient Cummins QSX15 Tier-3i 15-litre engine. The 490 is rated at a 480 HP

Bron new mulcher model

peak at 1,800 RPM. The 590 is rated at a 589 HP peak at 1,800 RPM. The increased speed rating over the previous models provides additional range for the engine to operate, and results in improved efficiency by using less fuel per horsepower. Hydraulic power comes from proven closed-loop pumps for both track drives and mulching head, providing awesome performance and control for high productivity.

December 2015 / Wood Bioenergy

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WB_1215_ASM_Layout 1 11/3/15 2:41 PM Page 42

■ product news

Purpose built frames unique between the two models incorporate new oscillating track frames with D4 as standard on the 490, with optional D5; the 590 comes standard with D5 tracks. These tracks are powered by heavy-duty planetary drives that are matched to the size of the selected undercarriage. Two specially designed extreme service heat exchangers are designed for improved cooling in even the hottest climates. Optimally positioned to draw cool/clean air in from the rear of the tractor, then directed alongside the engine, maximizing air-flow efficiency, reducing wasted horsepower and excessive noise. The open area between the heat exchangers also provides ample room for service to the front of the engine. Exciting times are ahead for customers of the new BRON 490

and BRON 590 Mulchers, with improved stability and operator comfort, longer operating between fuel filling, and lower noise with increased heat rejection capabilities.

IES SonicAire Adds Ryan Covington Integrated Environmental Solutions, Inc., manufacturer of SonicAire fans, has named Ryan Covington as Engineering Manager, responsible for directing the product development team. “Covington will manage the certification process for our SonicAire products compliance to North American and international standards,” comments Brad Carr, president of IES. “His ability to listen closely to our clients, making sure they receive the most suitable prod-

uct and documentation for their needs, will be an invaluable asset.” Graduating from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Covington brings a wealth of experience to IES and the further development and application of SonicAire fans, which are designed to address combustible fugitive dust in a variety of manufacturing and industrial settings. Prior to coming to IES, Covington worked for Underwriters Laboratories, LLC from 2006 to 2014.

CLEANFIX Provides Hydraulic Cooling Fans CLEANFIX North America Ltd. launches hydraulic cooling fans used in a wide range of agricultural, forestry, construction, waste and recycling equipment to prevent prob-

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WB_1215_ASM_Layout 1 11/3/15 2:42 PM Page 43

product news ■

opportunity to continue my family’s legacy of leadership at Vermeer into the third generation,” Andringa says. “We will continue to fulfill our promise to our customers by capitalizing on our

strengths—innovative, high-quality products; entrepreneurial dealers; and the diligent practice of continuous improvement while continuing to create opportunities for growth with today’s fast-mov-

Fuels savings and higher efficiency

lems associated with overheating and inefficiency of the engine. The key benefits are more power on the PTO shaft and on the wheels, fuel savings, and noise reduction as engine speed can be reduced. CLEANFIX now offers the standard reversing fan with hydraulic actuation in addition to the standard reversing function, the thermal-controlled variable blade pitch controlled fan (HVP-Series with wax elements) plus a fully electronically controlled CLEANFIX Hytronic fan. The latter controls the exact blade angle and thus the cooling performance by using CAN bus or the CLEANFIX electronics with an integrated Hall sensor. CLEANFIX electronics can also be replaced by the vehicle or engine electronics. Customer support is provided by the experienced team of CLEANFIX engineers and its global partners during the installation process.With regards to the many control and switching cycles of the engine, special attention was paid to the longevity of the fans. Visit cleanfix.org.

Andringa Is New President And CEO Jason Andringa is the new Vermeer Corp. President and CEO as part of the company’s family succession planning process. Jason Andringa “I’m excited, honored and humbled to have the

December 2015 / Wood Bioenergy

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WB_1215_ASM_Layout 1 11/3/15 2:42 PM Page 44

ing customer expectations in mind.” Prior to becoming president and CEO, Andringa served as president and COO, in addition to a number of other roles at Vermeer. Before joining Vermeer in 2005, he was a staff engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Andringa graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Calvin College and later completed advanced degrees including a Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Mary Andringa, former CEO and chair of the board, will assume the role of chair of the board exclusively. “It’s been a great honor and privilege to be CEO,” she says. “I am confident in Jason and the entire team who will continue the work that’s been happening here for the last 68 years as they lead this company into a bright future.”

