News Letter for July 2009

WOOD PELLET NEWSLETTER
July 2009
Gerald W brown * 7202 County Road U * Danbury, WI 54830 Phone 715-866-8535
Gerald Brown is solely responsible for the content in this newsletter


· WOOD PELLETS - WHERE HAS THE WOOD COME FROM?

·MACLEANS LEADS WAY IN SCHOOL HEATING NZ

·NEW INDUSTRY FIRES UP HEATING FUEL PLANT IN STONE COUNTY

·WOOD FIBRE COSTS RISE FOR PELLET MANUFACTURE

·WOOD FIBER COSTS ARE RISING FOR WOOD PELLETS MANUFACTURERS IN EUROPE.
WOOD PELLET PLANT APPLICATION LODGED

·WOOD FOR HEATING IN AUSTRALIA

·WOOD PELLETS SUGGESTED AS EXPORT INDUSTRY

Sea 2 Sky Corp.
THE FIRST SHIPMENTS OF WOOD PELLETS AND AGGREGATES WERE EXPORTED FROM WEST COAST PORT

· WOOD FIBER COSTS ARE RISING FOR WOOD PELLETS MANUFACTURERS IN EUROPE

· US HAS ALMOST 100-YEAR SUPPLY OF NATURAL GAS

· SEA 2 SKY SECURES $757 MILLION WOOD FIBER SUPPLY CONTRACT IN NEW ZEALAND

·VERMONT SCHOOL DISTRICT SHIFTS TO WOOD PELLETS

·PINE BEETLE INFESTED WOOD BENEFICIAL TO BIOMASS INDUSTRY

· OTTEN TO ANNOUNCE MONDAY ON RUN FOR GOVERNOR OF MAINE

· FEDERAL BILL LARGELY IGNORES IMPORTANCE OF WOOD BIOMASS

· THE KALAMALKA RESEARCH STATION IS GOING GREEN

Wood Pellets - where has the wood come from
June 1, 2009
Implications
Wood Pellets - Next Gold Rush?? Bio-Mass - Long term deal? How much capacity?
Analysis
The wood pellet industry is undergoing a major transformation, as major Buyer, Power Companies and Traders position themselves to secure Wood Pellet supply for the long term.Contracts are being drawn up, Power Stations are being commissioned, Green Energy is the new buzz word, and Wood Pellets are the next Gold Rush.The forecasted increase in consumption in the wood pellets will increase, in the UK alone a need of 10 million mt pa, which is over Euro 1 billion sales.This is a new growth area and now the market is moving from a domestic / regional development to a Major Global player.However all is not rosy in the garden - is there enough supply of wood pellets being made - NO - there is generally a shortage, especially in Winter months, and this will become a major disaster , if no new capacity is brought on stream.China, Russia, South America - all these countries are claiming new factories are coming on stream - vast quantities are being promised and yet is the reality.Are Wood Pellets the right way forward - will it be sustainable - prices , are they correct?
What are the restrictions for Pellets:
6 or 8mm, Domestic or Industrial Grade - How do you handle the Ash ?
How do you transport them - Bulk, Bags, etc
Many answers remain open for the Wood Pellets
Resource: Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc. 850 Third Avenue, 9th Floor New York, NY 10022 +1 212 984 8500 main +1 212 984 8538 fax


Macleans leads way in school heating NZ
4:00AM Monday Jun 01, 2009By Eloise Gibson
Peter Langdale with Macleans College's converted coal-fired burner. Photo / Richard Robinson
School is out for polluting coal-fired boilers.
The old heating systems have made way for cleaner-burning, wood-fuelled boilers at 31 schools where students' chilly fingers will be warmed with heat from small pellets of dust and shavings left over from saw mills.
Between them the converted boilers are expected to produce 3300 fewer tonnes of CO2 a year than their coal-fired predecessors - the equivalent of taking more than 1000 cars off the road.
Simon Peek, deputy principal of Macleans College in Bucklands Beach, said the old school boiler had been given a new lease of life.
His school is the first in Auckland to convert to wood pellets.
"As well as a cleaner fuel we wanted a low-carbon, renewable option and we liked the idea that we didn't have to buy a new gas boiler or a large number of heat pumps," he said.
The Government-funded Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority provided grants towards converting boilers at the 31 schools and will offer funding to more schools if the pilot goes well.
Pine pellets - which cannot be burned efficiently in an ordinary fire-place - are shovelled in and sparked into action by an electric element.
The combustion chamber is designed to produce only minimal smog compared with coal. The pellets are popular in Europe but just starting to catch on in New Zealand, where five plants produce them.
Minimal ash means the new burners require less frequent cleaning and the wood ash can be used as a fertiliser supplement on school gardens.
Source: New Zealand Herald - New Zealand






Posted: June 2, 2009 04:44 PM CDT
Updated: June 2, 2009 04:58 PM CDT

WNVideoWidgetGallery.initialize();


New industry fires up heating fuel plant in Stone County





By Trang Pham-Bui
WIGGINS, MS (WLOX) - With a push of a button, the director of the Mississippi Development Authority started the bagging machine. Gray Swoope and hundreds of invited guests gathered Tuesday to celebrate the first official day of production at Piney Woods Pellets in Wiggins.
"This is Mississippi's future," said Swoope.
The vision for the 12,000 square foot plant began just days after Katrina, when Osmond Crosby saw for himself how the storm devastated the timber industry in Stone County.
"We made the decision to create a project that would be involved in post-hurricane recovery," said Crosby. "We've been land owners down here in Mississippi and timber producers a long, long time."
The Crosby family invested more than $10.5 million in the facility on old Highway 49 and hired 27 employees. The plant uses wood by-products, like sawdust, pulp plant peelings, and pine trees. The raw materials are broken up into small pieces, then go through several processes before they turn into tiny pellets.
"About 20 percent of our initial year's production will be used for stall bedding. The other 80 percent go into the bags, and those are fuel pellets. Those fuel pellets are burned in pellet stoves," Crosby said.
Crosby said the pellet stoves produce plenty of heat, are energy-efficient, and they don't emit smoke.
"You have a pellet stove going and you think you have natural gas burning. So all you have is hot air coming out," said Crosby.
"As far as getting away from dependence on foreign oil, you see for every bag of these wood pellets that's used, 1.72 gallons of foreign oil will not be used if you use this product to heat a home," Swoope said.
The plant can produce more than 50,000 tons of wood pellets every year.
"I feel proud," Crosby said. "I feel like we're at a point of accomplishment and what I'm ready to do now is make pellets, sell pellets, convince people to use pellets."
Crosby said there is technology being developed with heat pumps that would use the wood pellets to cool houses.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2009 WorldNow and WLOX, a Raycom Media Station.

