Cleveland-Cliffs to build biomass fuel plant near Orr
Peter Passi Duluth News TribunePublished Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. plans to build a plant near Orr that produces biomass fuel for its taconite operations.
The project, announced at a press conference this morning at the Orr City Hall, is expected to directly create jobs for about 25 people, with an annual payroll of more than $1 million. It also would provide additional work and revenue for loggers, suppliers, vendors and farmers in the area.
The proposed $15 million, 100,000-square-foot facility would be located four miles north of Orr in the small town of Cusson (pronounced cousin).
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Peter Passi ArchiveThe plant would be part of a Cleveland-Cliff’s subsidiary called Renewafuel, a company that expects to be producing 2.5 million tons of biofuel within five years. Renewafuel already has a 500,000-ton-per-year plant in Battle Creek, Mich., and has plans for another production center in Marquette, Mich.
The Cusson plant hinges on final approval by Renewafuel’s board of directors. Cleveland-Cliff’s indicated it will seek loans and grants from the Iron Range Resources Board and the Minnesota Department of Economic Development in support of the project.
Before the company can proceed, however, it will need to obtain permits and approvals from the state.
Nevertheless, Cleveland-Cliffs projects the Cusson facility should be ready to begin production by the fourth quarter of 2009.
Renewafuel produces a cubed fuel about the size of a charcoal briquette. In terms of energy content, the fuel is similar to coal from the western United States, but Renewafuel cubes produce 90 percent less sulfur dioxide, 35 percent less particulate matter, 50 percent less mercury and produce 30 percent less acid gas than coal.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
City of Austin Texas to buy Biomass Power
As Biomass Power Rises, a Wood-Fired Plant Is Planned in Texas
new_york_times:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/business/29biomass.html
By KATE GALBRAITH
Published: August 28, 2008
The city of Austin, Tex., approved plans on Thursday for a huge plant that will burn waste wood to make electricity, the latest sign of rising interest in a long-dormant form of renewable energy.
When completed in 2012, the East Texas plant will be able to generate 100 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 75,000 homes. That is small by the standards of coal-fired power plants, but plants fueled by wood chips, straw and the like — organic materials collectively known as biomass — have rarely achieved such scale.
Austin Energy, a city-owned utility, has struck a $2.3 billion, 20-year deal to be the sole purchaser of electricity from Nacogdoches Power, the company that will build the plant for an undisclosed sum. On Thursday, Austin’s City Council unanimously approved the deal, which would bring the Austin utility closer to its goal of getting 30 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020.
“We saw this plant as very important because it gives us a diversity of fuels,” said Roger Duncan, general manager of Austin Energy. “Unlike solar and wind, we can run this plant night or day, summer or winter.”
More than 100 biomass power plants are connected to the electrical grid in the United States, according to Bill Carlson, former chairman of USA Biomass, an industry group. Most are in California or the Northeast, but some of the new ones are under development in the South, a region with a large wood pulp industry.
The last big wave of investment in the biomass industry came during the 1980s and early 1990s. Interest is rising again as states push to include more renewable power in their mix of electricity generation.
Last week, Georgia Power asked state regulators to approve the conversion of a coal plant into a 96-megawatt biomass plant. An additional 50-megawatt plant in East Texas is expected to be under construction by September.
Mike Whiting, chief executive of Decker Energy International, a developer and owner of four biomass plants around the country, estimates 15 to 20 new biomass plants are proposed in the Southeast, though not all will be built. The region is, he said, “the best part of the U.S. for growing trees.”
In California, which has the most biomass plants in the country, momentum is reviving after years of decline. The number of biomass plants has dropped to fewer than 30, from 48 in the early 1990s, because of the closing of many sawmills and the energy crisis early this decade, said Phil Reese of the California Biomass Energy Alliance. Six to eight of the mothballed plants are gearing up to restart, Mr. Reese said, helping California meet its renewable energy goals.
At least three biomass plants have been proposed in Connecticut, and another three in Massachusetts — though last week one of these, a $200 million, 50-megawatt biomass plant proposed for the western part of the state, experienced a regulatory setback because of concerns about truck traffic.
new_york_times:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/business/29biomass.html
By KATE GALBRAITH
Published: August 28, 2008
The city of Austin, Tex., approved plans on Thursday for a huge plant that will burn waste wood to make electricity, the latest sign of rising interest in a long-dormant form of renewable energy.
When completed in 2012, the East Texas plant will be able to generate 100 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 75,000 homes. That is small by the standards of coal-fired power plants, but plants fueled by wood chips, straw and the like — organic materials collectively known as biomass — have rarely achieved such scale.
