Location:Date:

Portland, ORJune 21, 2011

Marian Marinescu – ResearcherFPInnovationsVancouver, CANADA

Potential utilization of forest biomass for bio-energy in small and remote communities of the Southern BC Coast

Marian.Marinescu@FPInnovations.ca

Outline Situation, Needs, and Objectives Approach Results Conclusions

2

Situation

3

British Columbia

Small CommunityPulp MillCommunity Applied to Remote Electrification Program

Need

Forestry region Increased interest in the use of forest biomass for bio-energy in the region.

Forest biomass inventory investment decisions in bio-energy programs.

Demand for biomass vs. supply success of bio-energy investments.

Costs of extracting, processing, and transportation of forest biomass feasibility of bio-energy projects.

4

Objectives To estimate the heat and electrical power

consumption in small and remote communities on Vancouver Island and the southern mainland coast of British Columbia;

To assess the local availability of forest biomass to generate energy in these communities;

To estimate forest biomass harvesting, processing, and transportation costs;

To evaluate the feasibility of small-scale combustion technologies, such as: cordwood/chip boilers and modular combined heat and power (CHP) units.

5

Approach Community selection definition 37 small

and remote communities Energy consumption per capita annual

community consumption

6

BC Regional District

Dis

tric

t Cod

e Annual Consumption (kWh/Person) Total (kWh/Person)

Elec

tric

ity

Prop

ane

Nat

ural

Gas

Woo

d

Hea

ting

Oil

Elec

tric

ity

Hea

t

Alberni-Clayoquot A-C 9,672 249 3,322 1,764 1,445 7,737 8,713 Capital C 8,655 742 - 1,572 4,298 6,924 8,342 Comox-Stratchona C-S 6,831 339 2,062 2,403 1,968 5,465 8,137

Cowichan Valley CV 7,026 306 514 2,170 1,778 5,621 6,173 Mount Waddington MW 6,691 1,049 - 7,462 6,101 5,353 15,950

Approach Small scale combustion technologies Combustion efficiencies

• High efficiency wood stoves: 80%• Cordwood/chip boilers: 78%• Modular CHP: 25% electrical, 50% thermal• Pellet stoves: 90%• Pellet boilers: 90%

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Technology Cost estimates References Wood Stove $600-$3,000 www.canadiantire.ca Cordwood Boilers (25kW) $ 70,000 Nichols, 2009

Chip Boilers 1,000 $/kW Community Energy Association, 2007

Modular CHP gasification units 6,500 $/kW US EPA, 2007 Pellet Stove $1,200 – $2,000 www.canadiantire.ca

Pellet Boilers (Harman, Tarm Biomass) $7,000 - $9,000 15,000 - $30,000

www.harmanstoves.com www.woodboilers.com

Water/Steam Pipes 300 -1,400 $/meter Community Energy Association, 2007 and Marinova et al., 2008

Approach Biomass Requirements:

Woody Biomass [ODt/yr] = Annual Heating or Electricity Consumption [MWh/yr] / (Energy conversion factor xEnergy conversion efficiency [%])

Biomass Availability:

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Approach Biomass Sources, Supply Chains, and Costs:

• Two supply chains: Firewood and Woodchips

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Approach Biomass costs:

Energy costs:• Current community annual heating and electricity costs

— Electricity: 0.065 $/kWh (BC Hydro) or 0.35 $/kWh (diesel generation)— Propane: 0.126 $/kWh— Natural Gas: 0.036 $/kWh— Heating oil: 0.108 $/kWh— Firewood: 0.06 $/kWh (assuming $150/cord and 2,500 kWh/cord)

• Modular combined heat and power (CHP) annual cost • Woodchip district heating annual cost • Cordwood district heating annual cost

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Biomass Costs

Stumpage Fee ($/ODt)

Cut & Split ($/ODt)

Chipping ($/ODt)

Transportation ($/ODt)

TOTAL ($/ODt)

Firewood 8.00 80.00 - 25.00 113.00 Woodchips 8.00 - 22.00 25.00 55.00 Wood pellets - - - - 250.00

Results

11

Community Annual Energy Consumption (MWh)