Wood fibre costs rise for pellet manufacture
2 June, 2009
European wood pellet manufacturers are finding that, due to the rapid expansion of the industry, wood fibre costs are rising, according to Wood Resource Quarterly.
The supply of lower cost sawdust is no longer sufficient to meet the industry’s raw material needs and they are increasingly turning to pulpwood and wood chips. In so doing, they are now competing with both wood-based panel manufacturers and pulpmills for raw material.
Predictions are that, due to this increased competition from the biomass sector, panel manufacturers and the pulp industry will continue to face higher costs, even in weak markets for forest products.
Progressive House,Maidstone Road,Sidcup,DA14 5HZ,United KingdomE-mail: mjeffree@ttjonline.comWebsite: http://www.ttjonline.com/Fax: +44 (0)20 8269 7844

Wood Fiber Costs are Rising for Wood Pellets Manufacturers in Europe Because the Industry is Expanding Rapidly, Reports the Wood
By " href="http://www.woodprices.com/" >Hakan Ekstrom on June 2, 2009

The expanding wood pellet industry in Europe is increasingly relying on pulpwood and wood chips for its raw-material needs, as the supply of lower-cost sawdust cannot meet the fast rise in demand for wood fiber. The biomass sector is now competing with both the wood-based panel manufacturers and pulpmills for wood residues and logs, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly.
Seattle, USA, June 01, 2009 — The competition for wood raw-material in Europe has been intensifying the past few years as sawmills, wood-panel manufacturers, pulpmills and bio-energy facilities expanded capacity during 2006 and 2007 and therefore increased the usage of roundwood and wood residues. Lately, the pulp market has weakened resulting in lower demand and prices for pulpwood in all countries in Europe. However, the decline has been less pronounced in markets where the pellet industry has a strong presence.
The increased demand for biomass from the energy sector has not only had an impact on prices of residual chips from sawmills (wood chips, sawdust and shavings) but also of small-diameter logs, which have increasingly been utilized for energy generation. These developments have been particularly prominent in Germany and Sweden the past year. In Germany, prices for sawdust, wood chips and hardwood logs have converged during 2008 and 2009, and were in the first quarter practically the same (measured in dry tons), as reported in the Wood Resource Quarterly.
In Sweden, small logs that would typically go to pulpmills have in recent months been sold to energy plants. With the demand and prices for pulpwood being in decline and the consumption of “energy wood” steadily rising, competition for smaller logs has intensified and it is expected that volumes of wood chips and logs bound for energy facilities will increase, thus potentially decreasing that going to pulpmills in the future. The rise in demand for forest biomass, including branches, stumps and tops will encourage more intensive management schemes with higher utilization of the forest resources not only in Sweden but in the rest of Europe as well.
With the energy sector emerging as a new and aggressive market player, floor prices for wood chips and pulplogs are not expected to ever return to the low levels of the late 1990’s again. The increased competition for raw-material between the biomass sector, the composite board manufacturers and the pulp industry will result in relatively high fiber costs even in weak markets for forest products in the future. The recent evolution of the wood raw-material market in Europe is not unique to this continent but can be expected to take place in North America as well in the coming years.
Global timber market reporting is included in the 50-page publication Wood Resource Quarterly. The report, established in 1988 and with readers in over 25 countries, tracks wood chips and pulpwood prices in most regions around the world and also includes regular updates of the latest developments in international timber, pulp, lumber and biomass markets.
Contact:Hakan EkstromWood Resources International LLCP.O. Box 1891Bothell, WA 980411-425-402-8809info@wri-ltd.comhttp://www.woodprices.com
Wood pellet plant application lodged
Posted on June 4, 2009, 12:12pm
Plantation Energy Australia has lodged a development application with Grant District Council to build a $25m wood pellet processing plant at Wandilo.
The plant, which will export environmentally friendly wood pellets to the European domestic market, is expected to create 15 full-time jobs, along with spin-off employment for the region’s transport and service industries.
It is also expected to create a $40m per year new industry for the Mount Gambier district.
The carbon neutral pellets will be made from residue from the region’s pine and bluegum forest estates.
According to the application, the processing plant was expected to manufacture 250,000 tonnes of Densified Biomass Fuel (DBF) pellets per year, which would be exported through the Port of Portland.
The processing plant will be built on 6.1ha, on the northern end of Wandilo Road.
Council planning and development director Leith McEvoy said the application would be classified as category three because the use was non complying in a primary industry zone.
But he said the application was forestry related and there was really no other location for such a processing plant.
Mr McEvoy said council would shortly call for public submissions on the proposal.
The application will be determined by council’s Development Assessment Panel, possibly in August.







Wood for heating
Thursday, 04 June 2009

By AMANDA KING


A TREND towards using cleaner fuel for heating has seen a local school become the first in Auckland to adopt an environmentally friendly approach by championing the return to wood.
Macleans College has fuelled its boiler with coal for the past 29 years, so its recent conversion to timber pellets made from pine is an about-face back to the basics of heating.
The college is one of 17 schools in New Zealand to make the shift and it’s expected another 40 across Auckland will follow.
George Estcourt, an engineer for Scion, a Crown Research Institute, has been researching boiler conversion for the past four years.
He was the project manager of Macleans’ conversion and says there has been a great deal of interest from other schools.
“We have had more than six Auckland schools investigating converting to wood pellets,” says Mr Estcourt.
The pine pellets are produced using untreated sawdust and shavings from local sawmills.
Duncan Mackenzie is energy projects manager for Solid Energy, the company responsible for creating the wood pellets.
He says ways of burning wood have improved dramatically over time.
“It’s a resource that New Zealand is rich in. We are rediscovering what we probably should have been doing a long time ago.”

