Biomass Wastes from Sustainable Forest Management: Energy and Air Quality Benefits

Tom Christofk, Air Pollution Control Officer Placer County Air Pollution Control District

2014 California Adaptation Forum

Reclaiming Energy: Farms, Forests and Waste Streams

August 20, 2014

Topical Outline/Discussion Points

Background of why Placer County and the Air District are interested in Forests & Fires

What initiatives and projects we are supporting regarding forest fuels reduction, wildfire mitigation, and GHG emission reduction opportunities

Describe the results of some of those efforts to date

Placer County Landscape Sacramento Valley to Lake Tahoe

550,000 acres of forested land ~ 50% of total county land, including three National Forests

~40% in private ownership, 60% public

Extensive wildland-urban interface throughout the County

Heavy fuel loads throughout forested landscape from decades of successful fire suppression

History of major wildfires in local forested areas over the past decade Gap, Ponderosa, Star, Ralston, American River Complex, Angora,

Robbers, American – 75,000+ acres burned to date (14% of the forested landscape)

Wildfires have very significant impact on regional air quality

Land managers are making concerted efforts to ramp up forest fuel hazard reduction thinning activities By-product – excess biomass waste

Very similar situation throughout most of the Sierra Nevada’s

2013 Wildfire Impact in Placer

1101 ug/mg3 8 am 8/18/13 Foresthill

Typical National Forest Management

Thinning/partial cutting

Remove commercial-sized trees

Dispose of excess biomass--burn piles in forest or at landing, or broadcast burn

Utilize biomass only if there is sufficient market

Targeted Fuels Treatment in California

CA Forest Ownership

High Fire Danger (acres)

Current Treatment (acres/yr)

Targeted for Treatment

(acres/year)

Biomass Produced from Targeted

Treatment (green tons/yr)

Potential Electricity Production from

Biomass from Targeted Treatment

(MW)

US Forest Service

8,985,800 60,000 200,000 – 500,000

4,800,000 – 12,000,000

240 - 600

Other Public

1,768,300 25,000 50,000 – 80,000

1,200,000 – 1,920,000

60 - 96

Private 7,244,400 40,000 175,000 – 300,000

4,200,000 – 7,200,000

210 - 360

Totals 17,998,500 125,000 * 425,000 – 880,000

10,200,000 – 21,120,000

510 – 1,100

Source: US Forest Service, California Forest Association * Current Treatment produces 3 MM green tons/yr, 50% used for fuel (90 MW of the 690 MW total in CA), 50% open pile burned (1.5 MM green tons)

Forest Resource Sustainability Initiatives PCAPCD Approach to Wildfire Mitigation

Explore and implement market based initiatives to reduce the costs of fuel hazard reduction activities at a strategic pace and scale that will mitigate the severity and impact of catastrophic wildfire events:

1. Bioenergy Conversion -- Utilize excess forest biomass for production of renewable energy in lieu of open burning Confirm project level economics and net air emissions reductions

2. GHG Offset Protocols Biomass Renewable Energy

Biochar

Black Carbon

Forest Fuel Treatment Thinning

3. Small scale distributed generation bio-energy facility assessment

4. State Agency Engagement Monetize benefits of wildfire mitigations & assist in implementation of State 2012 Bio-Energy Action

Plan policies

Engagement (PCAPCD has party status) in Public Utilities Commission rulemaking proceedings related to renewable energy, interconnection, distributed generation, and pricing

Positive Effects of Fuel Treatments

Wallow Wildfire, Apache National Forest, Arizona, May 2011, 500,000 acres (largest wildfire in Arizona history)

Fire

Fuel Treatment Thinning

Positive Effects of Fuel Treatments

Fire

Un-thinned

Thinned

Cone Wildfire, Lassen National Forest, Sept 2002

Fire Threat

Source: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Fire

and Resource Assessment Program

(FRAP), prepared for the “National Fire Plan”,

V05_1, 2005.

