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■ table of contents
www.woodbioenergymag.com
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12
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FROM THE EDITORS Wood Bio Buzz
34
IN-WOODS CHIPPING Great Chippers To Choose From
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IN THE NEWS Emphasis On Low-Carbon
37
PRODUCT NEWS Production Expansion At Astec
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WOOD BIO CONFERENCE Information Bonanza
Cover Photography: Wood Bio Conference (Jessica Johnson, Jay Donnell)
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CHIP CHIP HOORAY! From The Woods To Wood Yard
30
PACKSADDLE PELLETS Oregon’s Frank Lumber
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Wood Bioenergy / June 2016
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table of contents ■
advertising index Advertiser Index is a free service for advertisers and readers. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.
Volume 8
Number 3
30 Co-Publisher/Adv. Sales Manager ■ David H. Ramsey Co-Publisher/Executive Editor ■ David (DK) Knight Chief Operating Officer ■ Dianne C. Sullivan Publishing Office Street Address ■ 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317 Mailing Address ■ P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Tel: 334.834.1170 ■ Fax: 334.834-4525 Editor-in-Chief ■ Rich Donnell Managing Editor ■ Dan Shell Senior Associate Editor ■ David Abbott Associate Editor ■ Jessica Johnson Associate Editor ■ Jay Donnell Art Director/Production Manager ■ Cindy Segrest Ad Production Coordinator ■ Patti Campbell Circulation Director ■ Rhonda Thomas Marketing/Media Coordinator ■ Jordan Anderson Advertising Sales North American Sales Representative Susan Windham ■ P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery AL 36102-2268 334.834.1170 ■ Fax: 334.834.4525 E-mail: windham.susan4@gmail.com International Sales Murray Brett ■ Aldea De Las Cuevas 66, Buzon 60 03759 Benedoleig (Alicante) Espana +34 96 640 4165 ■ Fax: +34 96 640 4022 E-mail: murray.brett.aba@gmail.com Classified Advertising Sales Bridget DeVane ■ Tel: 334.699.7837 ■ 800.669.5613 E-mail: bdevane7@hotmail.com A Hatton-Brown Publication Other Hatton-Brown Publications:
Timber Processing ■ Southern Loggin' Times ■ Timber Harvesting Panel World ■ Power Equipment Trade
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Universal Wearparts
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WMF 2016 China
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Wood Bioenergy (ISSN 1947-5306) is published six times annually by Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc., 225 Hanrick St., Montgomery, AL 36104. Wood Bioenergy is free to qualified readers in the United States, including owners, managers, supervisors and other key personnel. All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $50 per year, Canadian subscriptions are $60 and foreign subscription are $95 per year (U.S. funds). Subscriber Inquiries and Back Issue Orders—TOLL-FREE: 800.669.5613. Fax 888.611.4525. Subscribe or renew online: www.woodbioenergymagazine.com and click on the “Subscribe” button. When requesting change of address, please specify both old and new. Periodicals postage paid at Montgomery, Ala. and at additional mailing offices.
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■ from the editors
Lots Of Buzz
Fourth Edition Of Wood Bio
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pon entering the Grand Ballroom on Tuesday, April 5, at the OMNI Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, attendees of the 2016 Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo were greeted to a diverse group of 40 keynote speakers and technical presenters with a show floor of 70 exhibiting suppliers. And when they departed the event when it was over, if they didn’t feel fully updated on the state of wood bioenergy, they must not have been paying attention. The information that spilled forth over these two days, and the quality of the speakers and exhibitors dishing it out, left little doubt that the Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo is the best event of its kind in the world. Instead of going into detail about the presentations, all equally enlightening and engaging, we’re just going to refer you to page 12. There you can find the in-depth report on the event, along with photographs, compiled by the editorial team at Wood Bioenergy magazine. A new sidelight to the conference was the addition of WoodBio Buzz. Modeled after your local evening news, as the camera rolled, WB editors Dan Shell, Jay Donnell and Jessica Johnson spent time each day talking with speakers and attendees about their experiences not only at the conference, but what they might have up their sleeves for their various facilities. As one attendee told me while I made my pitch for him to be a part of WoodBio Buzz: “I’m here to learn. Often, we are in our own ways and get caught up in that without taking a chance to see what other folks are doing. What they are doing could help us.” Didn’t have a chance to get to Atlanta, but want to know what everyone had to say? Click over to bioenergy show.com/woodbio-buzz or any of Wood Bio’s social media channels or the magazine website to view both
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WoodBio Buzz videos, brought to you by sponsors, Morbark and TSI. We like to think the videos are a crisp snapshot from the event: upbeat, but with some meat on the bone. The conference offered it all, including out of this world food and the chance to mingle with friends and suppliers over a beverage or two. Eight keynote talks to the entire attendance were supported by dozens of individual session technical presentations. Another new twist was the Chip Chip Hooray! session, moderated by the bubbly Jessica Johnson, that really brought the energy up. You could hear her crowd saying “Chip! Chip! HOORAY!” as if they were at a high school pep rally. Read about the Chip Chip Hooray! presentations beginning on page 25. The wood bioenergy industry as of late has been trying to find its footing, but in Atlanta it found solid ground.
Wood Bioenergy / June 2016
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in the news ■ Forest Products Group Promotes 30 By 30 The Canadian forest products industry is pledging to help Canada move to a low-carbon economy by removing 30 megatonnes (MT) of CO2 per year by 2030—more than 13% of the Canadian government’s emissions target. The “30 by 30” Climate Change Challenge was issued by the Forest Products Assn. of Canada (FPAC), making the forest sector the first to voluntarily contribute to the federal government’s climate goals. Canada has signed the Paris agreement on climate change and is now promising to reduce emissions by 30%, the equivalent of cutting 225 MT of CO2 a year by 2030. “Our industry is uniquely positioned to be a crucial part of the solution to climate change because our renewable forests and forest products all store carbon,” says Derek Nighbor, CEO of FPAC. “We want to step up to the plate and do our part to help Canada reach its ambitious targets.” The sector has calculated the 30MT can be reached by such measures as forest management practices that can maximize carbon storage in the forest and spur the growth of trees, by increasing the use of innovative forest products and clean tech to displace materials made from fossil fuels, and by further efficiencies at mill sites. FPAC is now working hard on a detailed road map to flesh out the details on how it intends to meet the Climate Change Challenge. For more details on the challenge go to fpac.ca/30by30.
capacity of nearly 1.9 million metric tons. The sale also includes two modified fiber mills in Columbus, Miss. and Gdansk, Poland. The transaction does not include Weyerhaeuser’s liquid packaging board facility or newsprint and pu-
blishing papers joint-venture. Weyerhaeuser’s review of those assets is ongoing. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory review and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Weyerhaeuser To Sell Five Pulp Mills Weyerhaeuser is selling its cellulose fibers pulp mills to International Paper for $2.2 billion in cash. The transaction includes five pulp mills located in Columbus, Miss.; Flint River, Ga.; New Bern, NC; Port Wentworth, Ga.; and Grande Prairie, Alberta, with a combined
June 2016 / Wood Bioenergy
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■ in the news Sun Paper Plans Biorefinery Plant Sun Paper will invest more than $1 billion to build a biorefinery mill in Arkadelphia (Clark County), Ark. Hongxin Li, chairman and founder of Sun Paper, joined Governor Hutchinson for the announcement in the Governor’s Conference Room at the Arkansas State Capitol. This will be the company’s first facility in North America. During a trade mission to Asia in November, Governor Hutchinson and Chairman Li signed a letter of intent of investment cooperation in which Sun Paper committed to studying the feasibility of building the facility in South Arkansas. “The fact Sun Paper is investing more than $1 billion in south Arkansas speaks volumes of their confidence in our workforce and pro-
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business environment,” Hutchinson says. “This is among the largest private investments in the state’s history.” Headquartered in China’s Shandong Province, Sun Paper is one of the world’s top pulp and paper makers and employs 10,000 worldwide.
