Using New York’s Sustainable WoodyBiomass Resources for Bioenergy and

Bioproducts

T. A. VolkSUNY Center for Sustainable and Renewable Energy

State University of New York College of EnvironmentalScience and Forestry

What is Biomass?

Organic material that is available on a renewable orrecurring basis – but will focus on woody biomassExecutive Order 111 lists ‘sustainably managedbiomass’ as one of eight sources of renewable energyBiomass is included in RPS in 13 other statesLess than 1% electricity generation in NY is frombiomassPotential for a significant increase

Woody Biomass Feedstocks

Low value woodfrom forests can beharvestedsustainably

Large quantities ofwood residues fromprimary andsecondary woodproductmanufacturers areavailable

Willow biomasscrops can be grownon under utilizedopen land

Wood Residues

5.5 million tons ofresidue producedannually from secondarywood manufacturingindustriesAbout 30% is currentlynot utilizedUse for energy ratherthan being landfilledreduces GHG emissions

NY’s Forest Resources18.6 million acres of forestland in NY15.4 million acres oftimberland outside of federaland state reservesNet annual growth rate of586 million cubic feet195 million cubic feetharvested annuallyAnnual growth is 3X greaterthan current annual harvest

Low Grade & Forest ResiduesBioenergy market for low-grade wood will

support the sustainablemanagement of NY’s forestsimprove the economicviability of privately ownedforest landenhance NY’s forest productindustry

Woody Biomass Crops

Land dedicated toagriculture has declinedsteadily over the past 40yearsCurrently about 5.4million acres (14% ofland area ) of agriculturalland in NYAbout 1.7 million acresare underutilized

Year

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Acre

s (1

000'

s)

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000Crops Pasture Grassland Idle

Decline in agricultural land in NY over thethe past 40 years.

Woody Crop Research HistoryResearch on woody biomasscrops began at SUNY-ESF inearly 1980sStudies have ranged fromhybrid poplar grown on 10 -12year rotations to wood grasstrials with one year rotationsResearch and developmentfocus shifts to willow biomasscrops in the mid 1980sHave established 500 acres ofwillow demonstration areas inNY in the past five years

SUNY-ESF research station in Tully,NY. Site of original willow biomasstrials in the US.

Willow Biomass Growth Cycle

Three years old after coppice

One year old after coppice

Harvest

Early spring after coppicing

CoppiceFirst year growth

Site Preparation

Planting

Biodiversity

Wood Thrush nesting in willow Soil microarthropod - Gozmanyina

Soil microarthropod diversityand density is similar toundisturbed early successionalfields four years after plantingSRWC

57 species regularly used SRWC 28 species breed in SRWC plots Species diversity is similar to

natural shrub lands and easterndeciduous forests

Global Carbon Cycles

(Mann and Spath 1997, Heller et al. 2003)

100 % Carbon Closure(Assumes 0.25 t/ha-yr increase in soil carbon)

Net CO2 Emissions: 0%Power Plant

Construction(26%)

Transportation(12%)

Feedstock Production

(62%)

Natural Gas1 0.40

Corn Ethanol1 1.34

55 J 11-16 J1 J

Rural Development Benefits(Jobs created per 10,000 acres planted)

0

20

40

60

80

100

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

InducedIndirectDirectJo

bs C

reat

ed

Planting Years

Feedstock Costs

Valuation of multiple benefits associated withwillow biomass required for commercialization

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Green Price Premium (GPP)

0.60 – 0.90 ¢ kWh-1 required to be competitive Biomass tax credit

1.7 – 2.3 ¢ kWh-1 required to be competitive Future cost reductions will occur as expansion

takes place and R&D results (i.e. breeding forincreased yield) are deployed

Direct-fired

Cofiring

Gasification

Conversion Technologies

BioRefining

Summary

NY is endowed with abundant woodybiomass resources

can be grown and harvested sustainablyhas the potential to make a significantcontribution to energy suppliesuse of biomass provides a wide range ofenvironmental and rural development benefits