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Links to Woody Biomass
Utilizations and Emerging Technologies
Using woody biomass through innovation technologies has numerous advantages (e.g. Michigan has lots of it, reduction of fossil fuel use, rural economic development, etc.). This page is not intended to make a case or support any particular technology. It is meant simply to serve as a warehouse of information. Of course, please let us know about URLs that should be added. Most of these URLs lead to numerous other websites and a considerable amount of information. There are two tables; 1) MSU Extension Bulletins and 2) links to additional information.
| Number | Bulletin Title for MSU Extension Woody Biomass Bulletins |
| E3085 | Energy Use In Michigan |
| E3086 | What Is Woody Biomass? |
| E3087 | Why Might Wood Be A Good Energy Feedstock? |
| E3088 | Where Does Michigan's Wood Supply Grow? |
| E3089 | Wood-based Energy Technologies |
| E3090 | Emerging Technologies In Wood Energy |
| E3091 | Environmental Risks of Woody Biomass Harvesting |
| E3092 | What Is District Energy and How Does It Work? |
| E3093 | What Is A "CHP" Plant? |
| E3094 | So, You Want to Build a Pellet Mill? |
| E3095 | So, You Want to Establish An Energy Plantation? |
| Resource | Sponsor/Group | Description |
| BCAP | USDA Farm Service Agency | Biomass Crop Assistance Program - provide dollars to help supply feedstocks |
| BERC | Biomass Energy Resource Center | Lots of good information, reports, etc. |
| Bio-oil, New Hampshire | New Hampshire Industrial Research Center | Report (pdf) "Technical, Environmental, and Economic Feasibility of Bio-Oil in New Hampshire's North Country. |
| BMPs for Biomass Harvest | Minnesota DNR | Newly constructed in 2007. Based on multiple-disciplinary research. Forest land and brush land. |
| BMPs for Biomass Harvest | Wisconsin | Newly constructed in 2009. Based on multiple-disciplinary research. Forest land and brush land. |
| BURN-UP | UP RC&D and Partners | Biomass Utilization & Restoration Network in the U.P. |
| Cellulosic Ethanol | Renewable Fuels Association | One of many explanations of various "bio" terms. |
| Definitions | Wikipedia | This on-line encyclopedia has good explanations for a number of "bio-x" terms (biofuel, biogas, pyrolysis, renewable energy, syngas) |
| Demo Projects | Many . . .and growing | Flambeau River, Lyonsdale Biomass, Mascoma, Vaxjo Sweden, . . . |
| Dovetail Partners, Inc. | Consultancy | A specialized group of consultants with several emphases, one of which is woody biomass utilization. Jim Bowyer, et al. authored a 2005 analysis entitled; "Bio-Energy: Momentum is Buidling for Large Scale Development" |
| Flash Pyrolysis | Biomass Technology Group (Netherlands) | Explanation of flash pyrolysis . . . and other techologies. |
| Forest Bioenergy | Multiple sponsors | An information-sharing website for natural resource folks and others. News, events, links, presentations, publications, images, glossary, and slide show & training tools. The "links" are especially helpful. |
| Fuels for Schools | USDA Forest Service and many others | To promote and encourage the use of wood biomass as a renewabale, natural resource to provide a clean, readily available energy source suitable fo use in heating systems in public and private buildings. To facilitate the removal of hazardous fuels from our forests by assisting in the deveopment of vialbe commercial uses of removed material. |
| Great
Lakes Biomass State-Regional Partnership |
Governors' Council, U.S. Dept. of Energy | MI, WI, MN, IN, OH, IL, IA. Partnerhips in the greater "biomass" arena, with stated interests that include "wood." Grants, demos, technology transfer, management & support. Michigan contacts are Jan Patrick (Consumer & Industry Services) and Dulcey Simpkins (SVSU & MI Biomass Energy Program). |
| Industries | Many . . . and growing | Advanced Biorefinery, Bioengineering Resources, Celunol, Diversa, Genencor, Iogen, Laurentian Energy (pdf slides), Range Fuels, SunOpta, . . . |
| MBI International | Private incubator group in Lansing | State programs are largely agricultural-based but tone of website language suggests potential interested in woody biomass based technologies. |
| National Renewable Energy Laboratory | U.S. Department of Energy | Lots of resources, background info, and on-going research. Good technology transfer section. One of the better available sources of information. |