Vermont Supports Wood Heating Vermont Dept. of Public Service (DPS) has awarded $913,054 from the Clean Energy Development Fund (CEDF) to increase the demand and supply for local wood heat. The CEDF awarded 11 grants to schools and affordable housing projects across the State to install advanced wood heating systems and five grants to increase the supply infrastructure of wood pellets.
The heating systems are projected to eliminate the use of roughly 124,000 gallons of fossil fuel annually, bringing the state closer to its goal of meeting 30% of Vermont’s space heating needs with renewable energy by 2025. “Even with today’s low oil prices we are seeing an increased interest in switching to local bulk pellets,” says Andrew Perchlik, CEDF Director.
Helen Oy To Build Pellet Heating Plant Valmet will supply a wood pellet heating plant to Helen Oy’s Salmisaari power plant. The pellet plant will enable Helen to increase the use of biofuels in district heat production in Helsinki. The new plant helps the city of Helsinki to meet its aim of increasing its pro-
Wood Bioenergy / June 2016
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in the news ■
duction of renewable energy. The startup of plant is expected at the beginning of 2018. “Utilization of wood pellets as fuel increases the use of domestic renewable fuels in energy production and creates jobs in raw material sourcing and transport. The heating plant also supports Helen’s goals of climate-neutral production,” says Heikki Hapuli, Director, Production and Distribution at Helen Oy. Valmet’s delivery includes fuel conveyors from the existing storage silos, wood pellet grinding and the wood dust equipment, hot water boiler and flue gas cleaning by way of a bag hose filter. In addition, Valmet will supply the plant construction, electrification and a Valmet DNA automation system. Helen will be in charge of the construction of the foundation. The district heating capacity of the plant will be 92 MW.
we felt this was the right time with the right investor who can build on the legacy my father started and I have spent my entire life dedicated to.” Morbark will remain in Winn, Mich., where it started in 1957 and
which today is home to headquarters and manufacturing facilities. The company has no plans to relocate. Current officers, President Jim Shoemaker and VP of Sales and Marketing John Foote, will continue in their positions.
Morbark Names Ruskin New CEO Morbark appointed Dan Ruskin as its CEO following the announcement of the sale of Morbark to Stellex Capital Management, a private equity manager. “Dan is an excellent fit for Morbark,” says Ray Whiteman, chairman of the Morbark Board of Directors and managing partner of Stellex Capital Management. “We have known Dan for close to 20 years and his experience across multiple industries, in particular industrial markets such as heavy equipment, automotive, truck and transport vehicles, have prepared him well for this position. One of Dan’s core strengths is his ability to build strong teams that can help organizations quickly meet their goals and enhance their profitability.” The acquisition is focused on providing growth capital and resources to significantly expand the company, according to a statement. Lon Morey, Morbark CEO and son of the late founder, Norval Morey, comments, “Though always difficult to leave a family business,
June 2016 / Wood Bioenergy
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By Rich Donnell ATLANTA, Ga. eadership from Enviva and Drax—perhaps the two most visible wood pellet production and biomass power generation companies in the world— spoke of continued renewable wood energy growth during the fourth Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo held April 5-6 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center. The event, hosted by Wood Bioenergy magazine and Georgia Research Institute, attracted 320 industry per-
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sonnel representing industrial wood pellets, biomass power generation, in-woods chipping and biomass fiber procurement. They heard nearly 40 speakers and experienced 70 equipment and technology exhibits in the Grand Ballroom North. Enviva President and CEO John Keppler expressed dismay with those who are less than enthusiastic about the wood pellet industry. He nearly shouted to the keynote session attendance that wood pellet demand worldwide increased 13% in 2015 to 27.6 million metric tons. “Thirteen percent year-on-year growth!” Kep-
Wood Bioenergy / June 2016
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pler said. “How many industries in the world have grown 13% year-on-year?” He said wood pellets produce about 4% of all electricity in the United Kingdom, which is where much of U.S. wood pellet production is exported, and pointed to the substantial growth of biomass power generation, adding that wood biomass accounts for 44% of all renewable energy in the EU. Keppler said the continued growth depends on three factors: sustainability, affordability and adaptability. “Sustainability is and has to be the foundation of what we do,” he said. “People are buying what we’re
selling because we’re delivering the tangible benefit of an improved greenhouse gas emissions profile on a life cycle basis. “We have to continue to invest in the sound science, continue to inform the regulators and policymakers about the benefits of our product. We’re a new and young industry. In the absence of information that vacuum can get filled with misinformation. Sound science continues to confirm that biomass lowers the long-term greenhouse gas emissions profile of energy generation as compared to coal and other fossil fuels.” Keppler cited the Khanna study published last year that reported the GHG intensity of pellet based electricity is 74 to 85% lower than coal. “We displace coal. That’ what we do today,” he said. Keppler emphasized the importance of the wood pellet industry to forestland management and that many people are misinformed about the wood-to-energy impact on timberlands. “Today we’re 2.4% of the removals in the Southeast U.S.,” he said. “We’re byproducts of traditional harvesting practices. We are an important part of making sure that forests remain forests because that landowner decision to keep his land in timber or change it to development, to make it into a parking lot or golf course, those are economic decisions and the view about the long-term sustainability of a market like pellets is a very valuable component to a landowner decision to keep that land forested and replanted.” Keppler added: “We’ve built a pretty remarkable platform in the landowner base in our all our communities and the data continues to show that when pellet plants come into operation, forest stocks have typically increased not decreased.” Operating six wood pellet plants in the Southeast with another under construction, making it the largest wood pellet production company in the world, Enviva has immersed itself into auditing practices and certification programs, Keppler stated, because it’s the right thing to do and because overseas markets expect it. “We have to embrace that and we have to embrace that at the landowner level, too. Is this a challenge for our supply chain? Absolutely. A pain for our loggers? Absolutely. But we can’t accept anything less because our customers can’t accept anything less. Ultimately they are paying a premium for that certification and sustainability.” Keppler said that in the long run it comes down to affordability, and added there is no reason to believe that by 2025 the pellet industry cannot find itself in a cost competitive position with fossil fuels and natural gas fired generation. “The gap just isn’t that far. We’ve got work to do. And the people in this room are a key part of doing that work. We can get there. I believe we can bend the curve on costs and in so doing also benefit demand.” Keppler said closing the gap with fossil fuels will come with greater wood pellet production capacity and
June 2016 / Wood Bioenergy
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yield, and better designed and operated facilities that produce a denser pellet to enhance transportation and shipment value. He also added that this industry should not be built around bilateral agreements between individual parties in the long-term as the industry and its pellet product transforms into a worldwide trading commodity.
