Biomass Energy Carries a Price

Tuesday, June 03, 2008 11:00 AM

Michael Kerr prepares to welcome Ibrahim Karidio to the Bio Energy speakers stage

Prince George, B.C.- There is no shortage of biomass in northern B.C. That’s the bottom line from Ibrahim Karidio a principal research engineer with Paprican.

He told a gathering of delegates to the BioEnergy conference in Prince George, the real issue may develop to being one of affordability.

There are four basic types of residues:

Cellulostic ( wood residue sawmill wast, wood waste) which is abundant in the Northern Interior
Agricultural : crops
Animal waste: Manure ( 42% of cattle herds are in Caribou and Peace regions) 6 millon tonnes of manure can generate 15 million cubic meters of methane.
Municipal solid waste: Foothills Regional landfill site handles 94,415 tonnes of solid waste, there is enough land fill gas (methane gas) to replace natural gas for 440 homes

Karidio says there are some cost problems related to creating fuels from biomass:

Canola would require a capital investment of $28 million dollars, and would produce fuel at a cost of 23 cents per litre. He says the amount of Canola needed to supply a proposed project in Dawson Creek would exceed the current annual production of canola in the entire province.

Straw, would require a capital investment of $37.3 million dollars and would produce fuel at a cost of 40 cents a litre.

Wood, would require a capital investment of $250 -$500 million dollars, but would produce fuel at a cost of 28-47 cents per litre.

The BioEnergy conference has drawn attendees from all over the world and runs through the 5^th at the Civic Centre.

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Posted on Tuesday, June 03, 2008 11:00 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: BCRacer on June 3 2008 11:59 AM

Well lets use the wood, straw and stuff, and put the food goods back on the grocery store shelves where it belongs.

Posted by: owl on June 3 2008 1:59 PM

Notice that the premise is that the feedstock is RESIDUE or waste from other processes.

Even at that, I am unsure of whether the Canola is actually the cellulose waste or the entire product. The same with the hay. Rather than hay as feed, is it all being converted to fuel?

The wood is easy; the assumption is that it is residue and comes at no cost of the feedstock for harvesting, transportation, restocking, etc.

So, the costs cited need more definition. Harvesting a tree halfway up a mountain, 200km away from a plant for puposes of lumber as an end use has a completely different cost associated with the residue than if that same tree was harvested for 100% biofuel use.

Posted by: BCRacer on June 3 2008 2:17 PM

well figures don't lie they say....
but them partial truth tellers can sure figure.