North Morrow Volume XVII Number 12 July 1, 2010
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Governor Kulongoski welcomes ZeaChem to Boardman
Governor Ted Kulongoski, ZeaChem President & CEO Jim Imbler and US Senator Ron Wyden officially start construction at the Port of Morrow site of the Boardman Biorefinery. Photo by Matt Kegler Lots of dignitaries were in Boardman June 2nd for the ceremonies beginning construction of ZeaChem, Inc.’s Boardman Biorefinery located at the Port of Morrow. Governor Ted Kulongoski, US Senator Ron Wyden, State Representative Greg
Smith along with representatives from the US Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency joined local folk for the occasion. ZeaChem is building the cellulosic ethanol 250,000 gallon capacity test plant which will cost ap-
proximately $73 million. The funding will come from a $25 million grant from the American Recovery and Investment Act, $10 million from Oregon Business Energy Tax Credits and remaining money from private investors. This “test” plant for cellulosebased ethanol will not be big enough to be economically feasible for commercial production, but will test this unusual process out of the lab environment. The same bacteria found in a termite is used to break down cellulose (plant fiber) into acetic acid, which can be made into ethanol. ZeaChem has a contract with GreenWood Resources to provide wood chips for this process. After welcoming ceremonies and a catered lunch, two buses transported guests to the 25,000 acre GreenWood poplar “forest” located along I-84 for a tour. Although GreenWood is growing poplars up to 12 years of age, the ZeaChem process will use 2- to 3year old trees for their process. A New Holland harvester which cuts and chews up the trees up to six inches in diameter was displayed. This $500,000 machine was specially manufactured in Belgium for harvesting trees for chips, and the size of the chips can be determined
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for ZeaChem. Co-founder Dan Verser stated that “It takes one ton of 100% dry matter wood chips to be converted into 100 gallons of ethanol.” Will this process lead to a commercial biorefinery in the future? Co-founder Tim Eggeman says “This is not the end of my dreams, but the start.”
GreenWood Resources employee Luke Maynard and New Holland representative Dave Wagner display the $500,000 chopper that turns trees into chips for use in the ZeaChem Boardman Biorefinery.
Music in the Parks 2010 FREE PUBLIC CONCERTS AT BOARDMAN & IRRIGON MARINA PARKS
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by the machine to be shredded up to 1 1/2” in size. GreenWood has a sawmill located within the tree farm for processing larger trees into usable lumber. GreenWood Irrigation Manager Luke Maynard said the farm plans to regrow the tree stumps after harvest. The harvester can then “eat up” the bushy growth into chips
A 10-event series of FREE outdoor concerts on the banks of theColumbia River. Begins in Boardman, Oregon, at 7 pm Monday, June 14. The performances will rotate between the Boardman and Irrigon Marina Parks and offer a variety of musical experiences:
Monday, July 5 Monday, July 12 Monday, July 19 Monday, July 26
Irrigon Marina Park Boardman Marina Park Irrigon Marina Park Boardman Marina Park
98% Angels “Honoring our Veterans” Skweez the Weezle & Celtic Dancers Funding: Mo. Co. Unified an Daire Irish Dancers Recreation Dist & Portland Roy Dodd’s Tribute to Elvis Barbara Nelson & Dance Unlimited
General Electric. Sponsored By: North Morrow Community Foundation, Irrigon Watermelon Festival & Mp5