Sea 2 Sky Targets $97 Billion Institutional and Industrial Market for Wood Pellets
FERNDALE, WASHINGTON -- 06/03/09 -- Sea 2 Sky Corporation (OTCBB: SSKY), a leading edge Renewable Bio-Energy Company focused on delivering alternative energy solutions to Fortune 1000 companies, Governmental agencies and Countries around the globe, announced today that it has entered into a comprehensive joint venture agreement with Gateway Associates LLC, a Company controlled by Mr. Henry James of the Lummi Nation. This agreement brings together distinctive market access rights to manufacture and distribute Wood Pellets to Institutional and Industrial Markets for Sea 2 Sky Corp. in a manner that has never been achieved to date. As part of this agreement, Gateway's network will facilitate access to the Institutional and Industrial markets based on its and others Special Category Businesses Rights designations and its status in the Foreign Trade Zones Act of 1934. Institutional access to markets includes cumulative mandates set by the United States of America Federal Government guidelines that amounts to 23% of the total US Federal budget. Industrial market access often requires similar percentages as the Institutional market guidelines to be eligible for continued contracting with the US Government. Both Sea 2 Sky and Gateway have determined that a substantial opportunity exists in the Wood Pellet market and are jointly co-operating to satisfy the unmet market demand. Based on current market evaluations, up to 17 percent of the US Federal procurement budget ($425 Billion approx.) is yet open to be met by Special Category Business businesses like those contained in Gateway's network. The Industrial market of unmet market demand is of similar size.


Wood pellets suggested as export industry
Updated at 12:55pm on 10 June 2009
A visiting overseas forestry expert says wood pellets could provide New Zealand with a whole new export business.
United States forestry consultant Don Peterson is one of the keynote speakers at a two-day conference called "Residues to Revenues" which started on Wednesday in Rotorua.
Mr Peterson has been instrumental in helping forestry businesses in the US shift into production of the pellets for central heating in homes, schools and industrial plants.
The pellets are created by compressing wood waste such as sawdust and shavings and more recently by using the large amount of material cut off during timber harvesting and normally left to rot on the forest floor.
Mr Peterson says the industry is growing very quickly across the world and it is time New Zealand became more involved.
He says it costs about $12 million to establish a 100,000-tonne wood pellet factory, so it requires a significant initial investment.
Mr Peterson says the plants have to be built near the regional wood source and would be a significant income stream in areas hit hard by the recession.
Copyright © 2009 Radio New Zealand

Sea 2 Sky Corp.(OTCBB: SSKY)View ProfileEnergy, in particular renewable Energy is on the top of the list of needs in many Countries around the World. There are constant discussions about Peak Oil, Global Warming and many political issues affecting secure supply of affordable and environmentally responsible energy for the future. World events like the dispute over Natural Gas between Russia and the Ukraine, as well as the continuing uncertainty in the Middle East have alerted us in the West to the fragility of our supply for energy, while the need to devastate vast areas of the Arctic in order to extract oil from the earth have highlighted the environmental toll the continued reliance on fossil fuels The world is desperate for alternatives, and Biomass is providing a big part of the solution. It will take a combination of renewable Energy options to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel, and Biomass represents the most readily available, most costeffective one. The ability to market our products internationally provides an exceptional opportunity for success that makes Sea 2 Sky a financially sound alternative energy Company.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------OverviewBUSINESS SUMMARY Sea 2 Sky Corp. (OTCBB: SSKY) is a leading edge Renewable Bio-Energy Company headquartered in a HUB Zone in Ferndale, Washington. The Company`s primary focus is to deliver alternative energy solutions to Fortune 1000 companies, Government agencies and Countries around the globe. Currently, Sea 2 Sky is engaged in the manufacturing and fulfillment process of Wood Pellets to Countries in Europe as a fuel and energy alternative. The Company is securing one of the largest concentration of biomass material in North America and is backed by "Special Category Minority Business" which enables it to compete effectively in a growing market.KEY INVESTMENT CONSIDERATIONS ? Contracts for long term supply of Pellet biomass allow Sea 2 Sky to provide market security and standards to various markets. Markets in Europe seek supply security, which we can provide. With the advent of global warming awareness the Company can also access Carbon Credits and has the ability to market and present new biomass products into the US market to assist Americans in obtaining energy independence.? Based on current supply contacts and existing markets, Sea 2 Sky is poised to become one of the major players in the Wood Pellet Business, and will be active in North, Central and South America, as well as South East Asia in a market that has unmet demand potential of over $500,000,000 annually.? Their management team was cultivated from the ground up to bring the international market a secure long-term supply of Biomass pellets. Their vision and sensitivity to the supply and demand of the marketplace cohesively balances along with the operational expertise to harvest and deliver Biomass to the industry.? The technical management experience creates financial strength and enables them to deliver a energy efficient, environmentally sound Biomass solution in a cost effective and secure manner.OUTLOOK / OPPORTUNITY Energy, in particular renewable Energy is on the top of the list of needs in many Countries around the World. There are constant discussions about Peak Oil, Global Warming and many political issues affecting secure supply of affordable and environmentally responsible energy for the future. World events like the dispute over Natural Gas between Russia and the Ukraine, as well as the continuing uncertainty in the Middle East have alerted us in the West to the fragility of our supply for energy, while the need to devastate vast areas of the Arctic in order to extract oil from the earth have highlighted the environmental toll the continued reliance on fossil fuels The world is desperate for alternatives, and Biomass is providing a big part of the solution. It will take a combination of renewable Energy options to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel, and Biomass represents the most readily available, most costeffective one. The ability to market our products internationally provides an exceptional opportunity for success that makes Sea 2 Sky a financially sound alternative energy Company.Contact Information--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sea 2 Sky Corp.2287 Slater Road,Bellingham, WA USA 98227Telephone: (877) Sea‐2skyWeb Site: www.sea2skyenergy.com/Email: info@sea2skyenergy.comOFFICERSDavid Siebenga - President & CEOErik Odeen - CFOHenry James - ChairmanDoug Robertson - COO


The first shipments of wood pellets and aggregates were exported from west coast port

Belledune - The joint provincial-federal funding announcement that preceded the Belledune Port Authority's annual general meeting was not the only good news received last Friday afternoon.



Claude Doucet
After hearing that the provincial and federal governments will provide a combined $46.8 million towards a $61.2 million project for renovation and expansion of infrastructure at the port, attendees at the AGM received the welcome news that in 2008 the port had achieved its fourth consecutive year of profitability.
Net income for 2008 was $2,454,761, up from $1,931,082 in 2007, a rise of 27 per cent. This was assisted by a 10 per cent increase in revenue. The Port's business saw a 30 per cent increase in tonnage handled and a 33 per cent increase in vessels calling on the port, according to Claude Doucet, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Belledune Port Authority.
Doucet noted that in 2008 the M. D. Young Terminal celebrated its tenth anniversary. In partnership with The Shaw Group Inc. and Envirem Technologies Inc. the first shipments of wood pellets and aggregates were exported. One of the two warehouses completed last year is now used for the storage of wood pellets. The aggregate is stockpiled directly before it is shipped.
In addition to the warehouses, the pipeline was extended. In total, $5 million of infrastructure work was completed last year.

