Environmental Impacts of Environmental Impacts of Woody Biomass UtilizationWoody Biomass Utilization

From Forests to Electrons:From Forests to Electrons:A LifeA Life--Cycle Assessment Approach Cycle Assessment Approach

Mark Nechodom, Research Scientist Pacific Southwest Research StationUSDA Forest Service, Davis CA

California Biomass CollaborativeCalifornia Biomass CollaborativeAnnual Forum Annual Forum -- March 1, 2005March 1, 2005

Forest HealthForest Health: Framing the : Framing the problem and the solutions…problem and the solutions…Essential Drivers: Wildfire & Ecosystem “Health”Essential Drivers: Wildfire & Ecosystem “Health”

1.1. Public SafetyPublic Safety2.2. Amenity ValuesAmenity Values3.3. Watershed ProtectionWatershed Protection4.4. Ecosystem Values (“biodiversity”?)Ecosystem Values (“biodiversity”?)

Contested solutionsContested solutions1.1. How bad is it?How bad is it?2.2. What are the tradeoffs?What are the tradeoffs?3.3. What’s the return on investment?What’s the return on investment?4.4. Can some do well by doing good?Can some do well by doing good?

Article of FaithArticle of Faith: Must move a lot of biomass : Must move a lot of biomass around the landscape (“up, down or out”)around the landscape (“up, down or out”)It’s a It’s a waste problem, not an industrywaste problem, not an industry--creation creation problemproblem

Costs From Forest to Costs From Forest to Customer = 7.5¢/kWhCustomer = 7.5¢/kWh

Capital Amortization/ROI (.5)

Transportation (1.6)

Processing (.8)

Collection (.6)

Harvest (1.2)

Operation and Maintenance (2.8)

Sources: Nechodom, Mason & Hartsough in progress; TSS Consultants Unpubl.

Avoided Costs of Biomass Power Generation = 11.4 cents/kWh

Source: Morris 1999

SOx (.01)

NOx (.13)

PM-10 (.71)

CO (.15)

CH4 (7.52)

non-methane HCs (1.1)

CO2 (- .23)Forest Thinning (.13)Landfill (1.9)

Environmental and Social Impacts Environmental and Social Impacts and Costs of Wildfire: and Costs of Wildfire: At What PriceAt What Price??

Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation and restoration costsrestoration costsTransportation Transportation (movement of goods (movement of goods and services)and services)Human health Human health Evacuation and Evacuation and displacement displacement Cultural and Cultural and archeological sites

Timber lossesTimber lossesWatershed damageWatershed damageWater treatmentWater treatmentTourism and Tourism and recreationrecreationAmenity valuesAmenity valuesWildlife habitatWildlife habitatDisaster relief costsDisaster relief costsLost jobs and wages

archeological sitesLost jobs and wages

A Pricing Problem…A Pricing Problem… ??!

5.37.5

11.42

15.22

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Cen

ts p

er k

ilow

att-

hour

Wholesale Power(CA 2002)

Cost of BiomassGeneration

(Nechodom & Mason2003)

EnvironmentalBenefits & Potential

Income (Morris1999; Nechodom &

TSS)

Env/Soc Benefitsand Avoided Losses

(ShamelesslyHypothetical)

LifeLife--Cycle Assessment:Cycle Assessment:General OverviewGeneral Overview

CradleCradle--toto--grave analysis of environmental grave analysis of environmental impactsimpactsBreaks material and energy pathways Breaks material and energy pathways down to individual “unit processes”down to individual “unit processes”Imposes discipline to analyze complex Imposes discipline to analyze complex processesprocessesCan be used to frame policy dialogueCan be used to frame policy dialogue

EE44 Approach to LCAApproach to LCA

Economic Viability (Economic Viability (E1E1))

Environmental Impact (Environmental Impact (E2E2))

Energy Efficiency (Energy Efficiency (E3E3))

Social and Policy Effectiveness (Social and Policy Effectiveness (E4E4))[CEC Biomass LCA study does not treat E4][CEC Biomass LCA study does not treat E4]

F o re s t B io m a s s R e m e d ia t io n P ro c e s s e s (M o d u le A )

