Cofiring Coal with Coal with Switchgrass Switchgrass: : Cofiring - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Cofiring Coal with Coal with Switchgrass Switchgrass: : Cofiring The Chariton Valley Biomass Project The Chariton Valley Biomass Project Prepared for: Public Policy Virginia, Biofuels Meeting Charlottesville, VA March 30, 2006 Presented by: Kevin Comer ANTARES Group Incorporated ● www.antaresgroupinc.com Landover, MD Office: 301-731-1900 ; Harrisonburg, VA Office: 540-442-9848

Presentation Objective Presentation Objective • Provide project background & update – for more see www.cvrcd.org/ biomass.htm • Describe on-going test burn activities • Photos of equipment (this is real, now) • Describe Antares’ role in the project • Review next steps . . .

Switchgrass? ? What is Switchgrass What is

Switchgrass Cofiring Cofiring Switchgrass Ottumwa, Iowa Ottumwa, Iowa • Ottumwa Generating Station – Alliant Energy / Mid-American – 726 MW, PRB Coal, 1982 startup – Twin furnace T-fired PC boiler – 2.5 to 5% heat input from switchgrass, 12.5 to 25 ton/ hr – Separate biomass injection, 2 - 4 ports • Status – 2000 hr continuous test burn on-going – Newly constructed facility completed – Long term test to investigate fouling, slagging, and corrosion impacts • Fuel – 3’ x 4’ x 8’ switchgrass bales – 2-step milling process to 1/ 8” minus

How big is a 726 MW power plant? How big is a 726 MW power plant? Boiler (Steam Generator) Steam Turbine & Electric Generator

How big is a 726 MW power plant? How big is a 726 MW power plant? Boiler (Steam Generator) Steam Turbine & Electric Generator 6 ft tall man

Project Background Project Background • Drivers – Local rural income & environmental benefits – Hedge against carbon regs & portfolio standards • Funding (started in 1996) – Cost share between U.S. Dept. of Energy & Project Partners – Approx. $16 million from DOE through end of FY06 – Farm Bill considerations will be key to commercial viability • Test & Phase I Commercial Facility (“Grass Station”) – Designed for 12.5 ton/ hour, 24 hr/ day – 25,000 tons of switchgrass for 2,000 hour continuous test burn accumulated from 4,000 acres over several years – Contains several innovative, first-of-a-kind pieces of equipment (which are working great) – 17.5 MW of BASELOAD Renewable Energy – Automated control & monitoring system – Would require 100,000 tons/ yr, from 25k to 75k acres initially – Concept based on operating Danish straw-fired plants

Chariton Valley Project Timeline Chariton Valley Project Timeline Fuel Supply Fuel Supply Air Air Ash Ash Acceptable Power Acceptable Power Contract Contract Permits Permits Approval Approval Plant Impacts Plant Impacts NOTE: Dashed lines indicate NOTE: Dashed lines indicate Signed Signed GO / NO-GO Milestones GO / NO-GO Milestones Feedstock Feedstock Economics Economics Development Development Peer Peer COMMERCIALIZATION COMMERCIALIZATION Acceptable Power Acceptable Power Review Review PROJECT START PROJECT START Plant Impacts Plant Impacts Environmental Environmental Economics, Economics, Impacts Impacts Market Devel. Market Devel. Acceptable Power Acceptable Power First Test First Test Power Plant Power Plant Plant Impacts Plant Impacts Burn Burn Testing Testing Long Long Term Term Interim Test Interim Test Test Test Burn Burn Burn Burn 1996 1996 1997 1997 1998 1998 1999 1999 2000 2000 2001 2001 2002 2002 2003 2003 2004 2004 2005 2005 2006 2006 2007 2007 2008 2008 Analyze Test Analyze Test Analyze Test Results, Analyze Test Results, Results, Modify Results, Modify Modify Equipment Design, Modify Equipment Design, Equipment Design, Equipment Design, Analyze Test Analyze Test Emphasize Crop Establishment, Emphasize Crop Establishment, Economic Peer Review, Economic Peer Review, Continue Harvest Continue Harvest Results, Prepare Results, Prepare Planning, Begin Harvest & Storage, Planning, Begin Harvest & Storage, Continue Harvest & Continue Harvest & & Storage, & Storage, for Commercial for Commercial Ag R&D, Outreach, Prepare for Ag R&D, Outreach, Prepare for Storage, Continue Ag Storage, Continue Ag Complete Ag R&D, Complete Ag R&D, Operations, Operations, First Test Burn First Test Burn R&D, Detailed Planning, R&D, Detailed Planning, Prepare for Long Prepare for Long Outreach Outreach Prepare for Interim Test Prepare for Interim Test Term Test Burn, Term Test Burn, Burn Burn Outreach Outreach

Chariton Valley Biomass Project Chariton Valley Biomass Project Research / Reports Equipment Development Equipment Development Processing Facility Outreach Outreach Baler Development Baler Development June 2005 June 2005 Crop Studies & Cost Public Outreach Public Outreach Soil Stability/Erosion/Carbon Bale Accumulator Bale Accumulator August 2005 August 2005 Web Outreach Web Outreach Harvest Impacts on Wildlife Bale Handling Bale Handling September 2005 September 2005 Publications Publications Biomass Processing Biomass Processing November 2005 November 2005 Air/Ash/Water Impacts

Growing Season After Frost, Before Harvest During Harvest After Harvest

Hoop Building (Straw Storage) OGS Main Plant Building “Biosilo” Straw Palace (Straw Storage & (Straw Storage) Processing)

OGS Site OGS Site Plan Plan

Replacing up to 5% of this . . . . with this . . . .

Processing System at OGS Processing System at OGS

Front End of Processing System . . . Front End of Processing System . . . • Teleboom loading • Automated bale handling – Moisture, w eight, reject, de-string, debale, m etal rem oval, m ill, burn

Back End of Processing System . . . Back End of Processing System . . . • 2-stage milling process to reduce particle size • Final product fed into 2 blow lines to boiler • High-efficiency cyclone and baghouse for dust control and filtering • Emissions test last week

Ground switchgrass and pressurized transport air into OGS boiler Ground switchgrass and pressurized transport air to OGS boiler Switchgrass blow lines transporting ground switchgrass into boiler house (left) and boiler (right).

CHARITON VALLEY BIOMASS PROJECT Daily Switchgrass Processing Chart (Friday March 10, 2006) 1,400 42.0 Bale Weight (lbs.) Ave Bale Moisture (%) 1,200 36.0 Feed Rate (ton/hr) 1,000 30.0 Bale Moisture (%) and Feed Rate (ton/hr) Bale Weight (lbs) 800 24.0 600 18.0 400 12.0 200 6.0 - - 0:00 2:00 4:00 6:00 8:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00 0:00 Time

Automated Fuel Supply Hall (Future) Automated Fuel Supply Hall (Future)

Automated Crane in Danish Plant Automated Crane in Danish Plant

Next Steps . . . . . Next Steps . . . . . • Complete Long Term Test Burn – Prove technical viability / no unacceptable impacts at power plant – Currently operating under a limited-term fuel supply contract during test burn • Obtain value for environmental benefits – SO2 credits, Renewable Energy Credits, Carbon Credits • Changes needed in Farm Bill to allow switchgrass harvest from CRP acres – Large impact on supply availability and economics • Execute signed commercial fuel supply contract – Prove no large risk factors to power plant / boiler – Demonstrate attractive economics for suppliers and power company • Enlist switchgrass suppliers for commercial operation

THE END . . . . . .