BURNER (XCEL ENERGY)

Some have a profound and reasonable antipathy for any form of energy generation that involves burning. (For more on this, see The Burning Issues with Biomass)

Others, environmentalists, distinguish between (a) the burning in unsustainable volumes of hydrocarbons stored in the ground eons ago and (b) the burning of hydrocarbons at the rate they are grown, an essentially carbon-neutral process.

Clean Wisconsin, the state’s biggest environmental group, and RENEW Wisconsin, a New Energy advocacy group, both like Xcel Energy and welcomed Xcel’s newest move in biomass burning, the conversion of its Bay Front Power Plant in Ashland, Wisconsin, to 100% biomass-burning capability.

Xcel is one of the leading New Energy-generating utilities in the U.S. It has built 2700+ megawatts of wind energy capacity. In Wisconsin, Xcel generates 11% of its electricity from New Energy, a portfolio that includes hydro, wind, wood and waste biomass.

The company intends to cut its Midwest greenhouse gas emissions 22% below 2005 levels by 2020.

The biomas generation process: Biomass (waste wood) reacts with a controlled amount of oxygen at high temperature. The resulting “syngas” is burned to generated steam and drive turbines. The resulting gas fuel is much cleaner than coal. Theoretically, the emissions generated from burning equal those consumed by the trees during growth from which the wood waste is derived.

This does not, of course, neutralize all the emissions generated in the harvesting and delivery of the wood waste.

The biomass used at Bay Front will come mainly from the region’s forest harvest waste wood. Local independent contractors will obtain and transport the waste wood. The plant currently uses 200,000+ tons of waste wood/year. The upgrade will take that to 400-to-500 thousand tons.

A 2006 Xcel Energy-funded Energy Center of Wisconsin study showed that forests within a 50-mile radius of the Bay Front Power Plant could support additional biomass removal sustainably, without adverse environmental impacts to the local ecosystem. Dedicated biomass energy plantations could ultimately provide the rest the plant’s increased biomass needs and provide additional benefits from carbon sequestration.

Michael Vickerman, executive director, RENEW Wisconsin: "Xcel Energy has been a long-time leader in providing renewable energy from local sources to the citizens of Wisconsin…This biomass initiative continues that tradition."

Mark Redsten, executive director, Clean Wisconsin: "This project will both lessen Wisconsin's reliance on imported fossil fuels and propel us closer to the renewable energy goals of Gov. Doyle's Task Force on Global Warming…"

The Bay Front Power Plant, through purchases of waste wood and use of related services, has a $20 million annual economic impact on the six-county region around Ashland. That will increase significantly with the doubling of waste wood consumption.

Ed Monroe, Mayor, Ashland: “This is exciting news for the City of Ashland…This will help further our commitment to move toward renewable energy and our commitment to the sustainable goals of being an eco-municipality.”

In 2005, Ashland became Wisconsin’s second “eco-municipality,” working to balance economics and ecological concerns in a development strategy based on local natural resources, environmental values, commercial and industrial structure, and local lifestyles.

The concept. (click to enlarge)

Xcel plans Wisconsin biomass plant
Carissa Wyant, September 30, 2008 (Business Journal of Milwaukee)
and
Xcel Announces Largest Biomass Plant in Midwest; Project would make Bay Front Power Plant one of largest in nation

WHO
Xcel Energy Inc. (Dick Kelly, president/CEO); Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW); Clean Wisconsin (Mark Redsten, executive director); RENEW Wisconsin (Michael Vickerman, executive director) DTE Energy Services Inc.

WHAT
Xcel plans to renovate and upgrade the Bay Front Power Plant to create the largest biomass-fueled power plant in the Midwest.

There is another side to this argument. (click to enlarge)

WHEN
- The application for the plant changes will be filed by Fall 2008.
- Construction is expected to begin in 2010.
- Operation could begin by late 2012.
- 1979: Bay Front Power Plant was the 1st investor-owned utility’s plant, and one of the first in the U.S., to burn waste wood to generate electricity.
- Earlier in 2008, DTE Energy Services Inc. announced plans to convert the E.J. Stoneman coal plant to biomass.

WHERE
- Bay Front Power Plant is in Ashland, Wisconsin.
- The E.J. Stoneman coal plant in Cassville, Wisconsin.
- Xcel currently supplies electricity and natural gas in 8 U.S. states, primarily Colorado and Minnesota.

WHY
- Xcel must 1st submit an application to the PSCW.
- The plan: Convert the 3rd burner at Bay Front Power Plant to biomass technology and upgrade the 2 that already do so.
- Cost: Between $55 million and $70 million.
- All 3 boilers have recently been retrofitted for “flex fuel” capability, meaning they can burn multiple fuels.
- The 3rd coal-burning unit will be converted to biomass gasification technology.
- This is the first time a coal-fired boiler has been converted to biomass gasification technology at an existing base-load power plant.
- Expected emissions reductions: Nitrogen oxides – 50%; sulfur dioxides – 85+%; particulate matter – 90%.
- DTE Energy Services will convert the 50-megawatt E.J. Stoneman coal plant to 100% wood waste.

Schematic of a plant. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Dick Kelly, president/CEO, Xcel Energy: The Bay Front project reflects our increased focus on environmental leadership and designing a clean energy future for our customers and communities…As part of this effort, we are investing in advanced energy technologies and improving the environmental performance of our existing generating resources. These efforts combined contribute to our goal to reduce carbon dioxide by 22 percent from 2005 levels on our Midwest generation system by 2020.”
- Ed Monroe, Mayor, Ashland: “Xcel Energy has been at the forefront providing upgrades to its generating and transmission facilities in Ashland and our surrounding region. These investments not only provide jobs and a huge economic impact to the Ashland area, they also add to the stability of our economy and our sources of electricity.”