Bandit Offers Versatility In Biomass Processing The Bandit Industries Beast produces unmatched uniformity when it comes to ground material. The patented cutter mill or optional whole tree chipper drum delivers a downward cutting or chipping action, sizing material on the first pass, saving money on costly regrind.

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WB_1215_ASM_Layout 1 11/3/15 2:42 PM Page 45

product news ■

Choose from four models of The Beast with self-propelled, towable or electric options. “The Beast horizontal grinder can be equipped with cutter bodies with a chipper knife attachment to produce what we call biosawdust, which is a microchip, but a bit finer,” says Bandit President Jerry Morey. “If markets change, you can quickly change the unit back to process all types of material to

supply a multitude of markets. So if you have a need to produce material for the burgeoning pellet market Bandit has solutions.” Bandit whole tree chippers can produce chips from 1⁄4 in. to 2 in. They throw better using less energy, so fuel consumption per ton of chips will be one-third less. Bandit’s patent-pending Clean Feed System does not discharge chips on the ground, increasing

yields by as much as 5%. New electric options for whole tree chippers are perfect for sawmills and chip mills. Choose from six models, towable, self-propelled and stationary. A worldwide dealer network backs The Beast and every Bandit whole tree chipper, so every machine is never far from the experts. Dealer locations are spread throughout North American and around the world, each stocking parts, expert technicians and sales staff ready to back Bandit’s customers. “Bandit’s unique and patented technologies make our chippers better for every producer,” Morey says. “That’s why more industry professionals trust Bandit to help them build their businesses. We welcome the opportunity to prove what we claim. We would love to demo The Beast horizontal grinder or a whole tree chipper for you.” Visit banditchippers.com.

■ CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS ■ ■ employment opportunities SEARCH NORTH AMERICA, INC. FOREST PRODUCTS RECRUITING SINCE 1978

The Jobs You Want — The People You Need WWW.SEARCHNA.COM

CONTACT CARL JANSEN AT 541-593-2777 OR Carlj@SearchNA.com

1615

IT'S YOUR MOVE...

Top Wood Jobs Recruiting and Staffing George Meek geo@TopWoodJobs.com www.TopWoodJobs.com (541) 954-8456

VISIT US ONLINE: woodbioenergymag.com 3779

December 2015 / Wood Bioenergy

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 9:33 AM Page 46

2015 editorial index Zilkha Biomass Energy: Black Pellets Are Here Page 16

FEBRUARY

AUGUST

ReEnergy Ashland: Restarts With Boom Page 26

Stoltze’s New Cogen Plant: A Win-Win Situation Page 18

Wood Yard Technology Page 34

Demo Days: Morbark Steps Up Again Page 26

Ligna Exhibitors Page 48. From The Editors In-Woods Operations: The Great Opportunity. Page 6

JUNE

From The Editors They Got It Right By Mistake Page 6

Tidewater Land & Timber: Chipping For Pellets Page 14

Wood-Based Biofuel Development: Needs Financing, Positive Policy Page 18

Hassell & Huges Lumber: Pellet Profit Boost Page 18

Decarbonized Future: A Co-Firing Strategy Page 22

Wood Bio Guide: Products, Manufacturers Pages 22-46

APRIL

From The Editors Keeping It Local: Wood Bioenergy Solutions Page 6

OCTOBER

Georgia Logger: Expands Into Chipping Page 36

DECEMBER

From The Editors Into The Woods: It’s Not For Everybody Page 6 Raw Materials Preparation Page 20

Snowflake Plant: No Putting It Out Page 20

From The Editors Off The Back Burner: Zilkha, ReEnergy Projects Page 6

New Opportunities: Maine Logger To Expand Page 30

Recipe For Success: Terex Mixes In CBI Page 38

Innovative Design Boosts Efficiency: Seneca Meeting Goals Page 16

UK Renewable Energy: Riding The Roller Coaster Page 26

Industrial Pellets Growth: Europe Leads Markets Page 14

Woodland Improvements: Fuel Markets Paying Off Page 24 From The Editors Written In Stone: It’s On The Editorial Calendar Page 6

Lane Forest Products: Producing Fiber Value Page 28

Wood Bioenergy / December 2015

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:38 AM Page 47

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!

WBdec15pgs_SS.qxp_Wood Bioenergy Magazine 11/4/15 8:38 AM Page 48

CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!