WOOD FIBER COSTS ARE RISING FOR WOOD PELLETS MANUFACTURERS IN EUROPE

BECAUSE THE Industry Is Expanding Rapidly, Reports The Wood Resource QuarterlySat Jun 6, 3:01 am ETThe expanding wood pellet industry in Europe is increasingly relying on pulpwood and wood chips for its raw-material needs, as the supply of lower-cost sawdust cannot meet the fast rise in demand for wood fiber. The biomass sector is now competing with both the wood-based panel manufacturers and pulpmills for wood residues and logs, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly.Seattle, USA (PRWEB) June 6, 2009 -- The competition for wood raw-material in Europe has been intensifying the past few years as sawmills, wood-panel manufacturers, pulpmills and bio-energy facilities expanded capacity during 2006 and 2007 and therefore increased the usage of roundwood and wood residues. Lately, the pulp market has weakened resulting in lower demand and prices for pulpwood in all countries in Europe. However, the decline has been less pronounced in markets where the pellet industry has a strong presence.. The increased demand for biomass from the energy sector has not only had an impact on prices of residual chips from sawmills (wood chips, sawdust and shavings) but also of small-diameter logs, which have increasingly been utilized for energy generation. These developments have been particularly prominent in Germany and Sweden the past year. In Germany, prices for sawdust, wood chips and hardwood logs have converged during 2008 and 2009, and were in the first quarter practically the same (measured in dry tons), as reported in the Wood Resource Quarterly. In Sweden, small logs that would typically go to pulpmills have in recent months been sold to energy plants. With the demand and prices for pulpwood being in decline and the consumption of "energy wood" steadily rising, competition for smaller logs has intensified and it is expected that volumes of wood chips and logs bound for energy facilities will increase, thus potentially decreasing that going to pulpmills in the future. The rise in demand for forest biomass, including branches, stumps and tops will encourage more intensive management schemes with higher utilization of the forest resources not only in Sweden but in the rest of Europe as well. With the energy sector emerging as a new and aggressive market player, floor prices for wood chips and pulplogs are not expected to ever return to the low levels of the late 1990`s again. The increased competition for raw-material between the biomass sector, the composite board manufacturers and the pulp industry will result in relatively high fiber costs even in weak markets for forest products in the future. The recent evolution of the wood raw-material market in Europe is not unique to this continent but can be expected to take place in North America as well in the coming years. Global timber market reporting is included in the 50-page publication Wood Resource Quarterly. The report, established in 1988 and with readers in over 25 countries, tracks wood chips and pulpwood prices in most regions around the world and also includes regular updates of the latest developments in international timber, pulp, lumber and biomass markets. Contact Information Wood Resources International LLCHakan Ekstrom--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISSOULA COMPANY WORKING ON INNOVATIVE PROJECT
Posted: June 5, 2009 08:14 AM MDT A Missoula-based wood pellet company is well on its way to leading the nation in product innovation and environmental cutback, and is now trying to place a patent on its creation.Wood pellets are an all-natural, recycled, bio-mass fuel made from clean wood waste. It's a clean energy, and Eureka Pellet Mills makes it available for Montana, but now they are hoping to deliver their services and products straight to your door. Eureka Pellet Mill Business Development Director Christine Johnson gets excited talking about their newest invention a bulk wood pellet silo. "I have a pellet stove in out house and I get so excited I never have to deal with plastic bags again, you have no idea, its going to be fabulous."Instead of customers buying bags of pellets, they can buy a tote bag filled to the brim with pellets, saving them on plastic bags and then have it delivered straight to their door."This year we invented a bulk pellet delivery silo" Johnson explained. "It allows a forklift driver to put a tote on it and pull it off, so there is no need for a blower truck."Johnson says it took several proto-type silos to get the design just right, and so far no one in the country has thought of the idea, but in Europe, that's not the case."Over in Europe their doing this all over the place and it's pretty insane that we're so far behind in the United States" Johnson said. "I have a proto type in our house and it's come a long way."It's also come a long way for a Montana business with two mills, one in Superior and another in Eureka, and now a new take on wood pellet delivery. Eureka Pellet Mills is waiting to hear if they received a grant worth $250,000 to help jump start the bulk wood pellet silo invention and they hope to find out about the money sometime next week.
· Web Site: http://www.kpax.com/Global/story.asp?S=10484278