| National Renewable Energy Laboratory | U.S. Department of Energy | Good slide show about the National Bioenergy Center and Biomass R&D Review. 37 slides. Cover NREL, biomass, and solar. By Dr. Michael Pacheco from a May 2004 conference. |
| Pellet Plants | Pellet Fuels Institute | A
non-profit working to promote fuel pellet technology. Wood Pellet Association of Canada is a related resource. |
| Portable Pyrolysis Units | Advanced BioRefinery, Inc. | Several products, but two in particular are portable units designed to produce value-added material from wood products and logging residues. |
| Torrefaction | MEC | MEC is a Canadian company that uses torrefaction for non-energy purposes. However, the process of heat applied to wood in an oxygen-free environment has intriguing potential for pellet manufacturing and energy production, especially in combination with coal-fired plants. |
| U.S. DOE Biomass Program | U.S. Department of Energy | Largely agricultural but has a woody biomass element. Feedstocks, sugar, thermochemical, R&D, biorefineries. Info library. |
| Wood-to-Wheels | Michigan
Technological University Sustainable Futures Institute |
A graduate enterprise to use wood/biomass for transportation fuels (ethanol, biodiesel, etc.). |
| Others? | Others? | More? |
Some additional resources that may or may not be linked to woody biomass utilization but provide contextual information.
| Resource | Description |
| Biodiesel Magazine |
Trade organization. Lots of information about technologies, new plants, existing plants, investment, and much more. Plant list. |
| Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) | Trade Organization. A good resource for the many aspects of this growing industry, including those associated with woody biomass innovations. |
| Canadian Renewable Fuels Assn. | Mostly agricultural based - ethanol & biodiesel. News, events, and more |
| Canmet Energy Technology Centre | Canadian Natural Resources - wide variety of available and developing technologies for buildings, processes, power. Calendar. Publications. |
| Centrec / MSU Study | Preparing for the Future of Michigan's Bioeconomy Recommendations for the Office of Biobased Technologies Mostly agrculture. |
| E85 Near You | How to find gas stations that sell ethanol. |
| IEA Bioenergy | More resources with a global frame of reference. Many member countries, including the USA. Tasks, R&D, events, media, workshops, library, many links, etc. Nice paper on biomass pyrolysis. "IEA" = International Energy Agency. . |
| Governments in Action | BusinessWeek report on government actions around the world. |
| Michigan Biomass Energy Program | Dept. Labor & Economic Growth. Information, events, publications, programs (anaerobic digestion, biodiesel, energy crops, ethanol). |
| Michigan Department of Management and Budget | Alternative fuels information. |
| Michigan Labor & Economic Growth | Site with several resource links. Not much on wood biomass. |
| Michigan Renewables Energy Program | Michigan Public Service Commission. Mostly non-woody energy alternatives. Useful context information. Link to Michigan Biomass Energy Program. |
| Michigan Renewable Fuels Commission | Biodiesel and corn ethanol. Link to Michigan legislation. 25 members. |
| MSU Biomass Conversion Research Laboratory | Focused primarily on ethanol and biodiesel from agricultural products and wastes. Publications tab has many downloadable research papers. |
| NextEnergy (at Wayne State) | A non-profit engaged in alternative fuel research and industrial development. Not engaged with woody biomass issues. |
| Renewable Energy Access | News service for the renewable energy field. From the Renewable Fuels Association. |
| Transportation Fuels Report | WorldWatch Institute. A frequentely referred-to publication (pdf file). Includes summary files. |
| U.S. DOE Biofuels Program | Integrated with other DOE bio programs. This one emphasizes transportation fuels such as corn ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, etc. |
| U.S. DOE Energy Information Administration | Bank of information and statistics - petroleum, natural gas, electricity, coal, nuclear, renewables, alternatives, international, forecasts & analyses, historical overviews, households & buildings, environment. |
| Others? | More? |
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This website is maintained
by Bill Cook, Michigan State University Extension
Forester in the Upper Peninsula. Comments, questions,
and suggestions are gratefully accepted.
Last update of this page
was
12 February, 2010