Opportunities for Using Thinnings from Forest Fuel-Reduction Activities S&PF Technology Marketing Unit
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Opportunities for Using Thinnings from Forest Fuel-Reduction Activities S&PF Technology Marketing Unit USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory Madison, WI Technology Marketing Unit Develops new technologies Coordinates needs with FPL/FS Research Provides technical assistance Demonstrates value-added opportunities in rural communities Provides a clearinghouse of information Facilitates networking Current Market Values for Small-Diameter Trees Value ($/green ton) 250 200 150 Cost to harvest 100 50 0 Poles Posts Lumber Firewood Chips Fuel Reduction Treatments for Ponderosa Pine on Gentle Slopes Location Gross removal costs ($/acre) Net revenue ($/acre) if larger trees are Higher Chipped value Southwest 680 - 1,176 + 496 Intermountain 630 - 1,090 + 433 Sierras 600 - 1,138 + 615 Rockies 590 - 975 + 465 www.fs.fed.us/research Products of Primary Processing Sawlogs • Structural lumber • Nonstructural lumber Roundwood • Poles/posts • Logs for log homes Chips Residues Traditional Log Processing In the West, logs are generally 8 inches and larger Specialized equipment (small log processors) for logs down to 6 inches in diameter Applies to both hardwoods and softwoods Value-Added Products Engineered wood products Flooring Paneling Furniture Cabinets Millwork Structural Use of Hardwoods Finger-Jointed Stud Ponderosa Pine Glulam (Egar, AZ) E-rating • 100% pine • 50% stronger • 20% stiffer Traditional Uses for Roundwood Less Than 8 In. Expanding Markets Past Posts & Poles Round structural beams • Reduce processing costs • Less susceptible to warp • Graded logs may have a higher value • Logs should be dry Engineered Roundwood Structures Standard designs Material properties Demonstration projects Structural grading systems Market size assessment Connection designs & analysis Engineering Olympic Kiosk (Ogden Ranger District) • Lodgepole pine (Bitterroot NF) • 6-in. verticals • 4- & 5-in. trusses Park Pavilion (Westcliffe, CO) CO • 40 by 60 ft • Ponderosa pine • 6-in. verticals • 4-in. truss members Library (Darby, MT) • Lodgepole pine (Bitterroot NF) • 6-in.-diameter logs for the trusses Salt Creek Summit (La Grande, OR) • Cross-country skiing • Trail grooming • Ski Patrol • Ponderosa pine • 5- to 6-in. members Traveler’s Rest State Park (Lolo, MT) Cable Suspension Bridge Removing Technical Barriers Powder-driven fastener Mechanical grading Round Post Guardrail Systems Structural grading Dynamic testing Crash testing Porterbilt Post & Pole (Hamilton, MT) Jefferson State Forest Products (Hayfork, CA) Technical assistance • Kiln drying • Processing for figure • Steaming madrone Jefferson State Forest Products Chips/Strands Pulp Wood composites Wood–plastic composites Wood–concrete products Wood fiber products • Erosion control mats • Water filters Pulp Chips Traditional market Pulp prices down Global overcapacity Transportation costs 3 -D Pulp-Molded Products Made like corrugated paper Fibers aligned for strength Half the weight of particleboard Patented by FPL Licensed by Sonoco for laminated furniture “Sonoboard” Conference Table by Sonoco Wood Composites Lots of opportunities for use • Particleboard, fiberboard • Oriented strandboard Capital intensive Dependent on reliable supply Industry shifting to East and South Wood–Plastic Composites Offer opportunities on smaller scale Can be configured to meet regional needs Localized applications using local problematic resource $900 million market expected Wood–Plastic Composites Technical Assistance on Prototype Development P&M Signs (Mountainair, NM) Invasive Species • Juniper / plastic • 50% juniper & 50% polyethylene • 30% juniper & 70% polyethylene Additional Wood–Plastic Applications Roof shakes Siding (Boise’s HomePlate™) Wood–Concrete Products • Reduces weight • Improves sound absorption Wood–Latex Products • Playground surface • ADA compliance Wood Fiber Mats • Erosion control • Water filters Water Filtration Use with • Storm water • Ag. runoff • Mining sites Can remove • Heavy toxic metals • Oil Removing Toxic Heavy Metals • Applicable to many species • Some better for certain metals • Cannot make mats in woods Water Filtration on the Wayne National Forest % Metal