The Wall Street Journal wrote:
US HAS ALMOST 100-YEAR SUPPLY OF NATURAL GAS
The amount of natural gas available for production in the United States has soared 58% in the past four years, driven by a drilling boom and the discovery of huge new gas fields in Texas, Louisiana and Pennsylvania, a new study says....the Potential Gas Committee's study was prepared by industry geologists who analyzed individual gas fields using seismic imagery and production data provided by gas producers. The surge in gas resources is the result of a five-year-long drilling boom spurred by high natural-gas prices, easy credit and new technologies that allowed companies to produce gas from a dense kind of rock known as shale. The first big shale formation to be discovered, the Barnett Shale near Fort Worth, Texas, is now the country's top-producing gas field, and companies have made other huge discoveries in Arkansas, Louisiana and Pennsylvania. Together, the shale fields account for roughly a third of U.S. gas resources, according to the Potential Gas Committee.
Pickens had this to say:T. Boone Pickens Statement on Surge in Estimated Natural Gas Reserves
Today’s report substantiates what I’ve been saying for years: there’s plenty of natural gas in the U.S. I launched the Pickens Plan a year ago to help reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil, and using our abundant supply of natural gas as a transition fuel for fleet vehicles and heavy-duty trucks is a key element of that plan. On the same day this report is going out, diesel prices are again on the rise, squeezing the trucking industry. Now more than ever we need to take action to enact energy reform that will immediately reduce oil imports.The 2,074 trillion cubic feet of domestic natural gas reserves cited in the study is the equivalent of nearly 350 billion barrels of oil, about the same as Saudi Arabia’s oil reserves.
A number of people have rightly pointed out that a 100-year implies usage at current rates. But it got me to thinking about how much natural gas it would take to displace all U.S. gasoline consumption. So in the spirit of my previous essay Replacing Gasoline with Solar Power, I will do the same calculation for replacing gasoline with natural gas. The big difference between this calculation and the earlier one is that solar power still has some technical issues to resolve (e.g., storage) and electric vehicles are not yet ready for prime time. On the other hand we are perfectly capable, today, of displacing large numbers of gasoline-fueled vehicles with natural gas.How Much Do We Need?The U.S. currently consumes 390 million gallons of gasoline per day. (Source: EIA). A gallon of gasoline contains about 115,000 BTUs. (Source: EPA). The energy content of this much gasoline is equivalent to 45 trillion BTUs per day. The energy content of natural gas is about 1,000 BTUs per standard cubic foot (scf). Therefore, to replace all gasoline consumption would require 45 billion scf per day, or 16.4 trillion scf per year. Current U.S. natural gas consumption is 23 trillion scf per year (Source: EIA). Therefore, replacing all gasoline consumption with natural gas would require 39.4 trillion scf per year, an increase in natural gas consumption of 71% over present usage. Assuming for the sake of argument that the 2,074 trillion standard cubic feet cited in the study is accurate, and that the gas is economically recoverable, that is enough gas for 53 years of combined current natural gas consumption and gasoline consumption.We can also calculate in terms of oil imports. Right now the U.S. imports about 13 million barrels per day of all petroleum products. A barrel of oil contains around 5.8 million BTUs, but oil only makes up 10 million of the 13 million barrel per day figure. Other imports include things like gasoline (4.8 million BTUs/bbl) and ethanol (3.2 million BTUs/bbl). Scanning the list of imports, I probably won't be too far off the mark to presume that the average BTU value of those 13 million bpd of imports is about 5.4 million BTUs/bbl. On an annual basis, this amounts to 25.6 trillion scf, an increase over current natural gas usage of 111%. Going back to the 2,074 trillion scf from the study, this would be enough to displace imports of all petroleum products (again, at current usage rates and not factoring in declining U.S. oil production) for 43 years.What's the Cost?Natural gas is presently trading at about $4 per million (MM) BTU (although December 2009 is trading at almost $6). Oil is presently trading at $71/bbl, which equates to $12.24/MMBTU. Gasoline is presently trading at over $17/MMBTU. Thus, natural gas is a bargain relative to oil or gasoline. Incidentally, I just checked on seasoned wood and wood pellets, and they range from $8-$12/MMBTUs. So it is cheaper to heat your house with gas than with wood. I am not sure I would have guessed that.






press release
Jun 23, 2009, 4:18 p.m. EST
SEA 2 SKY SECURES $757 MILLION WOOD FIBER SUPPLY CONTRACT IN NEW ZEALAND
Des Wilson Forestry Ltd. to Provide 15 Year Wood Supply to Sea 2 Sky Corporation
FERNDALE, WASHINGTON, Jun 23, 2009 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Sea 2 Sky Corporation, /quotes/comstock/11k!ssky (SSKY 0.39, +0.11, +39.29%) a leading edge Renewable Bio-Energy Company, is pleased to announce that it has obtained a $757 Million multi-year Wood Fiber Supply Agreement with Des Wilson Forestry Ltd. of New Zealand. Sea 2 Sky has secured this large "Fiber Basket" worth $757 Million in revenues to Sea 2 Sky over 15 years and is formalizing the operating agreement including the finance and construction of a wood pellet production mill. This Wood Fiber Supply Agreement provides Sea 2 Sky with 250,000 tons of wood fiber in the first two years and increasing it to 500,000 tons/annually for the remaining 13 years of the 15 year agreement. This agreement enables Sea 2 Sky to service the International wood pellet market on a long-term basis with Europe and Asia having substantial multi-Billion dollar product requirements. Sea 2 Sky will provide its managerial expertise in the manufacturing, international marketing and sales with the Des Wilson Forestry Ltd.'s fiber supply for 15 years with projected sales to Sea 2 Sky of $757 million based on the current market price of $233/dry ton.
David Siebenga, President and CEO of Sea 2 Sky Corporation, commented, "With this agreement now in place, we have achieved a historic milestone of opening up new markets in the forest industry by harnessing strong international sources of supply in stable democratic states that we can now market to our International network of Companies and Governments."
Sea 2 Sky has rapidly expanded its presence in the International wood pellet market with this agreement. The wood pellet market is swiftly becoming a precious commodity in a emerging low carbon emissions world. Wood pellets have many uses in both industrial and residential use and are considered to be carbon neutral when burned. Companies such as Novus Energy GmbH http://www.novusenergy.eu/ and RWE AG http://www.rwe.com/ (FRANKFURT: RWEG) of Germany are prime examples of companies substituting biomass for coal in Europe. The Largest coal burning company in the USA, American Electric Power Inc. of Ohio /quotes/comstock/13*!aep/quotes/nls/aep (AEP 28.80, +0.55, +1.94%) , is also switching some of its coal fired plants to co-fire with biomass. This biomass phenomenon is known as Torrefaction and is rapidly taking hold by using the existing coal mill infrastructure and co-firing the torrefied biomass with it to obtain greater efficiency and reducing carbon output.
About Sea 2 Sky Corporation
Headquartered in a HUB zone in Ferndale, WA, Sea 2 Sky Corporation, is a leading edge Renewable Bio-Energy Company focused on delivering alternative energy solutions to Fortune 1000 companies, Governmental agencies and Countries around the globe. The Company is currently securing the largest concentration of biomass material in North America and Abroad and is backed by a "Special Category Minority Business" which enables it to compete effectively in a substantially growing market. Sea 2 Sky is creating strategic relationships with suppliers of alternative energy sources such as biomass wood pellets to secure long-term supply contracts and to develop these products to a consistent specification that the target markets require to fulfill their energy needs with environmentally smart manufacturing facilities. More information about the Company may be found at http://www.sea2skyenergy.com/.
About Special Category Businesses and HUB Zones
The US government has created various incentive programs for certain demographic and minority based businesses in the Institutional Marketplace to compete with mandates of up to 23% of the US Federal Procurement Budget of $425 Billion for a total market window of $97 Billion. Within these mandates, requirements have been established to provide a strategic plan to have 3% mandated purchase requirements for Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) from the Federal US Budget. Businesses located on a HUB Zone are eligible for Federal contracting preferences with the government having a further 3% for contract set-asides to HUB Zone-certified companies. Furthermore, small business are eligible for Federal contracting preferences with the government having up to a further 13% for contract set-asides to small business companies. Businesses owned and operated by Native Americans are eligible for Federal contracting preferences with the government having a further 5% for contract set-asides.
Notice regarding forward-looking statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that may be subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and may include statements regarding our future financial performance or results of operations, including expected revenue growth. Unless otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date of this press release. Additional information concerning risks and uncertainties that would cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in the forward-looking statements can be found in the reports that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contacts:
Sea 2 Sky Corporation
877-732-2759
info@sea2skyenergy.com