Pete Madden Pete Madden, president LSU’s Rich Vlosky and CEO of Drax Biomass Inc., told the story of the UKbased Drax Group’s transition from a coal-fired power generation facility to a vertically-integrated biomass energy company; as it closes in on the conversion of its third coal-fired burner to 100% biomass fuel at the largest power plant in the UK, and as Drax Biomass has started up two wood pellet facilities in the Southeast U.S., which contribute to the power plant’s status as the largest individual consumer of pellets in the world. Madden said the Drax Dominion’s Norm Johnson UK facility was emitting more than 22 million MT/year of carbon dioxide in 2003 when it embarked on research and development with biomass. Ten years later it had converted its first coal unit to biomass, the second one followed in late 2014 and the third one is operating at 90% and should be totally converted later this year. Drax has learned that wood pellets can provide power plant operators with a reliable alternative to coal; that biomass offers a flexible source of generation that can be dispatched to balance the intermittency of wind and solar; and that biomass has Carrie Annand of Biomass Power Assn.
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Brad Worsley of Novo Biopower
OPG’s Brent Boyko
Wood Bioenergy / June 2016
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Carlton Owen
proven to be an affordable source of renewable electricity, Madden said. “Our research, and that of others, shows that…the ‘Whole System Cost’ for biomass is actually lower than that of onshore wind, offshore wind, or solar. It’s a good deal for taxpayers.” The major Drax transition in the UK involved working with the rail infrastructure to secure rail paths to the plant and building specially designed railcars to carry 30% more raw material than conventional coal cars. Drax also worked closely with several UK ports to upgrade their facilities to handle biomass. When all of those ports have completed their upgrades later this summer, Drax will have the ability to handle up to 12 million metric tons of pellets per year. Working upstream, Drax formed Drax Biomass in 2012 in the U.S. and subsequently built two wood pellets plant in the Southeast, capable of supplying a combined 900,000 metric tons of pellets to the UK facility, while also building a port facility near Baton Rouge currently capable of handling 2 million metric tons of pellet per year. Madden said Drax Power Station expects to increase its wood pellet demand to 7.5 million metric tons this year. As new sources of energy emerge in the Netherlands, Japan and several countries in Europe and Asia, by 2020 Drax
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Cormac O’Carroll
is forecasting global demand of roughly 22 million metric tons of industrial pellets per year. “This creates a growth opportunity for suppliers such as Drax Biomass,” Madden said. “The challenge is to make it through the next two years, as excess capacity is putting downward pressure on pellet prices, thereby straining those manufacturers that rely on spot market sales or don’t yet have fixed offtake agreements.” Madden also addressed sustainable forestry and certification as core elements of the Drax Biomass culture. He said the Drax sustainability program is built around three objectives: documenting sustainable forest management practices; demonstrating and helping to maintain sustainable harvesting rates; and validating the contribution to Drax Power Station’s CO2 reductions.
Biomass Power The conference also featured three keynote speakers from companies operating wood biomass fueled power generation facilities in North America. As he described in detail Ontario Power Generation’s conversion of its Atikokan Generating Station from coal fuel to white pellets to become the largest 100% biomass power generation station in North America, Brent Boyko, senior manager Business
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Development at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), said, Brad Worsley, president/CEO, spoke on the evolve“We’re proving biomass is not too good to be true.” ment of Novo Biopower in Arizona, stemming from forOPG removed coal from operations in compliance est catastrophies that revealed the obvious need for forest with Provincial regulations, Boyko said, and made Ontreatment and biomass removal. tario the first jurisdiction in North America to fully In addition to the benefits from the plant—employeliminate coal as a source of electricity generation. ment, local power generation, baseload consistency verThe Atikokan conversion project got under way in sus intermittent—Worsley emphasized the positive mid 2012 and was in service in July 2014. It required impact of biomass power and biomass harvesting on formodifications to the boiler and new DCS, as well as est health restoration such as controlled burning savings new fuel handling and storage systems to keep pellets and augmentation of the watershed. dry and to manage dust, as well as adding two 5,000 Worsley noted the project was not without its setbacks tonne wood pellet storage silos, and a new truck receivearly on, when the original build was taken back by the ing and transfer house bank during the recession in 2008, and the paper mill that Meanwhile at OPG’s Thunder Bay Generating Staconjoined the facility went into bankruptcy in 2012. tion, conversion of one of its units made it the first As for current operations, he cited numerous chalcommercial “advanced” biomass power operation in the lenges such as how dependence on the national forest to world, Boyko stated. Construction started in September supply consistent fuel has forced them to adapt their fuel 2014 and was completed in January 2015, when Thunsourcing strategy. He also addressed the ongoing Four der Bay GS became commercially available. Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), the largest restoraThe plant receives thermally treated wood pellets, tion project in the Western U.S. and involving four nawhich he said repels water, creates tional forests and 2.4 million acres less dust and can be handled much of ponderosa forest in Arizona. “We like coal using the same fuel hanhave a biomass bottleneck,” Worsdling systems, and has a higher enley said, referring to the abundance ergy density than white wood of available biomass on the forests pellets. and the challenges of processing it. The plant brought in test pellets from Norway in 2013 and moniPoints Of View tored the impact of winter on pellet Looking at the big picture of reintegrity in the storage pile. Meannewable wood energy as part of an while safety improvements and up“advanced bio-economy,” Dr. grades were implemented for dust Richard Vlosky, director of the management, to minimize static Louisiana Forest Products Develbuildup, and for electrical equipopment Center at the LSU Agriculment compliance. The project intural Center, noted that in the U.S. cluded modifications to the (in 2014) renewable energy acpulverizer and controls integration. counted for 10% of energy conOPG has secured a fuel supply Wes Younger of Trinity Consultants sumption, and wood fuel sources contract with Arbaflame of Noraccounted for half of that. way. Thunder Bay GS can produce up to the unit’s full In the U.S., major drivers of renewable energy devel163 MW capacity. opment are federal R&D programs, grants and trusts as “Biomass can provide a renewable and dispatchable well as tax policies, driven by the goal to reduce foreign energy solution for coal plant repowering,” Boyko said, oil dependence, Vlosky said, and related to that are the noting OPG’s unique position as having executed coal mandates, policies, incentives and subsidies in the Euto biomass conversions using both white pellets and adropean Union. vanced wood pellets. He reviewed the types of woody biomass in the Norm Johnson, manager of operations and mainteU.S., including genetically modified woody crops, nance, gave an overview of Dominion Virginia Power’s and noted the various industrial processes that utilize instillation of biomass power generation into its 24,600 them, such as cogeneration, gasification, pyrolysis MW electric generation portfolio. DVP now operates and co-firing, but emphasized that pellets is where the biomass power stations at four locations with a comaction is. Citing Silvio and Pöyry research sources, bined 232 MW generation as well as an energy center Vlosky said global pellet demand could reach 54 milthat co-fires coal and biomass. Those operations will relion metric tons in 2025. He added that more than quire an estimated 2.5 million tons of woody biomass 75% of U.S. wood pellet production capacity is in the this year, with two of the primary suppliers WestRock Southeast U.S. and that 73% of U.S. industry pellet and Enviva. Johnson said “safety” and “quality” production is shipped to the UK, followed by Belthroughout the process are two of the primary and congium (10%) and Netherlands (7%). stant considerations for the operation.