Austin Energy, a city-owned utility, has struck a $2.3 billion, 20-year deal to be the sole purchaser of electricity from Nacogdoches Power, the company that will build the plant for an undisclosed sum. On Thursday, Austin’s City Council unanimously approved the deal, which would bring the Austin utility closer to its goal of getting 30 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020.
“We saw this plant as very important because it gives us a diversity of fuels,” said Roger Duncan, general manager of Austin Energy. “Unlike solar and wind, we can run this plant night or day, summer or winter.”
More than 100 biomass power plants are connected to the electrical grid in the United States, according to Bill Carlson, former chairman of USA Biomass, an industry group. Most are in California or the Northeast, but some of the new ones are under development in the South, a region with a large wood pulp industry.
The last big wave of investment in the biomass industry came during the 1980s and early 1990s. Interest is rising again as states push to include more renewable power in their mix of electricity generation.
Last week, Georgia Power asked state regulators to approve the conversion of a coal plant into a 96-megawatt biomass plant. An additional 50-megawatt plant in East Texas is expected to be under construction by September.
Mike Whiting, chief executive of Decker Energy International, a developer and owner of four biomass plants around the country, estimates 15 to 20 new biomass plants are proposed in the Southeast, though not all will be built. The region is, he said, “the best part of the U.S. for growing trees.”
In California, which has the most biomass plants in the country, momentum is reviving after years of decline. The number of biomass plants has dropped to fewer than 30, from 48 in the early 1990s, because of the closing of many sawmills and the energy crisis early this decade, said Phil Reese of the California Biomass Energy Alliance. Six to eight of the mothballed plants are gearing up to restart, Mr. Reese said, helping California meet its renewable energy goals.
At least three biomass plants have been proposed in Connecticut, and another three in Massachusetts — though last week one of these, a $200 million, 50-megawatt biomass plant proposed for the western part of the state, experienced a regulatory setback because of concerns about truck traffic.
Biomass pioneers add value to the community
On a clear day, it's possible to stand on the highest ground on Mary Jo and Luverne Forbord's Prairie Horizons farm and see the state's pioneer green energy markets in both Benson and Morris. Some 11 miles to the south in Benson, the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company and the Fibrominn electric plant are bioenergy pioneers. The ethanol plant uses a gasifier to produce a synthetic gas. It replaces a portion of the natural gas used to fire its boilers and driers. The plant is currently using wood as the fuel for the gasifier, but will be switching to corn cobs, according to Andy Zurn, engineering manager. Eventually, Zurn said, the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company intends to expand its use of biomass from the current 70 to 80 tons a day to 300 tons a day, and virtually end its reliance on natural gas imported from outside the region.
There is lots of farmer interest in providing corn cobs too. As a farmer-owned cooperative, Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company asked for corn cobs from 5,000 acres of land, and its members offered cobs from 20,000 acres, according to Luverne Forbord, a member of the cooperative's feedstock committee. And why not? The company is offering to hire a custom combiner to harvest the corn and pull the cob caddie that will keep the cobs as biomass. It will cost about $30 to $35 per acre to harvest the corn this way, but the corn cobs have an energy value of approximately $75 per acre, according to Zurn.
Fibrominn is combusting turkey manure mixed with wood chips to produce electricity, but could replace the wood with other types of biomass. Nearly 25 miles to the north in Morris, the tips of a large wind turbine erected on the University of Minnesota-Morris campus can be seen spinning. But it's not the wind turbine that has caught the Forbords' eyes. The University of Minnesota-Morris will soon feed biomass to a gasifier that will heat its buildings on campus, according to Joel Tallakson, who is working on the project with the West Central Research and Outreach Center.
-West Central Tribune
There is lots of farmer interest in providing corn cobs too. As a farmer-owned cooperative, Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company asked for corn cobs from 5,000 acres of land, and its members offered cobs from 20,000 acres, according to Luverne Forbord, a member of the cooperative's feedstock committee. And why not? The company is offering to hire a custom combiner to harvest the corn and pull the cob caddie that will keep the cobs as biomass. It will cost about $30 to $35 per acre to harvest the corn this way, but the corn cobs have an energy value of approximately $75 per acre, according to Zurn.
Fibrominn is combusting turkey manure mixed with wood chips to produce electricity, but could replace the wood with other types of biomass. Nearly 25 miles to the north in Morris, the tips of a large wind turbine erected on the University of Minnesota-Morris campus can be seen spinning. But it's not the wind turbine that has caught the Forbords' eyes. The University of Minnesota-Morris will soon feed biomass to a gasifier that will heat its buildings on campus, according to Joel Tallakson, who is working on the project with the West Central Research and Outreach Center.