Sea 2 Sky Corporation
Investor Relations
425-296-7695
ir@sea2skyenergy.com
http://www.sea2skyenergy.com/



June 24, 2009
Vermont School District Shifts to Wood Pellets
Vermont, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]
The Windsor School District in Windsor, Vermont will become one of the first public school systems in the state to heat its building entirely with locally sourced wood pellets. The district has contracted with International WoodFuels LLC to provide a metered thermal heating solution that includes a high-efficiency pellet boiler, pellet storage silo, pellet delivery and monitoring and maintenance of the system with no capital cost investment by Windsor Schools.
"The fact that WoodFuels connects its boiler directly to our existing system minimized the effects the installation will have on the school's daily operation."-- Scott Coffran, Facilities Director, Windsor School District
Windsor will not purchase pellets, but rather, pay only for the heat as consumed and metered, similar to the way the electric utility delivers its power. The district will use the WoodFuels Green Energy System as its primary heat source for the duration of the contract and will receive guaranteed savings over the annual price of its current fossil fuel sources. The system will displace the use of 40,000 gallons of heating oil per school year.The company will own all of the equipment and will manage all project aspects of the installation, as well as operation and maintenance of the boilers, all at no cost to the school. The system is scheduled to be completed for the 2009-10 heating season. The Windsor School District had looked at both wood pellet and wood chip systems prior to signing the agreement with WoodFuels, but decided on the wood pellet system due to the efficiency with which pellets combust.“We looked at a number of locations for either a wood pellet or chip system on school grounds, and in the end, the pellet boiler and storage silo were much more compact. The fact that WoodFuels connects its boiler directly to our existing system minimized the effects the installation will have on the school’s daily operation. And of course, the no capital cost and clean efficiency were also great talking points,” said Scott Coffran, Facilities Director for the school district.
Copyright © 1999-2009 RenewableEnergyWorld.com - All rights reserved.

PINE BEETLE INFESTED WOOD BENEFICIAL TO BIOMASS INDUSTRY
By Anna Austin

Posted June 24, 2009, at 2:28 p.m. CST The millions of acres of dead, downed and diseased timber infected by pine beetles in Colorado and the Western U.S. could be put to beneficial use by the biomass industry, and also help with forest fire mitigation and suppression, according to Mark Mathis, Pellet Fuels Institute Government Affairs and Commercial Fuel Committee member. Last week, Mathis, a number of congressmen from western states, representatives of the U.S. departments of agriculture and the interior, state and local officials, and business owners testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Water and Power and Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. All stressed how important it is for the biomass industry to gain access the pine-beetle-damaged wood, and to help Congress formulate a strategic plan to manage the materials. Mathis is also president of Confluence Energy LLC, which currently is removing affected timber in Colorado and using it to produce wood pellets. The company operates a manufacturing facility in Kremmling, Colo., 70 miles northwest of Denver. “The utilization of this material from U.S. forests and parks will put value on the material, which is currently considered a substantial liability to U.S. taxpayers,” Mathis said. “Confluence Energy has viewed documents created by U.S. Forest Service personnel that suggest that the cost to treat some of the existing area in USFS Region 2 would exceed $220 million over the next three years. Confluence Energy suggests that by lowering some of the existing hurdles in accessing the dead and dying trees, private industry can add value to the material and dramatically reduce the cost to the taxpayers.” Mathis said the company estimated the possible savings at about $75 million over five years.
A decision needs to be made quickly, however, as the dead and dying trees have a limited shelf life, Mathis said. “It is estimated that once the trees die and turn red they have eight to 15 years before they blow over,” he said. “When trees blow over, they rot dramatically faster and any value from the wood is removed. Every minute we talk and do not act, not only are we are losing value, but we are reducing the time private industry has to get a return on their money to justify investing in these types of projects.” Mathis presented a plan that would require $10 million in grant funding and an additional $20 million in USDA-backed loans. He suggested Confluence Energy build an 8 MMgy to 10 MMgy ethanol plant and said the company has a partnership with a large U.S. fossil fuel company that is interested in a joint venture. The plan also includes the construction of a 5-megawatt power generation system to satisfy the facility’s and Kremmling’s energy needs; the retrofit and remodel of the company’s existing facility to manufacture high-value wood products; the renovation of an existing rail loading facility to transport finished products to market, and the expansion of Confluence Energy’s pellet facility to maximize potential output. Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., in his testimony, said the amount of diseased trees in Colorado is more than 2 million acres and growing. “We have over 633 miles of electrical transmission lines just in Colorado that are in areas of dead or dying trees,” Salazar said. “We also have over 1,300 miles of electrical distribution lines at risk from falling trees or fire. A large fire could destroy many of these lines, causing power outages for months. While a wildfire is just a matter of when, falling trees are occurring now on trails, rancher’s fences, camp grounds and power lines.” Seth Voyles, PFI manager of government affairs, said the main thing on the agenda was to evaluate strategies to address the pine beetle wood problem. “For us, the pellet industry is part the solution,” he said. Aside from pellets, Voyles said there are many other possible uses for the wood. “When these trees die, they get a blue tinge to them, so there is blue furniture being made out of them as well,” he said. “There are a lot of things that can be done—in Mexico they’re allowing people to go in and cut wood for home heating, and they’re not charging for the permit to cut it as long as they use beetle kill trees.” As far as covering the cost of retrieving the wood, Voyles said that varies, depending on whether the damaged wood is on federal, state or private land. Jennifer Hedrick, manager of PFI, said one of the major hang-ups right now is the release of the land by the government and allow access for people to retrieve the materials. “There are some barriers,” Voyles agreed. “Especially on federal lands out West, there’s always some bureaucratic red tape to go through. There’s sensitivity about going into these lands, and sometimes there are no roads to get to them; some roads have limited access and you can’t get logging trucks in there; sometimes you’ll have timber sales approved by the government and the purchaser and suddenly someone files a lawsuit against it and it stops. There’s a whole mess of things that could prevent going in and getting the stuff out—even though everyone’s pretty gung-ho about doing it.”