Woody Biomass Wastes

Open Burning vs Renewable Energy

Open Pile Burn

Controlled Energy Generation

>

Grind and Haul Biomass

30 MW Co-Gen

0.5 MW Dist Gen

Cost to chip and transport biomass to bioenergy facility

Value of biomass for fuel

Renewable Biomass Energy

VS 18MW - BVBP

Benefits of

Biomass Use Energy production

Reduces air emissions

Reduces black carbon emissions

Displaces need for fossil

fuel usage

Reduces greenhouse gas

burden

Reduces landfill burden

Watershed protection

Forest health improvements

Reduces catastrophic

wildland fire threats

Economics (jobs, community)

Air Pollution /

Emissions from open

burning

Catastrophic Wildfire

Biomass/Forest

Fuel Loads

Prescribed In-Forest Burn Possible

Offsets/Credits (Real, Quantifiable, Surplus,

Enforceable, Permanent)

Carbon

Market

Products Energy Products

Fuel (liquid, gas)

Electricity

Heat

Lumber Products

Biochar

Relative Emissions Reduction

Emissions from fuel-

processing plant

Biomass Emission / Economic Process Model

Bio Refinery

CoGen

Gasifier

Lumbermill

Other

Biomass Removal

Air Pollution Comparison

Initiative 1. Demonstration of Benefits of Forest Biomass Waste Conversion to Energy

Demonstration Project (circa 2006-2007) Cornerstone of Forest Initiatives

Bioenergy Conversion

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

Pile

Burn

Bio

mass to

Energ

y

Pile

Burn

Bio

mass to

Energ

y

Pile

Burn

Bio

mass to

Energ

y

Pile

Burn

Bio

mass to

Energ

y

Em

iss

ion

s (

lb)

Biomass Boiler

Biomass Chipping

Biomass Transport

Open Pile Burn

NOxPM-10 CO VOC

1,000,000

99% 99% 60% 97%

Results from biomass energy project that processed 6,800 BDT biomass from thinning project on USFS Tahoe National Forest American River District

Criteria Air Pollutants

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

Open Burning Biomass to Energy

CO

2e (

ton

s)

Grid electricity (unrealized)

Open pile burning (CH4)

Open pile burning (CO2)*

Transport

Chipping

Biomass power plant (CH4)

Biomass power plant (CO2)*

0.4 tons CO2 reduced per 1 dry ton biomass

Bioenergy Conversion Greenhouse Gases

Initiative 2. Forest Management Greenhouse Gas Offset Protocols

1. Biomass waste for energy -- Reduce methane from open pile

burn or in-field decay/decomposition

-- Avoided fossil fuel for equivalent electricity

2. Biochar -- Sequester carbon in stable biochar

3. Black carbon -- Reduce black carbon from open pile

burn

4. Forest hazardous fuel reduction thinning treatments -- Reduce wildfire severity and size

-- Reduce tree mortality

-- Stimulate forest growth

-- Wood products, biomass energy

Biomass Waste for Energy

Utilize excess biomass wastes for production of renewable energy as alternative to baseline business as usual (open burning or chip and scatter in field) Monetary support for biomass processing and transport to

energy facility

Greenhouse gas benefits result from: Avoided methane from open pile burning

Renewable biomass energy displaces fossil fuels On-going discussions to clarify CEQA vs RPS benefits of green energy

Endorsed by: California Board of Forestry, USFS, and Cal Fire

California Air Districts, including San Joaquin, South Coast, Mendocino, Butte, Feather River, and the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA)

Biomass Waste for Energy

Biomass Processing Fossil Fuel Engines : CO2

Biomass Transport Fossil Fuel Engines : CO2

Energy Recovery Biomass Conversion : CH4, CO2

Operations at Biomass

Generation Site

Biomass for Energy Project

Energy Production

Uncontrolled Open Burning

CH4, CO2

In-field Decay CH4

Excess Biomass

Baseline Energy Supply Fossil Fuel Combustion : CO2

Baseline, Business as Usual

GHG Open Burn GHG Reduction GHG Decay GHG Baseline Energy

GHG Biomass

Energy

GHG Biomass

Processing

= + +

– – – GHG Biomass

Transport

Blodgett Bioenergy Project • UC Berkeley Blodgett

Forest Research Station

Buena Vista Biomass Power Plant

Blodgett Bioenergy Project

Collaboration between UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources, PCAPCD, UC Davis, and USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station