-West Central Tribune
Friday, August 15, 2008
Share the Air
Share the air – Obama’s request for Americans to fill up their tires comes at a cost
Recently, I went to my local Super America (SA) to fill up my bike tires before a long ride. In the past I would go to the counter and ask one of the clerks to turn on the air machine. But this time I was greeted by a response from the clerk that I had to pay 75 cents to turn the machine on. I ended up complying because I really needed the air, but to my surprise another gentleman quickly pulled up on his bike when he saw me plugging the air machine with my quarters. He asked “can you share a little air? I have needed to fill my tires all week but didn’t have the spare change.” So we aligned our bike tires and removed the caps so we would be able to fill up our tires quickly. No longer a courtesy service, less and less gas stations have free air. As studies have shown, Mr. Obama correctly stated that low air pressure in car tires can reduce gas mileage from 3-5%. One way that all of us can reduce gas consumption is to keep our tires inflated and service stations should do their part by providing free air. If we really want to have a Super America we need to share the air!
Recently, I went to my local Super America (SA) to fill up my bike tires before a long ride. In the past I would go to the counter and ask one of the clerks to turn on the air machine. But this time I was greeted by a response from the clerk that I had to pay 75 cents to turn the machine on. I ended up complying because I really needed the air, but to my surprise another gentleman quickly pulled up on his bike when he saw me plugging the air machine with my quarters. He asked “can you share a little air? I have needed to fill my tires all week but didn’t have the spare change.” So we aligned our bike tires and removed the caps so we would be able to fill up our tires quickly. No longer a courtesy service, less and less gas stations have free air. As studies have shown, Mr. Obama correctly stated that low air pressure in car tires can reduce gas mileage from 3-5%. One way that all of us can reduce gas consumption is to keep our tires inflated and service stations should do their part by providing free air. If we really want to have a Super America we need to share the air!
Renewable Energy is Cheaper than Fossil Fuel
For the First time renewable energy is cheaper than conventional fossil fuel based power. But it will not be the last.
Many folks who are paying a little extra to Xcel to have renewable energy produced on their behalf may have noticed that in July the renewable energy surcharge was less than the fossil fuel charge that customers routinely see on their bill. In July, the wind source surcharge was 3.5 cents per kilowatt hour and as a result of the rising cost of natural gas the fuel cost surcharge was 3.6 cents per kilowatt hour. While generally this is not the case, it is likely to be the trend as rising demand for especially natural gas and the future cost of greenhouse gas emissions make renewable energy the less expensive alternative.
Many folks who are paying a little extra to Xcel to have renewable energy produced on their behalf may have noticed that in July the renewable energy surcharge was less than the fossil fuel charge that customers routinely see on their bill. In July, the wind source surcharge was 3.5 cents per kilowatt hour and as a result of the rising cost of natural gas the fuel cost surcharge was 3.6 cents per kilowatt hour. While generally this is not the case, it is likely to be the trend as rising demand for especially natural gas and the future cost of greenhouse gas emissions make renewable energy the less expensive alternative.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
The Move
We are moving from the seventh floor to the thirteenth floor. Anyone who says that moving spaces is a relatively pain free operation is clearly misled. However, the excitement over having a bigger, better space really trumps the frustration of punchlist items, phone line questions, and the like. Soon we're going to have an official "break room"! That, besides the private offices, has to be one of the most exciting features of the move.
Kim and Michael get the two corner offices. Craig and I will be taking the inside offices, but all have windows with a beautiful view of downtown.
Things we're re-using:
DIRTT wall system
Furniture (desks, chairs, credenza, bookshelves)
Equipment (printers, phones, computers)
Cubicles from the previous leased space (anyone interested in a Virtual Office?)
Things we couldn't re-use:
Paint
Carpet
Things we're re-using other places:
Countertops (going to be a new "work area" at Craig's house!)
Cabinets (also to Craig's)
Now it's time for resolving the VOIP question.
Thursday and Friday are moving days.
Kim and Michael get the two corner offices. Craig and I will be taking the inside offices, but all have windows with a beautiful view of downtown.
Things we're re-using:
DIRTT wall system
Furniture (desks, chairs, credenza, bookshelves)
Equipment (printers, phones, computers)
Cubicles from the previous leased space (anyone interested in a Virtual Office?)
Things we couldn't re-use:
Paint
Carpet
Things we're re-using other places:
Countertops (going to be a new "work area" at Craig's house!)
Cabinets (also to Craig's)
Now it's time for resolving the VOIP question.
Thursday and Friday are moving days.
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