Biomass Magazine
308 2nd Avenue North, Suite 304Grand Forks, ND 58203(701)746-8385 Fax:(701)746-5367Subscription Fax:(701)738-4927

OTTEN TO ANNOUNCE MONDAY ON RUN FOR GOVERNOR OF MAINE
By Michael Daniels/A.P.
Les Otten of Greenwood confirmed for The Citizen Wednesday that he will announce Monday if he is to be a candidate for governor in the 2010 election. Otten was the founder and CEO of the Newry-based American Skiing Co., and went on to own a share of the Boston Red Sox. Since leaving the ski business and the Red Sox, he has turned to other ventures, including starting a new company, Maine Energy Systems, in 2008. MESys, which is based in Bethel, promotes the sales and distribution of wood pellets and pellet-fired boilers. Otten also serves as chairman of the Governor's Wood to Energy Task Force and is chairman of the Jeremiah Cromwell Disabilities Center in Portland. Asked why he was running, Otten noted Wednesday that 70 percent of Maine’s employment comes from small business, “and one of my considerations in devoting myself to public service comes from a keen sensibility and awareness of how difficult it is to do business in Maine.” And, he said, he has “a deep belief that government is here to support business, and business wasn’t created to support government — and I think we’ve got it a little bit wrong.” Political party TBA Otten will spell out his plans at a breakfast meeting with supporters Monday in South Portland. He then will hold a news conference, at which he is expected to announce the creation of a gubernatorial exploratory committee. Otten has declined to comment on whether he would run as a Republican, Democrat or independent. He said he’ll announce his political affiliation at the news conference.



FEDERAL BILL LARGELY IGNORES IMPORTANCE OF WOOD BIOMASS
By DeAnna StephensDate Posted: 7/1/2009
Although we’re still far from a paper-free society, the economic recession has hastened the decline of demand for paper. Increasingly, publishers are going digital only at a time when businesses are reducing paper clutter and print communications. Emails and intranets have replaced inner-office memos and newsletters.
Abitibi-Bowater filed for bankruptcy protection recently, as did packaging maker Smurfit-Stone Container in January. According to the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), 18 U.S. paper mills closed permanently in 2008 and several more were idled indefinitely.
Pulp and paper mills have always been important for hardwood lumber producers. They not only serve as outlet for chips and other by-products, but help keep loggers in business by providing an outlet for pulpwood. Total fiber consumption at U.S. paper and paperboard mills fell 3.8% to 89.4 million tons in 2008, according to AF&PA. While AF&PA predicts increased fiber consumption between 2009-2011, a larger percentage of it will be recycled. Recovered fiber use increased from 26.6% of total fiber in 1990 to 36.5% in 2008. Production of paper is growing in overseas markets, but shipping costs and locally available resources have reduced exporting of pulpwood or by-products.
Large declines in sawmill production over the past two years have kept chip markets from collapsing, and at times even created tightness in markets. However, new markets for biomass energy have begun to take over as major outlets for by-products and promise to replace, if not exceed, demand from slowing paper activities. The question vital to hardwood sawmills and wood product manufacturers is what will happen to demand for pulpwood? Will biomass energy systems become viable soon enough to keep loggers working?

Electricity from Wood is Growing
There has been a shift in the social consciousness and wood is now considered a potential solution to environmental problems, rather than the cause. With the current focus on green technology, the time to create new industries that help improve the profitability of forest products companies is now.
European shifts toward energy production with wood pellets and the growth of pellet stoves for home heating in the U.S. and Canada have created new demand for clean chips and sawdust. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), there were 346 generators running on wood and wood derived fuels in the United States in 2007 with the combined capacity to produce 7,510 megawatts annually. The DOE says that biomass is now the leading producer of renewable energy in the United States, having recently passed hydroelectric power.
Hardwood industry companies have taken advantage of wood-fired boilers for years, but now that “green” has become a marketing concept, companies from other industries are seeking recognition for their environmental stewardship and are also recognizing the potential for cost savings from burning wood. An example is the new biomass plant at Lockheed Martin’s Owego, N.Y., location, which has supposedly reduced the facility’s carbon footprint by 25%. The biomass plant is generating steam from wood chips to heat, cool and generate supplemental electricity for the company’s production facility and offices.
The energy sector is also getting onboard. In 2008-2009, six new wood-fired power generation stations were scheduled to come on line. At least eight more will be ready to begin generation by 2012. One example is Peregrine Energy Corporation’s plans to construct a 50-megawatt generation facility in Hartsville, SC. Many other new co-generation plants and even conversions of coal-fired plants are being discussed. Passage of looming cap-and-trade carbon emissions legislation would only further push companies to develop more “carbon-neutral” energy.

Growth of Small Chip Mills
Connecticut based Hull Forest Products started looking at biomass as an alternative to selling chips to paper companies back in the 1980s. The paper industry was moving away from New England and freight costs deeply eroded profitability from selling to northern pulp mills. The company converted its own operations to a wood-fired boiler. About ten years ago, when some area schools began converting to biomass, Hull started selling to that market, which has continued to grow. “We’re getting several calls a week from people wanting to talk about plans to build,” said Sam Hull. “Right now, with the lumber industry struggling, chips and biomass are the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Hull Forest Products initially sold chips from its sawmill, but demand eventually surpassed supply. The company began supplementing production by running pulpwood through a debarker and chipper. The debarker was necessary because most operations need clean, bark-free chips which burn cleaner and produce less ash.
Used debarkers and chippers start at $20,000 to $50,000 dollars each. That’s an unlikely cash outlay for many loggers these days, yet, there appears to be interest. “If you talk to the loggers, they are all out there looking at buying a chipper,” said Hull. Not all loggers will need to secure that kind of capital to benefit from growing biomass demand. Many sawmill companies now have excess equipment that they may be able to reconfigure into a chip mill. Some may consider giving up the lumber side of the business altogether, but Hull suggests that model may be difficult financially. “It would be very hard for us to do this without the sawmill.”
Whether more sawmills build small chip mills or loggers invest in them, wood-fired energy plants promise to bring more financial stability to loggers. At existing price levels of up to $60/ton for clean chips, wood fired energy is cheaper than most alternatives.