600 BDT of slash from timber operations used to produce 600 MWh electricity (powers 100 homes for one year)

Air pollution measurements taken from open pile burn

Significant reduction in greenhouse gases and criteria air pollutants

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Electricitygrid

Chippingand trucking

Pile burn

Biomass boiler

Pile Burn Biomass

ProjectGH

G E

mis

sio

nR

ed

uction

(to

ns C

O2e

/to

n d

ry b

iom

ass)

CO2

CO

CH4

BC

NMOC

Non-BC

Biomass Waste for Energy Greenhouse Gases

Results from UC Berkeley Blodgett Research Forest Station Biomass Project

Biochar Biochar -- porous, carbon-rich, charcoal -like solid Formed from the thermal pyrolysis / gasification of biomass Use as soil amendment:

Sequesters carbon -- highly stable and resistant to decomposition Enhances soil fertility -- increases water and nutrient holding capacity Reduces soil emissions, enhances biomass growth Displaces fertilizer manufacturing

Also produces renewable energy

Biochar

Prasino Group, The Climate Trust,

International Biochar Initiative

American Carbon Registry

PCAPCD / CAPCOA GHG

Exchange

2012 – Oct 2014

Agricultural Field Trials

Dec 2014

All/any Biomass

California forest and ag woody biomass that

would have been open burned

Water retention Fertilizer displacement

Plant growth

Carbon sequestration GHG offset protocol

Planning with Cal

Food & Ag Dept

Biochar Stability

Biochar Potential

Biochar production rate – 0.10 lb biochar/lb biomass

Carbon content of biochar – 0.75 lb C/lb biochar

CO2 sequestered in biochar – 0.28 MT CO2/BDT biomass

Black Carbon

Product of incomplete combustion Soot

Small particles Travel long distance through air

“Short-lived climate forcing” 900 times by weight more

potent than CO2

Chipvan and grinder contributions are included in plots and are relatively small

Black Carbon

PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES

97% reduction in PM10

94% reduction in Black Carbon

Black Carbon

• Working to develop a GHG offset protocol for black carbon reductions achieved through avoided open pile burning Forest slash Agricultural residues (orchard thinnings, removals,

food processing wastes)

• Forming a research team to characterize BC emissions from open pile burning Multi-agencies including UC, CAPCOA, CAL FIRE,

USFS

• Concurrent effort to evaluate black carbon reductions from wood stove upgrades and replacements

Forest Fuel Treatment Impact on Wildfires and Emissions

Sponsored research effort in Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Project landscape to quantify GHG and criteria emission reductions accruing from forest fuel thinning treatments

Wildfire reduction – size, intensity, behavior

Forest growth rate enhancement

Biochar, carbon credits, timber products, renewable energy

Research Team

U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station, U.C. Berkeley, and Spatial Informatics Group

Results -- significant reductions in wildfire emissions, benefits in renewable energy and timber products

Forest Fuel Treatment Impact on Wildfires and Emissions

Working to continue research and development of GHG offset protocol for avoided wildfire from forest fuel treatment thinning projects Assembling multi-stakeholder research team – USFS, CAL FIRE, Spatial

Informatics Group, UC Berkeley, CEC, California Forest Association, private forest land owners

Securing funding

Case study demonstration Sierra Nevada forested land in watershed at risk for catastrophic wildfire,

public and private ownership, on-the-ground inventory Fuel treatment prescription designs considering various management

alternatives Evaluate wood products lifecycle specific to local mill and wood products

displacement of alternative building materials (concrete, steel) Develop protocol that can be practically implemented but flexible to

consider site specific considerations including fire return interval and wildfire emissions on a fire-shed basis

What We are Learning about the Carbon Benefits of Forest Management

Forest management and fuel hazard reduction provides carbon benefits:

Wildfire mitigation -- Reduce wildfire size and severity, reduce tree mortality – both on treated land, as well as adjacent untreated land due to wildfire shadow effect

Wood products -- Sequestration and substitution for alternative, fossil fuel energy intensive, products of steel and concrete

Biochar – Byproduct of bioenergy production, provides stable long term sequestration as soil amendment

Black carbon -- Reductions from reduced wildfire and open pile burning have potential to provide near term climate change benefits.