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Wood Bioenergy / June 2016
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Vlosky addressed ongoing positive industry while overseen by the tive developments such as CoolUSDA Agricultural Marketing Planet’s conversion of woody Service. He cited checkoff success biomass into engineered biocarstories with meat, milk and most bons and the Red Rock Biofuels’ recently the softwood lumber inrefinery in Oregon that is expected dustry. He said great effort was put to deliver jet fuel to FedEx next into forming a checkoff program year as part of a FedEx-Southwest for the hardwood lumber industry, Airlines venture. but that the industry was too splinVlosky didn’t hesitate to review tered and refused to come together. a few “failures” in biomass energy, “That checkoff is dead,” he said. such as the Southern Energy 100 Owen said the Endowment is inMW wood-fired power plant in volved in a new effort for a checkNacogdoches Texas, which idled in off program for domestic and 2012, or the KiOR biofuels facility export pellets and biomass power in Mississippi, which filed for production. “We’re working right bankruptcy in 2014, or the recent now with some of the people in German Pellets bankruptcy includ- Sylvain Bertrand of Airex Energie this room,” Owen said. “We’re ing new wood pellet plants in hoping that late this year we’ll be Texas and Louisiana. able to move that to actual consideration for a vote. If Wood energy is encountering numerous challenges, we can’t get our act together about what we all do and Vlosky said, pointing to gas and oil prices, clarity in how we benefit society for jobs and the environmental U.S. regulatory actions, U.S. long-term public and priopportunities, we’re not going to make it. We’re all in vate investment, changes in UK renewable energy inthe crosshairs of folks who believe that the only good centives and environmental issues. “The situation is tree is a tree that’s never harvested. It’s our century if evolving,” Vlosky said. we choose to take it.” Carlton Owen, president and CEO of the U.S. EnCormac O’Carroll, London-based director at Pöyry dowment for Forestry and Communities, spoke of his Management Consulting, spoke on the European pellet concerns for the fragmentation in the U.S. wood prodmarket. He cited a range of factors influencing its fuuct industry by product lines. ture, including the U.S. Clean Power Plan, slowing Eu“We have to learn that we all, whether we make pellets ropean demand, growing Asian demand, Dutch or paper, are bound together by the tree. If we do that, we subsidies, emerging competition in Brazil and Russia, have enormous potential. But if we don’t, all we’re doing sustainability and carbon footprints. is undermining the power and potential of the tree.” O'Carroll said by 2020, according to Pöyry's "central Owen talked about checkoff programs, which are rescenario," European demand for industrial pellets is exsearch and promotional endeavors funded by a respecpected to be in the range of 18 million tonnes. If that sce-
June 2016 / Wood Bioenergy
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nario prevails then a significant chunk of the announced worldwide pellet mill investments (most of them located in the U.S.) would not be required to meet expected demand. However, it is clear that whatever scenario prevails, the U.S. will be the biggest supplier for European industrial pellet consumers. His graphics showed U.S. production capacity could reach almost 20 million tonnes annually by 2020, if projects "under construction and planned" reach fruition, with the rest of world production at about 10 million tonnes, again including existing, Jerry Ericsson of Diacarbon Energy under construction and planned. Pöyry's "high scenario" puts Euroties, Ericsson said cement producpean demand at about 27 million tion and CHP and district heating tonnes in 2020. are viable markets for biocal. Cement production is the largest coal consumer in British Columbia, Technical Sessions Ericsson said. The Wood Bioenergy ConferWhat are barriers to commercialence included numerous technical ization? Ericsson cited risk averse sessions, one of which addressed investors, cost of capital as hard to advanced and second generation sustain given commodity margins, products and technologies. and competition with fossil fuels. President Jerry Ericsson spoke The Merritt facility has increased about Diacarbon Energy’s new wood pellet capacity to 72,000 per combination white wood pellet year, and will have a biocoal proand torrefaction facility in Merritt, duction capacity of 35,000 tonnes BC that is beginning to produce to be delivered to a cement pro“biocoal” for industrial co-fire apducer (Lafarge) and tested in utiliplications. Ericsson reviewed the ties. He added that biocoal export pilot plant commissioning in 2011, opportunities are substantial. industrial scale biofuels testing in “Torrefaction could transform 2012, commissioning of the wood wood pellet and solid biomass utipellet plant in 2014 and the uplization,” Ericsson said. “Torcoming commissioning of the torrefaction is not a unicorn, and refaction part of the facility. we’re also not out of the woods.” He said the advantages of bioSylvain Bertrand, CEO of Airex coal include greater energy density Energie, described his company as a than wood pellets, excellent grindtechnology provider of biomass torability in coal mills, cheaper storrefaction systems and a producer of age and transport than pellets. He biocoal, while currently scaling up said biocoal has an energy density production capacity at its plant in of 21-25 gigajoules per tonne comBecancour, Quebec. pared to 15-19 for wood pellets The heart of the operation is the and 21-28 for coal. He also company’s proprietary CarbonFX touched on briquetting as another technology for biomass torrefacway to densify torrefied wood. The tion which close-couples a prefacility operates a belt dryer, drying system, conditioning which is technology more comchamber, combustion chamber and mon to Europe. cyclonic bed reactor. Feedstock inIn addition to coal-fired utilicludes chips and sawdust, and end
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Wood Bioenergy / June 2016
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■ conference & expo
products range from biocoal pellets, to white pellets, biochar and torrefied wood flour. The company is looking for partners in the U.S. It promotes its CarbonFX system for its simplicity and reduced footprint. Ryan Davis, technical manager with Zilkha Biomass, spoke on second generation solid biofuels and steam explosion, an alternative technology to torrefaction, that
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Zilkha uses at its Black Pellets production facility in Selma, Ala. He said the steam explosion station includes a surge bin hopper, plug screw feeder and vertical continuous reactor. Davis cited similar product advantages such as water resistance, outdoor storage, handles like coal, grindability and energy performance. “Each tonne of black pellets will always hold 15% more energy than a tonne of white pellets,” Davis said. “Each ship will always hold 15% more tonnes of black pellets than of white pellets.” Davis described the production process at the 275,000 tpy Selma plant, which has been shipping pellets under contract to Europe. A partnership with Valmet sets the stage for Zilkha Black Pellets to achieve commodity scale, Davis said. He also offered some detail on Zilkha’s Black Pellet Licensing Program. Andrew Johnson, vice president of TSI, spoke on the current status and future challenges of torrefaction. TSI is one of the most experienced torrefaction technology providers. “The debate about ‘can woody biomass be torrefied?’ is largely over,” Johnson said. “The next challenges and questions are: quality of product, scalability of equipment, robustness of process, and capital and operating cost.” He said it will take several years to “shake out.” He said some attributes or properties of second generation pellets need better definition, such as what does “waterproof” mean. How much of a real problem is “leaching and odor”? He said the search is on for better alternative binders, noting torrefied pellets lack lignin in a thermoplastic form and thus need an added binder, most commonly starch. Two speakers addressed EPA’s recent Clean Power Plan and its potential impact on the biomass industry. Carrie Annand, vice president, External Affairs, with Biomass Power Assn., reviewed EPA’s introduction of the CPP in June 2014. It called for major reductions in emissions from electric utility generating units (fossil fuel power), called for states to submit plans to meet GHG reduction targets set by EPA, and didn’t clarify
Wood Bioenergy / June 2016
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■ conference & expo
the role of biomass in the plan. The revised CPP announced in August 2015, she said, still left the roles of biomass unclear and left unanswered questions as to what feedstocks qualify, the factor of forest sustainability, the possibility of biomass co-firing, etc. Annand said an ensuing meeting of the EPA Science Advisory Board emphasized that whole trees are not used for biomass and that biomass emissions are 6070% better than coal. Various federal and state politicians have stepped up as strong supporters for biomass. Wes Younger, managing consultant with Trinity Consultants, also spoke on biomass as part of EPA’s Clean Power Plan. He didn’t mince words. “The country’s long-term energy future is being set right now, and as it stands it does not include a significant role for bioenergy,” Younger said. “I want everyone here to know where their industry is being pinched and what they can do about it. Otherwise we will have an export-only bioenergy industry for the long term.” Younger first noted that the implementation of the
Ryan Davis of Zilkha
BE&E’s Dane Floyd
CPP was stayed (frozen) by the Supreme Court earlier this year pending hearings. He said an adverse administration entering power in 2017 could put the rule on EPA’s back burner. CPP as proposed calls for the reduction of CO2 emissions from power facilities by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030. States are required to develop and implement their own plans. One of the ways to get there according to the plan is to shift energy production away from greenhouse gas emitting existing sources (coal, natural gas) to new zero-emitting renewables (wind, solar). “Wait. Where’s bioenergy?” Younger asked. “CPP renewables does not include bioenergy,” he answered. He pointed to the Clean Air Act as the roadblock, noting that due to the language of CAA being written when air pollution was a local/regional problem on short time scales, it does not allow EPA to give special treatment to biogenic CO2. “EPA’s hands are tied. CAA wasn’t set up to handle this kind of issue. For bioenergy to make any progress in the U.S. market, Congress will have to amend the Clean Air Act.” Amending CAA is not just a critical need for bioenergy, it is an urgent need, Younger stated, adding, “This is a major change point for the power industry—a time to make master plans for the net 50-100 years.” But it will take a major lobbying effort with support of the broadest coalition to push Congress into amending CAA, which was last amended in 1990. Always a key component of the conference is the air emissions control and dust control and safety sessions. Presenters represented Process Combustion, NESTEC, Fisher-Klosterman, Kice Industries, SonicAire, Firefly and GreCon.
