Glenn Zane

7/29/2019 Glenn Zane

1/17

Biomass to Products - It Is

Working What Are The

Hurdles?

Presentation at Nevada Biomass

Workshop, June 27, 2006


2/17

Basic Premise

It is a good thing to plan to operate a biomass to

products business in a responsible manner

expecting to make a profit That does not make

it easy!! Arrange for power sales

For wood supplies/Biomass fuel/Other products

For operating personnel

For permitting and other business needs

Arrange to survive accidents


3/17

BVP Site Map


4/17

Fire April 7, 2005


5/17

The Conveyor Reinstalled

August 2005


6/17

The Conveyor Working Again


7/17

Biomass Supply - the Hurdle

Contracting with producers

Biomass Operations Provide a Service to: Ranch operators

Forest land managers Private Federal/State USFS Conventional timber sales/Service

Contracts/Stewardship Contracts

Fixed location woody waste producers

Small capacity sawmill focused on smalldiameter stems

Fitting into the reality of todays forestmanagement


8/17

How do we benefit ranch

operations?

In our area the ranchers focus on Western

Juniper reduction because where we have

Juniper we dont have as much water in springs

or as much grass for range animals Juniper reduces the water available to grow grass

and dramatically reduces spring fed water source

volume

Juniper appears to reduce the survival and growth ofcertain range grasses through alteration of water,

thermal, nutrient and light regimes


9/17

Juniper Ready for Chipping


10/17

Benefit to Forest Managers

Biomass to energy plants offer a means ofproducing an economic good from the stems inoverstocked stands that otherwise would bewasted or worse

Biomass to energy plants associated with smallstem utilization facilities may provide more in theway of economic benefit Value added products seem to be possible from small

diameter trees

Value added products are possible from westernjuniper


11/17

White Fir/Lodgepole Stand


12/17

Same Stand 5 Years After Thinning

To Remove About 20 BDT/ac


13/17

Valuable Products From

Small Trees

Wood from small trees in overstocked stands

has higher density similar to slow growing older,

larger trees

The pieces are smaller therefore expensive to handle The pieces are likely to be more crooked and difficult

to make something from

Combining the biomass to energy plant utilization and

selected use of stems for high value products seemsto make economic sense


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Sawmilling in Low Numbers

It is possible to operate successfully at low

production rates.

California sawmills are high production

operations averaging about 85 MMBF/year

in 2004.

Most areas of the US have low average

annual production per sawmill 1.3

MMBF/year. (Average for Kentucky 2004)


15/17

Sawmilling and production of other

products from small diameter trees

Round Products - Posts, Stakes,

Landscape Timbers

Lumber products for special uses

Cabinetry

Flooring

Shelving

Furniture

Fencing


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Sawmill Configuration

Small log handling at low cost

Log sorter a necessity

Scragg mill type

Some means on handling a few larger logs

Lumber handling in conjunction with low cost

fuel conversion of waste material


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Sawmilling Juniper

High value products Low incidence of useabletrees Specialized Lumber, Alturas California is producing

Juniper lumber and employs about 6 people on a full

time equivalent bases A biomass to energy plant association is a critical

need because of the high incidence of waste

We think not more than one in twenty stems will

produce lumber products Flooring is the current highest value product short

lumber high labor cost to install but beautiful result.

Other products include posts and landscape timbers

Glenn Zane

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