Ironwood Daily Globe, Ironwood, Michigan, USA | News

Ironwood Daily Globe, Ironwood, Michigan, USA | News: "



Biomass generator is green
Published Monday, May 15, 2006 11:49:41 AM Central Time

By MARGARET LEVRA

Globe Staff Writer

When people in the Copper Country flip a switch in their homes in the next few years, the bright light likely will come from power generated by wood chips.

White Pine Electric Power Company currently uses a biomass steam boiler, installed in its infrastructure for $2.5 million. The boiler burns low-grade waste wood products to generate electricity or green power to the market, according to Mike Reid, from WPEP.

When in full production, the plant will need more than 600 tons of waste fuel a day, consisting of scrap tires, paper mill sludge, sawdust and wood chips. That will produce 18-megawatts an hour of power (or green energy) to supply some 15,000 homes and businesses in the U.P. and Wisconsin, Reid said.

Environmental Advantages

Wood fuel has several environmental advantages over fossil fuel. Wood is renewable, offering a sustainable, dependable supply, Reid said.

In addition, carbon dioxide emitted during the burning process is typically 90 percent less than when burning fossil fuel, and wood fuel contains minimal amounts of sulfur and heavy metals.

It does not contribute to acid rain pollution, and particulate emissions are controllable, he said.

Economic Advantages

The main economic advantage of wood biomass energy is that wood is usually significantly less expensive than competing fossil fuels. The refinery spends about $1.5 million a year in heating its electrolyte to make copper cathode, Reid said.

Instead of paying disposal costs, wood combustion for electricity and heat is one way in which forest products companies can use wood residues.

Typically wood, in a variety of forms, has green chips with 45 to 50 percent moisture content. Augers or belt conveyors transport the wood chips to the combustor, where they are burned, and the heat of comb"