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wood procurement ■
Chip Chip
Hooray! ATLANTA, Ga. hile protesters from the Dogwood Alliance outside of the Omni Hotel at CNN Center brandished photographs of old-growth cuts on coastal bottomlands and chanted “Save Our Southern Forests,” inside in the Grand Ballroom North the fourth Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo drew 320 industry personnel representing industrial wood pellets, biomass power generation, in-woods harvesting and biomass fiber procurement operations. The event, hosted by Wood Bioenergy magazine, included nearly 40 speakers and 70 equipment and technology exhibitors during April 5-6 “They may have good intentions, but they’re misinformed,” commented conference Co-Chairman Rich Donnell of the protesters. “I’ve been to a lot of wood pellet plants and biomass power plants, and been on a lot of logging and chipping jobs that are supplying raw material to those plants, and I’m not seeing any old-growth in the sorts. It’s pulpwood or slash material. The protesters need to do their homework.” While the conference included keynote presentations from the presidents of major wood pellet producers Enviva and Drax, as well talks delivered by biomass power plant managers, a new addition to the event was entitled Chip Chip Hooray!—a microconference focused on the in-woods aspect of bioenergy production and which covered topics ranging from chipper technologies to how to get started in fuel chipping, to the importance of customizing your procurement to the resource. Chip Chip Hooray! met on the first day of the conference and featured seven speakers including three representing chipper equipment manufacturers, two loggers who run chipping operations and two fiber procurement managers from wood pellet operations. Bandit Industries President Jerry Morey asked the logger-heavy crowd why isn’t there a stronger push for biomass? He recalled making a case for biomass energy during a presentation in Atlanta in 1972. Low grade materials
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were referred to as “the dead, the down and the dying,” he said, adding, “A strong biomass energy market is so important. It creates a use for low grade wood including slash that would otherwise be left to rot, releasing CO2 as well as harmful methane gas. Biomass energy is not carbon neutral—it is carbon reducing! The more trees that we grow and the more we manage our forests, the more CO2 that will be absorbed.” He said the U.S. should be better managing its state and national forests and planting more trees; others countries are, he added. Morey described the kinds of chips preferable for biomass energy production and went into detail on his company’s range of chippers and new technologies built therein. He pointed to new developments to their feed systems, including a new clean feed system that doesn’t discharge chips under the feed area. Capturing this material increases chip yield by around 5%, he said. He added that Bandit chippers can produce a 2 in. chip that’s popular in Europe and noted Bandit had strengthened its hardware and drums for this market. Meanwhile, Morey described how Bandit developed a microchip drum for several of its models for production of a ¼ in. chip. “Dirt is the biggest enemy of making clean chips,” said veteran Georgia logger Deck Trevitt of Woodland Improvements who spoke on Getting into Fuelwood Chipping. Trevitt noted that his crews try to mat skid Deck Trevitt trails wherever possible, and that helps keep so much dirt from accumulating on logs. Trevitt addressed purchasing a chipper, transportation of chips, incorporating chipping into a long wood operation and drum maintenance, He said that in pursuing fuelwood production, the biggest challenges are marginal investment return, saturated markets and pricing, quotas and “political whims.” The biggest benefit? “Getting paid for a product we used
June 2016 / Wood Bioenergy
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■ wood procurement
to leave lying on the ground.” He also pointed to the aesthetics that derive from a properly harvested site. Rusty Booker, VP-Fiber Procurement, Drax Biomass, spoke on Customizing Your Procurement to the Resource. Drax operates two new wood pellets plants in the Southeast. He stressed the importance of knowing what kind of fiber you need; what form it should come to the mill in (chips, pulpwood) and matching this to the mill’s production system; and onRusty Booker going availability given the area’s management and ownership patterns, and age class distribution, but also recognizing that availability and composition can change in a hurry—see hurricanes Katrina and Rita. “Build flexibility, plan for change,” Booker said. Booker was quick to emphasize the key relationship between loggers and procurement teams. He said, “Loggers know how mills work; they know the weaknesses and they know the strengths.” He added that recognizing the logger’s investments in equipment is important in building a strong relationship. Michael Stanton, Regional Sales Manager with Morbark, spoke on Creating New Opportunities for Product Diversification and Growth in the Forestry Industry. He provided some insight into three logging companies— Bateman Logging of Edenton, NC; Sapp’s Land Clearing and Excavation of Chipley, Fla; and Timber Wolf Logging of Littleton, NH that have successfully brought chips and biomass production into their operations while operating Morbark equipment. Stanton encouraged everyone to know their numbers and make smart decisions when considering getting into chipping. He emphasized the importance of making chip-
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ping economic assessments based on a thorough understanding of your typical chipping site, operating costs, production and mill price. But he added while people should use economics as a baseline for a good day or a bad day, it isn’t always so cut and dried as loggers know. He quipped, “You can have a bad day in the first 10 minutes if someone isn’t paying attention.” He also stressed the importance of “uptime” when considering a chipper purchase and doing your homework as to dealer support, parts on the shelf and trained technical services a chipper manufacturer such as Morbark can provide. Principal with Tidewater Land & Timber, Stephen Tucker, spoke on Logging Growth with Renewable Energy and how microchipping helped turn his business around. Tucker and Joedy Cahoon had formed Tidewater Land & Timber as a timber company to buy wood for Stephen Tucker Cahoon’s J&R Logging. But after paper mills in their area of North Carolina and Virginia shut down, and the business struggled, Tucker said with a big laugh, “Things got worse, so we bought a chipper.” Enter Enviva, which began building and starting up pellet plants in the region, and for which Tidewater Land & Timber has become a major supplier as it has built a number of contract chipping crews. Tucker pointed to the various chippers purchased along the way and the research and development conducted as Enviva kept adding pellet production capacity. Tidewater’s annual production has grown dramatically to nearly 219,000 tons of chips (clean pine chips, hardwood microchips, hardwood fuel chips) from six chippers. Keith Middleton, Procurement Manager at Fram Re-
Wood Bioenergy / June 2016
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■ wood procurement
newable Fuels, addressed Generating a Raw Material Supply for a New Wood Pellet Plant, specifically the Fram 500,000 metric tons plant at Hazlehurst, Ga. He spoke about the fiber requirements and considerations of the plant (1 million tons annually of pine) including residual sawdust, residual chips, roundwood trees and inwoods clean chips. He said Fram has used a combination of inhouse and out-sourced procurement: in-house meaning the purchasing of chips and sawdust residual fiber, and out-sourced being the procurement and supply of chips and fiber through an exist-
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ing procurement organization with an established logging force. Logging equipment veteran René van der Merwe, Sales Manager for Bruks in North America, spoke on her company’s mobile chipper and showed video of its operation. One of the attendees, Jerry Sapp of Cottondale, Fla., commented that after microchipping for three years and hauling to Green Circle Bio Energy, this conference gave him the opportunity to see how he could get more efficient, continue to learn about the equipment, and mingle with other operators on issues such as reducing fines and managing dirt.