(a l t e rn a t ive s + b e n c h m a rk : h a n d t h in n in g , m e c h t h in n in g , p re s c rib e d f i re ,

n o re m e d ia t io n )

R a w B io m a s s M a t e ria l M a n a g e m e n t P ro c e s s e s (M o d u le B )

(a l te rn a tiv e s + b e n c h m a r k : s h re d & d is p e rs e ; c o l le c t & re m o v e fo r fu r th e r

u ti l i z a tio n ; b u rn )

B io m a s s - to -F u e l C o n ve rs io nP ro c e s s e s

(M o d u le D 4 )(a l te rn a tiv e s + b e n c h m a r k :

th e rm a l p y ro ly s is , g a s i fic a tio n /o x id ta ttio n , )

F u e l - to -E le c tr ic i ty C o n ve rs io n P ro c e s s e s (M o d u le D 6 & E 3 & 4 )

(a l te rn a tiv e s + b e n c h m a r k :c o m b u s tio n + s te a m tu rb in e ;

g a s i fic a tio n + e n g in e /g e n e ra to r ; c o m b u s tio n + g a s tu rb in e )

la n d s c a p e e c o s y s t e m b e fo re

la n d s c a p e e c o s y s t e m a ft e r

ra w b io m a s s p ro d u c t s w it h in f o re s t b o u n d a ry(m ix o f t re e s , b ra n c h e s , b ru s h , l it t e r )

c o lle c t e d b io m a s s p ro d u c t s f o r re m o v a l a n d f u r t h e r u t l iza t io n a t f o re s t b o u n d a ry

R e m o ve d B io m a s s U tl iza tio n P ro c e s s e s (M o d u le F & D 3 )

(a l te rn a tiv e s + b e n c h m a r k : c o m p o s t, m u lc h , fu e l in p u t m a te r ia l )

b io m a s s f u e l in p u t p ro d u c t s a t p ro d c u t io n p la n t b o u n d a ry

EN D PO IN T 3 : " N o n - f u e l" a lte r n a t iv e s

EN D PO IN T 2 : " N o - r e m o v a l" a lte r n a tiv e s

b io m a s s -b a s e d f u e l p ro d u c t s a t p ro c e s s in g p la n t b o u n d a ry

E le c tr ic i ty G r id C o n n e c tio n P ro c e s s e s (M o d u le D 7 & E 5 )

(a l te rn a tiv e s + b e n c h m a r k :b io m a s s p la n t a l te rn a tiv e c o n fig u ra tio n s ;

n a tu ra l g a s p la n t )

e le c t r ic it y p ro d u c t s a t e le c r ic it y p la n t b o u n d a ry

e le c t r ic it y ( k W h ) d e liv e re d t o m e t e r a t t h e g r id

EN D PO IN T 4 : Ele c tr ic ity g e n e r a tio n

a lte r n a tiv e s

EN D PO IN T 1 : " N o r e m e d ia tio n "

a lte r n a tiv e

F I R E E F F E C T S P o st-p ro c e ssi n g M O D E L 4

- e s t im a t e s fre q u e n c y & s iz e o f fire s

- c o n ve rt s fire r is k t o p ro p e rt y d a m a g e e s t im a t e & e n viro n m e n t a l im p a c t s

fi re fre q u e n c y, s ize & d a m a g e

la n d s c a p e e c o s ys te m a fte r fi re

F O R E S T E C O S Y S T E M M O D E L 2

LCA

MO

DEL 1 - SEQ

UEN

TIAL PR

OD

UC

TION

PRO

CESSES

L C A M O D E L 1 - E n e rg y , M a te r i a l a n d E n v i ro n m e n ta l A c c o u n ti n g F l o w s

P A R T 1 : E s t im a t e s o f C a p it a l a n d O & M c o s t s o f L C A p ro d u c t io n p ro c e s s e s

P A R T 2 : C o s t e s t im a t e s o f im p a c t s o f L C A g e n e ra t e d e m is s io n s a n d w a s t e s

P A R T 3 a : C o s t e s t im a t e s o f fo re s t e c o s y s t e m im p a c t s o f b io m a s s re m e d ia t io n p ro c e s s e s

P A R T 3 b : C o s t e s t im a t e s o f fo re s t fire e c o s y s t e m im p a c t s