Renewable energy -- Displaces need for fossil fuels, reducing anthropogenic carbon emissions

Hazardous reduction can produce significant carbon benefits – especially on landscapes with a short fire return interval (much of the Sierra Nevada).

Most forest carbon removed during fuel treatments regrows in 7 – 15 years.

Based on work by Dr. Malcolm North, USFS and UC Davis, and Spatial Informatics Group

Greenhouse Gas Impacts kg/ton dry biomass

CO2 CH4 BC OC NOx VOC CO

Baseline

Pile burn 1733 3 0.33 5.2 3 5 63

Displaced energy 423

Biomass Project

Bioenergy Facility 1800 0.1 0.014 0 0.4 0.1 1.5

Process/transport 33 0.006 0.004 0.09

Reduction (323) (2.9) (0.31) (5.196) (2.51) (4.9) (61.5)

Total

GWP 1 21 900 -46 -8 5 1.8

CO2e Benefit (ton/ton dry biomass) 0.32 0.06 0.28 -0.24 -0.02 0.02 0.11 0.54

PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES

kg/ton dry biomass

CO2 CH4 BC OC NOx VOC CO

Baseline

Pile burn 1733 3 0.33 5.2 3 5 63

Displaced energy 423

Biomass Project

Bioenergy Facility 1800 0.1 0.014 0 0.4 0.1 1.5

Process/transport 33 0.006 0.004 0.09

Reduction (323) (2.9) (0.31) (5.196) (2.51) (4.9) (61.5)

Total

GWP 1 21 900 -46 -8 5 1.8

CO2e Benefit (ton/ton dry biomass) 0.32 0.06 0.28 -0.24 -0.02 0.02 0.11 0.54

CAPCOA GHG Reduction Exchange

Joint effort of several air districts Leverage decades of experience with Emission Reduction

Credits (ERC’s) for criteria pollutants

Uniquely positioned to offer assistance to businesses, and others

Keep local investments, jobs, and benefits in California

Complementary to state cap-and-trade program

Fill a niche for GHG mitigation for CEQA and NEPA; work to expand uses in future

CAPCOA GHG Reduction Exchange

Initiative 3. Bioenergy Facility Assessment

Tahoe Region Biomass Project 2 MW electricity (gasification and internal

combustion engine) 16,000 BDT/yr woody biomass from local

forest management activities US Dept of Energy/Placer County/Private

Investment funding Conditional Use Permit received June 2013 Apply for Air District Permit -- Summer 2014 LLC and Power Purchase Agreement

currently being negotiated Final decision to build -- Fall 2014 Construction -- 2015 Integration and testing -- 2016 Online – Summer 2016

Bioenergy Benefits

Net improvement in air quality – reduction in criteria air pollutants, toxics, and black carbon

Greenhouse gas reduction – displacing fossil fuel Baseload, 24/7 renewable energy Supports hazardous fuels reduction and healthy

forests Watershed – water quality, quantity, timing Wildfire – reduces size and intensity Ecosystem services – water, carbon, wildlife habitat Community and Infrastructure (including Electrical

Transmission) Protection

Provides employment (4.9 jobs/MW) Reduces waste material destined for landfills

Initiative 4. State Agencies Engagement Initiative

Engage in Bioenergy Feed-in Tariff rulemaking, providing staff support to a variety of stakeholders, including BAC, during proceeding.

Continue to support the CEC in the implementation of the State’s Bio-energy Action Plan and distribution of Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) funds in a way that supports forest bio-energy. District has recently been asked by CEC to engage in project or research funding requests.

Continue to partner with the Resources Agency to develop long term agreement on term sustainable forest management.

Participate in state agency action meeting to determine state policy conflicts relating to use of carbon credits for CEQA and the RPS and Cap and Trade programs.

Advocate for use of some Cap & Trade revenue toward forest management and biomass to energy projects.

Placer County Air Pollution Control District Award

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Recognizes Outstanding and Innovative Efforts to Achieve Cleaner Air

2011 Clean Air Excellence Award for

Forest Resource Sustainability in Placer County

We processed and transported 15,000 BDT’s of waste to biomass energy facilities which has fueled the generation of 15,000 MW hours of renewable electricity, enough to power more than 1,500 homes for one year.

This Project was chosen “for its impact, innovation and replicability”