Biomass

Biomass to Energy Project

Grant PUD is assessing a biomass power co-generation facility within central Washington.  The proposed project would generate between 15 and 20 megawatts (MW) of renewable power and provide enough electricity to support from 15,000 to 20,000 households.  A facility of this size requires from 120,000 to 160,000 bone dry tons (BDT) of woody biomass each year as fuel.

Availability of economical wood fuel meeting environmental standards is a primary factor in determining the appropriate scale of any proposed biomass power plant. Woody biomass fuel will consist of a mix of byproduct from wood products manufacturing, material generated from the removal and pruning of orchards and unutilized material from timber harvest and forest treatment activities.

A biomass power facility burns woody material in a boiler system fitted with air emissions controls.  This combustion creates steam to spin a turbine to generate electricity.  After the steam has been utilized to spin the turbine, it can be extracted to provide heat for other uses.

A woody biomass power generation facility provides social and economic benefits, including:

• Improved Air Quality:  Utilization of material that would otherwise be burned in the open or in a wildfire.  Biomass power plants can eliminate 95 to 99 percent of air pollutants compared to burning the material in the open with no emissions controls.
• Renewable Power Generation: The proposed facility will generate renewable power and comply with Initiative 937.  
• Local Jobs:  Family wage jobs will be created as a direct result of this project.  Most of the new jobs will be associated with fuels collection, processing and transport activities. 
• Carbon Beneficial: Reduce open burning of biomass thus mitigating uncontrolled combustion and emissions and as an offset to fossil fuel fired power generation.
• Contribution to Tax Base: Contributed tax revenues locally, throughout the county and state as well as at the federal level.