Impact of Government
Legislators and government policy makers have to make decisions on a number of biomass related issues which will have a significant impact on how large biomass markets become. A narrow federal definition of “sustainable” woody-biomass has been used in past legislation and is included in several new bills. The current Renewable Electricity Standard’s (RES) definition of biomass restricts the definition of biomass so that it cannot be harvested from “old growth” or “mature” forests (without defining them), plantations planted after the act is passed, or any federal land unless it is near a campground or structure. That definition was widely criticized at a recent hearing before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
“If cellulosic forms of biomass are important, current definitions of renewable biomass in major energy policy legislation take a large portion of the land base out of consideration for use in renewable fuels,” testified Mary Wagner, a regional forester with the U.S. Forest Service. “We need to ensure that restrictive definitions of ‘biomass’ don’t restrict our ability to remove these materials from our forests,” said Tom Partin, president of American Forest Resource Council. (See article on page 28 covering biomass restrictions in current clean energy legislation.)
Still, former Vice President Al Gore testified in front of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee recently that biomass from federal forests should remain off-limits because he is concerned that using it will encourage clear-cutting. While this debate won’t stop energy production from woody biomass, it will significantly limit wood availability from federal lands and may push energy companies toward other fuel stocks such as switchgrass.
Part of the RES could also push more use of woody biomass. The bill would require all power plants to generate 25% of their energy by 2025 from renewable energy sources. “If we see that bill enacted, which we think we’ll see something, that could be very positive—not necessarily today—but clearly a positive for large owners of wood fiber,” said Rick Holley, president and CEO of Plum Creek Timber.
Many coal-fired power plants could meet that standard by mixing woody biomass with coal. Co-firing power plants reduces sulphur and carbon emissions and, according to the DOE, mixing biomass with coal may require only minor plant modifications. Some energy generators may not stop at co-firing. Ontario Power Generation is considering transitioning all four of its coal-fired plants to biomass in 2014.

The Future Looks Promising
Swift declines in the paper industry are likely to reduce overall demand for chips and pulpwood during the next couple of years, but then biomass energy generation will begin pushing demand upward again. Numerous government agencies, colleges and manufacturers are building or considering installing woody biomass plants.
Given the current political and social climate, the rate of growth in woody biomass-generated electricity should continue to accelerate for several years. Healthy markets for pulpwood and by-products will go a long way toward keeping loggers in business and maintaining a steady flow of logs for sawmills.




THE KALAMALKA RESEARCH STATION IS GOING GREEN


boiler/solar panel combinationWeb Site: http://www.bclocalnews.com/
Email this story to a friend Print


Description
By Graeme Corbett - Vernon Morning StarThe Kalamalka Research Station is going green, and it is using a fairly familiar natural resource to do it.Back in January, B.C.s Ministry of Forests replaced the research stations natural gas heating system with a wood pellet boiler/solar panel combination, and Mark Griffin, the ministrys manager of research stations, says the results have been inspiring.Griffin estimates the research station previously consumed $16,000 annually in natural gas to heat the facility. He believes the biomass boiler could reduce that figure by up to $10,000, depending on how well the solar panels function in winter.The big random element is solar power, and how much energy were going to get from the solar panels, said Griffin, whose background is greenhouse horticulture.So far, the stations $1,300 monthly gas bill has been reduced to a paltry $175. That figure is offset by the consumption of $3,000 in pellets since the boiler came online in January, which is still a significant savings.The idea for all this came about when the ministry held a contest challenging its employees to devise alternative energy programs that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.More than 400 ideas were submitted, with Ted Traer, a woodlot forester in the Quesnel district, winning with his Energy Cabin proposal. His design comprised a heating system powered by both solar panels and a wood pellet boiler.After looking at the ministrys potential facilities, it was decided the Kalamalka Research Station would be an ideal candidate.As a research station, were continually used as a proving ground for new ideas. Were happy to oblige, grinned Griffin.After a request for proposals was tendered, Enderbys Burkhard Fink, owner of Fink Machine Inc., was awarded the contract.The Austrian-born Fink, a machinist by trade, has been involved in the bio-energy field for 10 years. He says timber-rich B.C. is ideally situated to begin replacing gas- and oil-powered furnaces with high-efficiency wood boilers.I refused to consume gas when we have so much wood around, said Fink, of when he first began operating in B.C. It was an economic-driven decision back then... but the environmental aspects are being heard more in the public now.We also keep the wealth locally. We use local labour to harvest the local fuel instead of importing fuel. Its creating jobs all around.The Kal research station had to look no further than Armstrongs Pinnacle Pellets for a steady fuel source for its wood boiler. The solar panels were supplied by Swiss Solar Tech in Kelowna.We are proud of the fact that we were able to use a B.C.-based support system, said Griffin. Its a real plus for us.We see it as a way of supporting our emerging bio-energy field.Fink, who has five employees in Enderby, noted that while bio-energy projects have yet to catch on in the Okanagan, there will likely be more on the way as governments look to tighten greenhouse gas regulations and reduce fossil fuel consumption.The environmental impact is a lot lower and gentler with clean burning wood boilers than with fossil fuel equipment, said Fink, adding that modern wood boilers are just as efficient as natural gas furnaces.The perception is out there that wood burning equipment is dirty and not environmentally friendly. That can be true if its old technology, but new technology thats in Europe... is so clean burning you cannot visibly see the emissions.As an example, a school in P.E.I. that consumed 100,000 litres of natural gas annually converted to one of Finks wood boilers. Greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 296 tons annually, which equals the amount produced by 54 passenger vehicles.The research stations wood pellet boiler has already consumed an estimated 30 metric tons of fuel, yet Griffin says they have ended up with just one wheel barrel full of ash as a by-product.Once he (Fink) got the machine tricked out, we were seeing very efficient combustion, said Griffin. This boiler is extremely efficient. It was impressive to see how little ash was produced.While the wood boiler and solar panels currently arent much use in summer, Griffin says there is potential to run the facilitys hot water off the panels.In summer, the challenge is to radiate all that heat the panels collect. Were still in the incipient stages of this.Griffin explains future alternative energy projects could include the ministrys fire bases. With no gas lines to these remote locations, diesel and propane need to be hauled in to keep them running. Griffin says a wood boiler/solar panel combination could be an ideal solution.

Additional Information
· Web Site: http://www.bclocalnews.com/
· Category: Forestry>Biomass Energy
· Region: BC - Canada
· Ad Running: 6/28/2009-7/28/2011
· Ad Posted: 6/28/2009 12:47:32 PM
· Ad Viewed: 103 times