Wood Bioenergy / June 2016
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â– domestic pellets
Focusing On Quality
Frank Pellets By Dan Shell
Cutline
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MILL CITY, Ore. regon’s Frank Lumber Co., Inc. has produced premium kiln dried lumber products for the last 65 years. The same passionate pursuit of high quality lumber is now devoted to pellet production as well, with the 2008 addition of Frank Pellets LLC and its brand name Packsaddle Pellets. “We don’t strive to be the biggest,” Frank Lumber Co. President Jim Frank says of the 20,000 ton/year operation. “But we do strive to make the best pellet. A big advantage we have is complete control of the raw material from the woods to the pellet mill. We’re not dependent on anyone else and we don’t buy any outside material.” Like most other sawmills in the Andritz hammermill handles raw material reduction processing. region, Frank Lumber had for years sold its chips to paper mills and planer shavings and sawdust to composite board manufacturers. About 10 years ago the mill began selling shavings and dust to a pellet manufacturer who raved about the raw material’s quality. “We did that for a while and decided we could do it ourselves, add some value to our residuals and create some new jobs,” Frank remembers. In addition, tax incentives at the time for both green energy producers and consumers made the project even more attractive. “It seemed like a natural for us,” Frank says. “Plus we had the tax savings and created eight new jobs.” The pellet plant went in summer 2008, and started up in fall 2008.
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Project
Andritz Sprout horizontal pellet machine
A major factor in building the pellet facility was designing it to use only in-house residuals as feedstock. “We didn’t want to build a pellet mill then have to go out and buy the raw material to feed it,” Frank says. The engineering group PM Hagel & Associates was hired to help with design and machine decisions. (PM also designed the pellet plant’s baghouse.) Frank Pellets personnel toured other pellet facilities, picked a site adjacent the sawmill and started out with a 100x250 ft. plant and storage building, plus a 60x100 ft. raw material building (since enlarged). The pellet plant began operations fed by planer shavings from lumber that was already dried to 12% MC. In
2011, the plant began utilizing sawdust as well, which meant adding an Onix rotary triple-pass dryer to handle the extra volume and green material. Frank Pellets’ high quality product begins in the sawmill, where a two-deck BM&M counter-flow screening system produces a very fine sawdust that’s conveyed into storage bins. At the planer mill, dry planer shavings are blown into their own storage bin. Mill residual handling and utilization is key to the plant’s overall pellet quality, Frank says. The residuals never touch ground, going from storage bins to truck to the pellet plant’s covered raw material area. He notes that quick utilization from storage to pelletization is also a
June 2016 / Wood Bioenergy
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■ domestic pellets
Onix rotary dryer enabled sawdust utilization.
Packsaddle Pellets are a regional brand in demand.
factor in producing a premium pellet. “If you leave sawdust sitting for long it changes color,” Frank says, adding that the raw material used to produce Packsaddle Pellets never sits for longer than several days, unlike weeks or longer at some pellet plants. “Our sawdust is always pelletized fresh, it doesn’t sit for weeks and it smells better and has a better color,” he says. Dry shavings and dried sawdust from the Onix dryer are fed to an Andritz hammermill. Raw material is stored and fed to an Andritz Sprout 26LM horizontal pellet machine. Pellets are routed to a MilPro counterMill Supervisor Don Wagner flow cooling tower, over a BM&M shaker screen and to a set of Express scales. Pellets are metered to a Nova form, fill and seal continuous automatic bagging system. Bags are hand-stacked on pallets that are sent to a Wolftec shrink-wrap machine. A 6 mil cover sheet is added, giving extra protection during shipping and storage. The plant also uses an extra heavy bag thickness for even more product protection. An adjacent storage building can hold up to 2,500 tons of pellets. All buildings, from raw material to finished product storage, are equipped with sprinklers and Flamex fire protection systems. Frank says one side benefit to adding the pellet mill is the ability to improve fuel combustion at the facility’s boiler by mixing in dried sawdust from the pellet plant. “Burning bark in the boiler during winter is tough because it’s so wet—an issue we fight all the time,” Frank says, adding that managers looked at adding Good color, smell and low ash natural gas capability a while back but
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didn’t want the added expense. “But now we’re taking some of the dried sawdust from the pellet plant back to the boiler and mixing it with bark in the winter,” he says. “That’s greatly improved the quality of boiler operation in the winter, and it works really well helping the bark combust.”
Quality Counts Frank says the “Packsaddle Pellets” brand name comes from a nearby and popular park on the North Santiam River. “A lot of people have heard of it, and that’s the name we chose,” he says. The vast majority of the plant’s customers are in Oregon, along the I-5 corridor, Frank says. “We also have some customers in California, Nevada and Washington,” he adds. Frank says the niche Frank Pellets has found is “producing the cleanest burning pellet around. People who like our pellets care about quality instead of finding the cheapest pellet available,” he explains. “They also like that our pellets look and smell like wood.” Frank also states that “We don’t sell to the big box stores, to the Walmarts of the world. Our pellets are really for people who are particular how they run their stove.” The plant has done a small amount of exporting, including sending some pellets to Italy and South Korea. “We decided it’s not for us, and to tell you the truth our pellets are too good to export,” Frank says. He concludes that Packsaddle Pellets are “really more of a designer pellet for those who want the best 100% Douglas fir heating pellet on the market.”
Wood Bioenergy / June 2016
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The following companies submitted these articles and photos. All statements and claims are attributable to the companies.
bulky material, and it can process larger volumes of material at one time. Visit banditchippers.com.