removed Location Mining head After 1st filter pH Iron Aluminum 2.7 -- -- 2.7 9 2 After doser 3.1 72 21 After 2nd filter 3.2 85 23 Erosion Control Mats • Use wood fiber – Live trees – Burned – Insect killed • Local applications • Biodegradable • Low capitalization costs • In-woods processing Residues Animal bedding Compost Mulch Energy Ethanol Firewood Wood Shavings for Animal Bedding SBS Wood Shavings (Ruidoso, NM) • Material from hazardous fuels reduction projects • Understand the customer’s needs Biomass Energy Huge potential for using thinnings Thermal, electrical, and biofuel (ethanol) Scale is important • Large (>5 megawatts) – High cost, high efficiency • Medium (1 to 5 megawatts) • Small (<1 megawatt) – Lower cost, less efficient, in-woods processing Energy still lowest economic value Commercial Wood Fuels Whole-tree chips: 4,500 Btu/lb • Electric power generation • Source − Bole chips (uniformity) − Entire tree Mill chips/slabs: 5,100 Btu/lb Pellets (highest cost): 8,200 Btu/lb Firewood (seasoned): 20 million Btu/cord Sawdust (green vs. dry) Bark (more energy vs. more difficult handling) Commercial Wood Fuels Electricity Heat (steam, hot water) Cooling (air conditioning) Wood gas (crop drying, dual-fuel) Bio-fuels • Bio-ethanol • Bio-oil • Bio-methanol • Bio-diesel Electricity Large Scale ( >10 MWe ) Steam boiler/turbine • Several facilities across the country co-fire with coal (5% to 15% wood) • McNeil Power Plant: 50 MWe • Ryegate: 20 MWe • District Energy of St. Paul: 25 MWe (all urban tree waste) District Energy (St. Paul, MN) • Urban wood waste • Daytime – Heating & cooling to downtown – Electricity to grid • Night – Cooling downtown – Uses electricity Large-Scale Power Generation Usually uses coal or natural gas All forms of energy have common problems. Favorable purchase agreement must cover the following costs: • • • • Harvesting Transportation Power generation Power distribution To date, purchase agreements do not cover development & production costs Small Commercial Bioenergy System Small-Scale Wood Combustion Typical features • 3 million Btu/hour (900 kW) output • 850 lb/hour (green) fuel input • 45% moisture content (wet basis) • 20:1 turndown ratio (Divide the maximum energy output by the minimum energy output at which efficient, smoke-free combustion can be sustained.) Audience for Small-Scale Combustion Who can use the system? • Companies where electricity cost for heating is high • Companies that generate biomass on-site Considerations and complexities • Physical size • Fuel characteristics • Operation • Mechanical complexity • Combustion hazards Institutional Uses Schools Factories Hospitals State buildings (Vermont) Community centers Jails/prisons Cost of Small Scale Initial capital costs • $50 to $75 per lb of steam generated per hour • Biomass system capital costs highest of any fuel (typically 1.5 to 4 times the cost of fossil fuel) – Fuel-handling system – Fuel storage – Low energy density fuel Annual cost • Full life cycle vs. payback (advantage-wood) • Wood is typically cheapest fuel available Costs for New Construction 100,000 – 150,000 ft² Wood energy system: $ 220,000 Building construction: 150,000 Design: 30,000 Total: $ 400,000 Union-32 School (East Montpelier, VT) Total installed cost: $325,000 (200,000 ft2) Total heating capacity: 4.5 million Btu/h (1.35 MW) Fuel quantity: ~1000 tons of green chips per year ($30/ton) 75% system efficiency: $0.20 per ft2 annually Wood-Fired Chiller for Schools Wood residue as fuel Hot water boiler • Silica gel adsorption process: nontoxic • Low temperature: 122ºF to 194ºF supply water 1/5 the cost of electricity – 400 ton unit • $ 25 to $ 30 per ton wood @1 ton/h • $ 0.08 per kWh @1500 kWh (12,000 Btu/h cooling capacity is equivalent to 1 ton of refrigeration.) Memorial Medical Center (Ashland, WI) Hospital size: 3 floors; 210,000 ft2 125 HP boiler system; 5.16 million Btu/hr Fuel requirement • 3,000 to 3,800 tons per year • Truckload delivery every other day Source of fuel: wood chips from hardwood manufacturing facility Memorial Medical Center (Ashland, WI) Steam • Uses – Heating – Air conditioning – Process steam (sterilization) • Costs of producing – Wood fuel: $0.08/lb – Gas: $0.28/lb National Small-Scale Biomass Demonstration Project Partnered with • U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO • Community Power Corp., Littleton, CO BioMax 15 is a prototype gasification unit that burns waste wood to create electricity (15-20 kW). Installed at SBS Wood Shavings, October 29, 2002. North Park High School (Greenhouse) (Walden, CO) BioMax 5 Residential Application Research Demonstration House at FPL (Madison, WI) • Electricity 24/7 – Unit charges batteries – Automatic shutdown when fully charged • Heat for hot water Darby, MT Fuels for Schools Wood chips (forest slash) replacing fuel oil 500 green tons of wood per year 82,000 ft2 heating space 150 HP (5 million Btu/h) Low pressure steam (15 psig) Messersmith Industrial Combustion Assistance to Darby School • Funded economic and engineering • Provided technical information about biomass energy so community could make informed decisions • By demonstrating the Darby system as a viable heating source, it is hoped that other Montana schools will develop interest Benefits to Darby • Contributes to hazardous fuel reduction on forested lands • Cuts heating fuel bill in half • Domestic source of energy • Creates local jobs associated with thinning & chipping • Releases only 3% of methane, 5% CO, and ⅓ of NOx’s and particulates associated with burning slash piles Types of Log Yards Mill log yard Log sort & sale yard Reloading & concentration yard Interest in Log-Sort Yards Response to timber supply issues Land mangers need economical ways to • reduce fuel loading in the West • market low-value material from thinning operations & restoration projects What Do Log-Sort Yards Do? Concentrate, merchandise & sort logs for higher value Market multiple log products May include semi-log processing and value-added operations Supply a more desirable log mix to wood using firms Log Yard Primary Products Sawlogs Stud bolts Peeler blocks Veneer logs Specialty logs Poles Secondary & Residue Products Satellite chip mill Semi-processed & value-added Pulpwood Firewood Peeled utility poles Bark mulch Soil amendments Biomass energy Log Sorting With Log Loaders Merchandiser & stationary loader Rubber-tire mounted loader Crawler-track mounted heel-boom loader sorting a log deck Linear Log Sorting Machine Small scale • Low cost • Sorts length • Sorts diameter • Does not sort for sweep Shipping Logs to Market Rail reloading facility often economical Small-Log Processing Processing equipment & systems must be matched to the log resource Large logs can be efficiently sorted & handled with a front end loader Small logs require more specialized loaders (heel-boom or knuckle-boom) Really small logs require sorting machines or merchandisers to be efficient Small-Log Processing (con.) Processing small logs requires very high piece count rates to be efficient Mobile log handling equipment is limited by machine duty cycle Log volume is really a function of machine lifting capacity Consequently, yard productivity is controlled by piece-count production rate rather than total log volume processed Where Can We Reduce & Control Costs? Cost of logs delivered to the yard • Log stumpage price • Harvest & stand treatment (thinning) costs • Transportation costs Log yard costs • Processing & material handling costs • Overhead & log inventory charges Raising the Value Curve Marketing—sell logs for higher prices Sort woods run logs into higher value logs Merchandise logs • Buck & sort logs for higher value • Optimize log bucking & sorting decisions Semi-log processing Value-added manufacturing Barriers to Successful Operations Poor markets • Lack of regional manufacturing capacity • Poor transportation infrastructure • Global competition The wrong methods & machines Lack of reliable raw material source Not enough high-value logs in log mix Lack of experienced sort yard operators Sue LeVan-Green Program Manager Rick Bergman Biomass energy & TMU website John Zerbe Biomass energy & recycling Rusty Dramm Forest products utilization TMU Staff Gerry Jackson Marketing slevan@fs.fed.us www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu Mark Knaebe Finishing & roundwood construction Jean Livingston Writing & publicity Adele Olstad Techlines, FPC&R Review Chris Caldwell Student Dean Graham Technical assistance for Regions 1&4 TMU Staff slevan@fs.fed.us www.fpl.fs.fed.us/tmu Tommy Loggins Technical assistance for Region 8 Vacant Technical assistance for Regions 5&6
