Northwest Perspectives on
Developing a Biochar Industry:
State Agencies, Research &
Industry
David Sjoding
Renewable Energy Specialist
July 31, 2012
2012 US Biochar Conference
Bioenergy & Biochar in Washington
David Sjoding
WSU Energy Program
Mark Fuchs – Ecology, W2R
Manuel Garcia-Perez – WSU
Biological Systems Engineering Dept. &
CSANR
Interagency Agreements between
Ecology and WSU EP and CSANR
Overview
• The Northwest needs a biochar trade
association
• This presentation is a bookend to the
other presentations from the Northwest:
Focus on state governments and
universities
• Two memorable quotes from 4 years ago:
• “I’ve been mining the carbon out of my
soil for 40 years. I used to get 100
bushels per acre, now I’m in the 60s” –
Merrill Ott (wheat farmer)
• “What’s the market value of biochar” –
Borgford Bioenergy
• Biochar in the Northwest is coming of age
State Perspectives - Plural
• Bioenergy is the most complex and diverse of the
renewable resources – It organizationally fans
across many departments/agencies
• Shifting to a bioeconomy is even broader
• The plural does not necessarily mean inconsistent
or in conflict – However, there are “discussions”
• Often there are different areas of emphasis or focus
• It is plural within state governments and between
states
• Wide Northwest regional variation in feedstocks
• Which end product is produced? – Who wants what?
Woody biomass feedstock
competition
• Woody biomass is a feedstock for a wide variety
of bioenergy/biobased products – Assessments
needed
• Engineered biochar – Carbon sequestration, soil
health & environmental remediation
• Pellets – Regional or export markets
• Biomass CHP - Supports existing mills, high
efficiency
• Biofuels – Cellulosic or drop-in advanced biofuel
• Biobased chemicals offsetting the petrochemical
industry
State governments & university
research
Strong linkage in bioenergy for over a decade
• Washington took a lesson from Iowa (Biowa)
http://biowa.us/
• Major focus to develop a full court press to
build the bioeconomy
• Triggered by $3/gallon diesel & $3/bushel
wheat
• Major funding followed
• Role of land grant universities: Take the best of
knowledge/science & move it into the
society/economy – Applied research
Biomass Inventory and Bioenergy Assessment
An Evaluation of Organic Material Resources for Bioenergy Production in Washington State
December 2005
Waste Characterization – 68%
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/1007023.pdf.
Washington Example – Wood Waste
• Aviation biofuel – 2011 & 2012 legislation – Two
$40 million research efforts (U of W AHBN, WSU
NARA)
• Densified biomass - Statewide business
development feasibility study funded - $75,000
• Biomass CHP – 99 MW under construction (state
controlled ARRA funding support for 45 MW) –
$4.8 million
• Composting and wood recycling – Long standing
Dept. of Ecology support
• Bioenergy research: Major laboratory build out
and $7.4 million/biennium (peak) – Biochar is
Pacific Region – A six state-based team of AK, HI, ID,
MT, OR & WA www.pacificbiomass.org
• Significant
biennial state funds (both program development &
research)
• Functions as a team since 1982
• Taken together: A “Complete Program” – Near, mid and long
term research; development; demonstration; project
deployment; policy analysis & legislation; information; outreach
• The Northwest states cross-talk a lot & compare notes
ABOUT US
The U.S. DOE Northwest Clean Energy Application Center (NW CEAC) is one of
eight regional centers funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced
Manufacturing Office (AMO). The CEACs support the AMO program’s work to
develop and deploy new, energy-efficient technologies for manufacturing. The
NW CEAC is a joint partnership between Washington State University Energy
Program, Cascade Power Group, Alaska Energy Authority, Montana Department
of Environmental Quality, and Idaho Office of Energy Resources.
The Center works in the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and
Alaska. DOE’s Regional Clean Energy Application Centers promote and assist in
transforming the market for combined heat and power (CHP), waste heat
recovery, and district energy technologies and concepts throughout the United
States.
WHAT ARE CHP, DISTRICT ENERGY, AND WASTE HEAT RECOVERY?
Combined Heat and Power is the simultaneous production of electricity and
useful thermal energy for heating or cooling from a single fuel source. CHP can
provide needed energy services in one energy-efficient step. Today it supplies
over 10% of our nation’s electricity.
District Energy is CHP, heating, and/or cooling for an entire university, office
park, medical campus, mixed use sustainable development, or downtown. There
are over 700 district energy systems in the U.S.
Waste Heat Recovery is the capture of waste heat from an industrial facility or
pipeline compressor station and turns it into clean electricity or useful thermal
energy.
OUR SERVICES
Market Assessments: Supporting analyses of CHP market potential in diverse
sectors, such as health care, industrial sites, hotels, and new commercial and
institutional buildings.
Education and Outreach: Providing information on the benefits and applications
of CHP to state and local policy makers, regulators, energy end-users, trade
associations and others.
Technical Assistance: Providing technical information to energy end-users and
others to help them consider if CHP, waste heat recovery or district energy makes
sense for them. This includes performing site assessments, producing project
feasibility studies, and providing technical and financial analyses.
For more information on the DOE Clean Energy Application Centers, visit:
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/manufacturing/distributedenergy/ceacs.html
State governments
• Again a broad range of interested agencies
• Topical approach – Structures vary
• Economic development – New jobs & protection of
existing jobs
• Solid waste – Waste 2 Resources: “Beyond Waste”
• Air quality – Biopower emissions
• Climate change, sustainability & out-put based
emissions
• Biofuels, RFS, fuel quality, & low carbon fuels
• Inventories, assessments and analysis
• RES/RPS
• Efficient feedstock use
State governments continued
• Healthy forests, rural jobs & re-starting mills
• State directed applied research needs for
state feedstocks with funding
• Biofuel crop development
• Rural economy and jobs – No natural gas,
maximize in state economy
• What’s on the horizon that impacts the
various perspectives?
Multi-agency “State Bioenergy Teams” are
needed to help develop the biochar industry
Biochar research – Areas of focus
• Engineered biochar
• The agronomic impact of biochar
• Three recent reports:
• Methods for Producing Biochar and Advanced Biofuels
in Washington State Part 1: Literature Review of
Pyrolysis Reactors. 150 pages
• Methods for Producing Biochar and Advanced Biofuels in Washington State Part 2: Literature Review of
the Biomass Supply Chain and Preprocessing
Technologies From Field to Pyrolysis Reactor. 75
pages
• Methods for Producing Biochar and Advanced Biofuels in Washington State Part 3: Literature Review
Technologies for Product Collection and Refining. 125
pages
What is under development?
• An economics and business model for
pyrolysis / biochar – “Soon”
• A white paper as a precursor information to
develop the case for a trade association – At
good working draft stage
• Mature business & technical plans needed
• We recognize the need to work with the US
Biochar Initiative & the Pacific Northwest
Biochar Initiative
Information Resources
• Ecology
Waste 2 Resources Program
• http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/or
ganics/recovery.html
• WSU Energy Program
Pacific Region Bioenergy Partnership
• http://www.pacificbiomass.org/
• WSU Center for Sustaining
Agriculture & Natural Resources
• http://www.tfrec.wsu.edu/pages/CSANR20
10/pubs