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Bamf

ield

Bull

Coal

Harb

our

Da'na

xda'x

w/De

ad P

oint

Ditid

aht

Ehatt

esah

tGw

awae

nuk/H

opeto

wnHe

alth

Hesq

uiaht

Holbe

rgHu

u-ay

-aht

Jord

an R

iver

Kingc

ome/T

sawa

taine

uk

Klaho

ose

Kyuq

uot

Lasq

ueti/F

alse B

ayMa

nson

s Lan

ding

Mark

tosis/

Ahou

sat

Mowa

chah

t/ Muc

halah

tNu

chatl

aht

Opits

atOw

eeke

no/K

atit

Pach

eeda

htPo

rt Re

nfrew

Quats

inoQu

atsino

IRRu

mble

Beac

h/Por

t Alic

eSa

ywar

dSe

aford

Shirle

yTa

hsis

Tla-o

-qui-

aht

Uchu

ckles

aht

Uclue

let

Wha

letow

nW

oss

Zeba

llos

MWh

Electricity Heat

Results

12

-

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

1. Ba

mfie

ld

3. Co

al Ha

rbou

r

5. D

itida

ht

6. Eh

atte

saht

10. H

olbe

rg

11. H

uu-a

y-ah

t

12. Jo

rdan

Rive

r

15. K

yuqu

ot

19. M

owac

haht

/ M

ucha

laht

20. N

ucha

tlaht

23. P

ache

edah

t

24. P

ort R

enfre

w

25. Q

uatsi

no

26. Q

uatsi

no IR

27. R

umbl

e Be

ach

28. S

aywa

rd

30. S

hirle

y

31. T

ahsis

33. U

chuc

klesa

ht

34. U

cluel

et

36. W

oss

37. Z

eball

os

Biom

ass R

equi

red &

Ava

ilabl

e (OD

t)

Communities with Sufficeint Biomass Required for Heating or CHP

Heat (Odt/yr)

CHP (Odt/yr)

Full substitution of fossil fuels in these communities 7,200 t CO2e

Results

13

Combustion Technology

Biomass Costs ($/MWh)

Solid Wood

Wood Chips

Wood Pellets

Boilers 27 13 - Modular CHP - 14 - Pellet Stoves - - 58 Pellet Boilers - - 57

Electricity: 0.06 $/kWh (hydro); > 0.35 $/kWh (diesel generated) Propane: 0.13 $/kWh Natural gas: 0.04 $/kWh Heating oil: 0.11 $/kWh

Fossil fuel costs do not take into consideration the energy efficiencies of conversion technologies (i.e. stoves, boilers, furnaces, etc.) so the actual costs could be higher.

Results

14

Annual heat + power costs for current and potential CHP generation in communities with available biomass

$-

$200,000

$400,000

$600,000

$800,000

$1,000,000

$1,200,000

$1,400,000

$1,600,000

Bamf

ield

Coal

Harb

our

Ditid

aht

Holbe

rg

Huu-

ay-a

ht

Jord

an R

iver

Kyuq

uot

Mowa

chah

t/ Muc

halah

t

Nuch

atlah

t

Pach

eeda

ht

Port R

enfre

w

Quats

ino

Quats

ino IR

Rumb

le Be

ach/P

ort A

lice

Sayw

ard

Shirle

y

Uchu

ckles

aht

Uclue

let

Wos

s

Current H&P costsPotential CHP costs

Off

-gri

d c

om

mu

nit

y

Results

15

Annual heating costs for current and potential chip boiler generation in communities with available biomass

$-

$200,000

$400,000

$600,000

$800,000

$1,000,000

$1,200,000

Bam

field

Coal

Harb

our

Ditid

aht

Ehat

tesa

ht

Holbe

rg

Huu-

ay-a

ht

Jord

an R

iver

Kyuq

uot

Mow

acha

ht/ M

ucha

laht

Nuch

atlah

t

Pach

eeda

ht

Port

Renf

rew

Quat

sino

Quat

sino

IR

Rum

ble B

each

/Por

t Alic

e

Sayw

ard

Shirle

y

Tahs

is

Uchu

ckles

aht

Uclue

let

Wos

s

Zeba

llos

Current heating costsPotential Chip Boiler Costs

Off

-gri

d c

om

mu

nit

y

Results

16

Annual heating costs for current and potential cordwood boiler generation in communities with available biomass

$-

$200,000

$400,000

$600,000

$800,000

$1,000,000

$1,200,000

$1,400,000

Bam

field

Coal

Harb

our

Ditid

aht

Ehat

tesa

ht

Holbe

rg

Huu-

ay-a

ht

Jord

an R

iver

Kyuq

uot

Mow

acha

ht/ M

ucha

laht

Nuch

atlah

t

Pach

eeda

ht

Port

Renf

rew

Quat

sino

Quat

sino

IR

Rum

ble B

each

/Por

t Alic

e

Sayw

ard

Shirle

y

Tahs

is

Uchu

ckles

aht

Uclue

let

Wos

s

Zeba

llos

Current Heating CostsPotential Cordwood Boiler Costs

Off

-gri

d c

om

mu

nit

y

Conclusions Available biomass CHP in 19 or DH in 22 communities Wood chips for CHP and DH lowest cost biomass Small to medium amount of feedstock in isolated, remote

communities challenging CHP and DH can’t compete with current energy costs in

BC Off-grid communities government subsidies and energy

conservation programs Pipe costs high public buildings, clusters of buildings. Carbon credits beneficial but not significant at small scale CHP need heat sinks Integration in community development plans On the ground studies long term biomass supply

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Acknowledgements BC Coast Initiative Tony Sauder – Group Leader, Feedstock Group, FPInnovations Jack MacDonald – Group Leader, Harvesting Group, FPInnovations Ed Proteau – Extension Specialist, FPInnovations Nick Hawley – Manager, BC Hydro, Remote Community Electrification Program Brendan Mohan – Biomass Development Manager, Western Forest Products Inc. Dr. Shahab Sokhansanj – Professor, UBC, Biomass and Bio-energy Research Group (BBRG) Scott Stanners – Director of Research, BC Bio-Energy Network Danielle Myles – Research Analyst, BC Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources

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