P A R T 4 : C o s t e s t im t e s o f fire d a m a g e s a n d fi re fig h t in g c o s t s

P A R T 5 : C o s t e s t im a t e s o f h u m a n h e a lt h im p a c t

A g g re g a t e d E c o n o m ic c o s t s ($ / k W h ) ($ / A c re ) fo r

e a c h E N D P O IN T A L TE R N A TIV E

e m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d

c o -p ro d u c t s

m a t e ria ls c o n s u m e d

e n e rg y c o n s u m e d

$ c a p it a l/ O & M c o n s u m e d

m a t e ria ls c o n s u m e d

e n e rg y c o n s u m e d

$ c a p it a l / O & M c o n s u m e d

m a t e ria ls c o n s u m e d

e n e rg y c o n s u m e d

$ c a p it a l/ O & M c o n s u m e d

m a t e ria ls c o n s u m e d

e n e rg y c o n s u m e d

$ c a p it a l / O & M c o n s u m e d

m a t e ria ls c o n s u m e d

e n e rg y c o n s u m e d

$ c a p it a l / O & M c o n s u m e d

m a t e ria ls c o n s u m e d

e n e rg y c o n s u m e d

$ c a p it a l/ O & M c o n s u m e d

e m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d

c o -p ro d u c t s

e m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d

c o -p ro d u c t s

e m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d

c o -p ro d u c t s

e m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d

c o -p ro d u c t s

e m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d

c o -p ro d u c t s

E N E R G Y A N A L Y S I SM O D E L 4

E N V I R O N M E N T A L I M P A C T S A N A L Y S I S M O D E L 5

P A R T 1 : E n e rg y c o n s u m e d b y a l l p ro c e s s e s

P A R T 2 : E n e rg y g e n e ra t io n a lt e rn a t ive s

P A R T 1 : E m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d o r o ffs e t b y a l l p ro c e s s e s + c o -p ro d u c t s

P A R T 2 : A s s e s s m e n t o f e m is s io n s im p a c t s (e . g . , C M L , E u rg ia 9 9 , e t c . )

A g g re g a t e d E n e rg y g e n e ra t e d (k W h / B D T)

(k W h / A c re ) fo r e a c h E N D P O IN T A L TE R N A TIV E

A g g re g a t e d E m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d (g / k W h ) g / A c re )

(g / B D T) fo r e a c h E N D P O IN T A L TE R N A TIV E

Assessment of Energy,Environment and Economics

EnergyMaterials

Capital/Costs

Wildland Biomass Treatment Options

Biomass Disposal Options

Biomass Utilization Options

Commercial Value-Added

+Public Benefits and

Costs+

Emissions+

Wastes

mechanical thinning

hand thinning

prescribed fire

no treatment

collect and remove

chip and disperse on site

burn on site

electricity

Options for Generating Electricity

biomass othernatural gas

compost mulch other

Biomass LCA: Framework and Key Biomass LCA: Framework and Key ModulesModules

Module A Module B Module D Module P

ForestRemediation

ForestRemediation

BiomassManagement

ElectricityGeneration From ForestRemediation

Biomass

Electricity Generation

From NaturalGas (Benchmark)

CompareCompare

AlternativeUses ofForest

RemediationBiomass

Public Benefit ResultsEconomic (P1E1-P7E1)

Environment (P1E2-P7E2)Energy (P1E3-P7E3)

CompareCompare

ReduceForest Fire

Effects

Module EModule C Module F

Biomass LCA Project StatusBiomass LCA Project Status

Study Timeline: Oct 2004 Study Timeline: Oct 2004 –– Sept 2008Sept 2008Research team in place (>20 people: State, Research team in place (>20 people: State, Federal & Private)Federal & Private)Technical and Policy Advisory CommitteesTechnical and Policy Advisory CommitteesConceptual Framework CompleteConceptual Framework Complete

Model boundaries identifiedModel boundaries identifiedModeling platform: Umberto (process flow and LCA Modeling platform: Umberto (process flow and LCA model)model)

First “handFirst “hand--cranked” scenario by July 2005cranked” scenario by July 2005mnechodom@fs.fed.usmnechodom@fs.fed.us 530530--759759--17061706