Bandit Industries
Jenz
As biomass and fuel wood markets continue to evolve, so do “The Beast” reduction machines from Bandit Industries. These high-production horizontal grinders are known worldwide for their ability to convert logging slash, stumps, whole trees and chunk wood into chips for fuel wood markets. Recent enhancements to several areas throughout The Beast lineup have increased production by as much as 50% in most applications. In addition, new chipping head options convert The Beast into a high-production chipper capable of producing chips in a wide range of sizes for numerous biomass applications. These enhancements and chipping options bring versatility to The Beast, allowing companies to serve multiple fuel wood markets with a single machine. “We’ve always had great relationships with our customers,” says Bandit Industries Marketing Manager Aaron Sorrels. “The new features we’ve incorporated into The Beast are a direct result of the feedback from those relationships.” Among the changes are redesigned knife cutterbodies that attach to the patented Beast cuttermill. These cutterbodies are designed to hold chipper knives for producing chips, but can also be used with standard teeth to produce mulch. For companies primarily chipping, the cuttermill can be replaced with a 4- or 8-knife chipping drum producing 5⁄8 to 2 in. chips that meet European G-30, G-50 and G-100 chip specs. A 20-knife drum is also available for producing ¼ in. microchips, and can be configured to produce up to a 1 in. chip. Whether chipping with knives on the standard cuttermill or one of the dedicated chipping drums, The Beast produces a screened product ideal for direct-fired power plants, pellet mills, pulp mills, charcoal plants and for metallurgical applications. With large mill openings, The Beast is better able to process a wider range of
Jenz GmbH has extended its range of mobile coarse chipper products. The company now also offers CobraTrucks. In comparison with the classic chipper truck with HGV driver’s cab and mowing window, the machine operator of a Cobra-Truck is seated in a CLAAS X10 driver’s cab, which rises up and turns, just like the Cobra’s head in the snake charmer’s basket. When driving the Cobra truck, the machine operator no longer has to change from the transport seat to the working seat. He can turn the driver’s cab around by up to 160° into the right working position within a few seconds at the push of a button. That saves a lot of time, particularly if work is being carried out with frequent changes of location because the machine is ready for operation much quicker. A further advantage is that the machine can relocate at speeds of up to 8 km/h even when the cab is turned round. The cabin itself guarantees a comfortable and ergonomic workplace: swiveling working instruments, a flexible steering column, full air conditioning, plenty of storage facilities including a cooler and a non-slip access ladder. The driver has a much better view of the draw-in table and the crane, as well as the woodpile and any people in the hazard area. Cobra+ machines like the HEM 821 DQ Cobra+ hybrid have a cabin that is height-adjustable up to 1200 mm. The machine is given the designation “hybrid” because it is driven simultaneously by the HGV engine and the chipper engine. During this, the HGV engine drives the chipper blower hydraulically using a displacement pump. This means that the blower runs with a consistent speed because a hybrid design is independent of the unavoidable speed variations of the chipper engine. Normal Cobra machines with a turntable cabin are available as HEM 583 R Cobra or HEM 593 R Cobra. These machines are based on the traditional chipper truck concept. The chipper is fitted on a compact,
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Wood Bioenergy / June 2016
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in-woods chippers ■
triple-axle MAN HGV chassis and is driven by the HGV engine. An additional engine is not required. Both machines are having installed the centrical blower. Loading over the truck to the front and the rear then is made possible by the blower being located centrically in the middle of the vehicle. Visit jenz.de.
Morbark
ties for the use of portable processing equipment—particularly portable MicroChippers. Morbark also produces drum pocket blanks that can easily turn the MicroChipper into a fuel chipper in short time, requiring only minimal adjustments to the machine for enhanced versatility. All Morbark equipment is backed by parts, service and support teams from an extensive and ever-expanding dealer network. Morbark’s more than 280 worldwide dealer locations and its own sales and support teams stand ready to truly partner with customers. Visit morbark.com.
Peterson
Morbark provides a wealth of solutions for your biomass needs, but the star for biomass applications is the Morbark 40/36 Whole Tree MicroChipper. Designed to meet the needs of the rapidly growing pellet market, the 40/36 MicroChipper offers Morbark’s enhanced Advantage 3 high-performance chipping drum, which is designed to create uniform microchips and reduce maintenance demands. An operator-friendly slide-in forestry grate system reduces oversized chips for a consistent, high-quality end product, while the mechanically driven chip accelerator fully loads your truck. “The Model 40/36 does an outstanding job on the microchip,” says Jerry Sapp of Sapp’s Land & Excavating, who runs three microchippers: two 40/36 and one 50/48. “We typically get about 110 loads of microchips a week between two crews. When conditions are ideal, however, I’ve seen a crew get more than 80 loads a week with a single chipper.” High production and high quality are the hallmarks of Morbark’s MicroChippers. Morbark has multiple models of whole tree MicroChippers that can consistently make chips that measure ¼ in. or smaller in applications that were previously limited to the fuel chip market. “With new biomass plants being built in the United States and the rapid expansion of wood pellet exports to Europe to meet the European Union’s mandate that 20% of its energy come from renewable sources by 2020, our customers need a cost-effective system for making microchips,” says John Foote, Morbark VP of Sales and Marketing. “The 40/36 MicroChipper is the solution.” The growth of the market presents unique opportuni-
The all-new Peterson 6300B drum chipper is designed for high volume biomass producers who have a wide variety of feed material, from logs up to 36 in. (91 cm) in diameter, to brush and small feedstock. The 6300B is powered by a 1050 HP (772 kW) C27 Caterpillar engine, and has an optional Tier IVi engine available. A PT Tech wet clutch has also been added to the machine. At 85,000 lbs. (38,555 kg), the 6300B was designed for operations requiring high production and frequent moves between jobs. The 6300B has two drum configurations: an 8-pocket drum to make standard biomass chips, or a 16-pocket drum to make microchips. An optional grate system has been redesigned to allow for adjustment from a microchip to a 1¼ in. chip with the same grates. Traditional Babbitt type knife systems are standard equipment, or an optional key knife system is available. Peterson’s chip accelerator system adds load density, or throws chips well away from the machine for land clearing operations. The chipper utilizes a 50 in. (127 cm) diameter by 60 in. (152 cm) wide drum. Other key features include a sloped feed deck for the ease of feeding and wear resistant AR450 wear surfaces on the drum pockets and shell. The feed chain has been upgraded to WDH120 for improved strength and long life. Featuring durable AR450 wear surfaces, the 6300B comes standard with an 8-pocket drum rotor with one babbitted knife per pocket. A 16-pocket drum rotor is available for chipping microchips. Peterson’s secondary grate system provides ultra-consistent chip sizing; twigs and small stems which can be difficult to size are easily fractured through this innovative system. Visit petersoncorp.com.
June 2016 / Wood Bioenergy
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Terex
Wood chipping contractors across North America, whether they are performing right-of-way clearing or in-the-woods chipping, have increasingly utilized the popular TBC 435 ChipMax Biomass Drum Chipper that is manufactured by Terex Environmental Equipment (TEE). The chipper, originally designed by Continental Biomass Industries (CBI) and named the CBI 484 ChipMax, is designed for European and North American end users as multiple chute configurations and rotor options are available to meet market demands. While the TBC 435VT is geared for European chipping contractors for its top loading capabilities, the TBC 435 and TBC 435T include features that fit the needs of chipping contractors throughout North America. Available as a wheeled or tracked unit, its chip production rate has catapulted this compact, rugged and powerful machine. “We recognized that most North American contractors typically end load trailers rather than top load,” says TEE Ecotec North American Sales Director Art Murphy. “The new generation ChipMax comes standard as an end load machine but can also be ordered with a Flex Chute configuration to top or end load chip trailers.” Engineers responsible for the ChipMax’s facelift also provided the machine with a sloped infeed of four degrees. Originally, the biomass chipper’s infeed was flat, a design that greatly benefits the material types and loading requirements in Europe. Unlike the cut-tolength wood that is commonly chipped overseas, those in North America are usually chipping whole trees, brushy tops and limbs. “The first generation ChipMax was designed with a longer straight deck infeed, almost like a grinder feed trough, to handle cut-to-length logs,” says Murphy.
“And that proved to be wildly successful throughout Scandinavia, Finland and other parts of Europe. That infeed is still available to suit the needs of those markets with the TBC 435VT model. In North America, where there is more chipping of whole trees, brushy tops and limbs, we needed to design an infeed that housed a sloped deck to help the contractors load material faster and more efficiently.” Tim Rooney, a product engineer for TEE, believes the new generation ChipMax is a major money saver for machine owners. The blower, which forces air to accelerate the chips from the chipping chamber and out through the discharge chute, is now belt-driven. The absence of a paddle in the blower creates a no-contact zone for the processed chips, which creates improved chip quality. This also leads to fewer wear parts for the end user to maintain. At 100+ tons per hour, loader operators are challenged in keeping up with the machine’s production capability as it can load a 120 cubic yard trailer in 10-15 minutes. “The customer response from this machine has been phenomenal,” Rooney says, “from right-of-way contractors that are using the tracked-model chippers to those that are setting up on landings and using the rubber-tired unit. The production capabilities of the ChipMax is something we’ve worked hard to accomplish.” Like the original 484 ChipMax, end users can choose from two 48 in. wide by 40 in. diameter rotor options depending upon which chip type fits their market. The two pocket rotor is designed for producing ½ in. to 1 in. fuel chips while the four-pocket rotor produces microchips measuring 1⁄8 in. to ½ in. The wood microchips produce a consistent fiber length that dramatically reduces the overall cost of producing pellets and improves the function of small boilers. The ChipMax is equipped with a Caterpillar C-18, 765 HP diesel engine and customers have the option of adding the patented Metal Detection System (MDS) to protect the rotor should any contaminated material enter. One final plus for end users, especially those moving from job to job, is the limitless transportation abilities, namely that of the wheeled ChipMax model. “We designed the wheeled unit so it could be designated as road legal anywhere in the United States,” Rooney says. “Machine owners can basically hook the chipper up to their own truck and go wherever they desire. The wheeled unit is road legal in both width and height.” The TBC 435 ChipMax includes service-friendly qualities, customized rotor options and advanced monitoring and protection capabilities. Visit terex.com.
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product news ■ Peterson Names Its Top Dealer Peterson Pacific Corp. named Komatsu Forest Pty. Ltd. of Australia as its 2015 Dealer of the Year. This is the second time that Komatsu Forest Pty. Ltd. has won this award. Peterson presented the award at the 2016 AusTimber Show in Victoria, Australia.
ASTEC To Build Manufacturing Bay ASTEC, Inc. celebrated the beginning of construction of a manufacturing bay with a groundbreaking ceremony April 13 at the
ASTEC hosts groundbreaking ceremony.
ASTEC manufacturing facility in Chattanooga, Tenn. The 24,780 sq. ft. addition, which is designed for manufacturing equipment used for ASTEC wood pellet plants and asphalt mixing plants, is expected to create 40-50 jobs with approximately 30 of those jobs starting when the bay begins operating in September. ASTEC President Malcolm Swanson addressed a crowd of ASTEC employees gathered for the celebration. Chattanooga Deputy Administrator, Economic Development Nick Wilkinson attended the event on behalf of Mayor Andy Berke and the city of Chattanooga.
Cowin Will Distribute Fuchs Handlers Cowin Equipment Co., Inc. is now an authorized distributor of Fuchs material handlers for Alabama, northern Georgia and Florida’s Panhandle. Cowin Equipment covers this territory with seven locations and offers sales, rental, parts and service support for the full Fuchs equipment line. Cowin will also have at its disposal financing options offered by
Terex Financial Services (TFS) to help improve the customer’s cash flow. The distributor offers local support for its Alabama customers from its Birmingham headquarters and four branch locations in Mobile, Montgomery, Huntsville/ Decatur and Oxford. Cowin Equipment also operates branch locations in Pensacola, Fla. and Atlanta, Ga.
Flint Equipment Joins Bandit Industries The Construction and Forestry Div. of Flint Equipment Co.’s South Carolina dealerships have joined the Bandit Industries dealer network. Flint will handle sales, parts and service of all large Bandit equipment in the region, including whole tree chippers and The Beast horizontal grinders. Six locations in South Carolina are at Andrews, Aynor, Simpsonville, West Columbia, Ladson and Walterboro.
Morbark’s Shoemaker Receives State Honor Morbark, LLC announced that President James Shoemaker Jr. has
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■ product news
been named the 2016 John G. Thodis Michigan Manufacturer of the Year Award recipient for Large Tier companies by the Michigan Manufacturers Assn. (MMA). Now in its 35th year, the award program recognizes manufacturers for their dedication to community service, issue advocacy and their role as a symbol of the positive work being done by the manufacturing industry. Shoemaker joined Morbark in 2003 as director of operations before being promoted to vice president of Operations, and then was appointed President in 2011.
“Tidewater has been a Gold Tier Dealer for our industrial equipment line for the past three straight years,” says John Foote, V.P. of Sales & Marketing for Morbark. “This means they provide more than just our high-performance equipment; they give our customers local knowledge and support to help them grow and maintain their businesses.” The Tampa store, located at 2254 Massaro Blvd., becomes not only the 12th Tidewater location representing Morbark industrial products, but the first that is focused specifically on the Morbark line.
New Tidewater Store Focuses On Morbark
Postle Industries Offers Hardfacing Alloy
Morbark, LLC announced the territory expansion of Tidewater Equipment Co. to now serve the needs of Morbark customers throughout the entire state of Florida. Tidewater opened a new store in Tampa, Fla. on April 1.
Postle Industries has introduced PS98, a hardfacing alloy to be used as a matrix welding wire for tungsten carbide embedding, also known as MIG Carbide Embedding. Using specially designed
vibratory feeding equipment in conjunction with the gas metal arc welding process (GMAW), tungsten carbide particles are fed from an overhead hopper directly into the PS98 molten weld pool. The resulting weld deposit, which has a hardness of 55 to 60 HRC, contains a large volume of tungsten carbide particles embedded in a hardface matrix alloy. Tungsten carbide particles, which are extremely hard and wear-resistant, combined with the hard PS98 matrix alloy, protect a variety of equipment from premature wear in many challenging applications such as bulldozer and grader blades, dragline bucket wear parts, loader and excavator buckets, railroad tie tampers, wear plate, logging and wood chipping wear parts, as well as construction, demolition, and landfill equipment including hammermills, horizontal grinding equipment and tub grinding hammers. Visit postle.com or hardfacetechnologies.com.
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