Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo
March 29-30, 2022
Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, GA
The Educational Event for the Wood Bioenergy Industry, Including Wood Pellets, Biomass Power, Biofuels, In-Woods Chipping, Raw Material Procurement
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Wood Bio Show Covers Forest To Furnace
Going into the seventh Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, organizers said the lineup of keynote speakers, on paper, was the best in the history of the event. The real thing was even better. Speakers from their wide-ranging perspectives provided a crystal clear picture of how the wood-based energy industry shapes up today and what to expect moving forward.
The avalanche of insightful information prompted one attendee to comment, “You never get to hear so many important people from the leading companies talk at one event, but we heard them here.”
“Here” was the Omni Hotel at CNN Center, Grand Ballroom North, which is where the event has been held since its inception, and this time during March 29-30. Several “big picture” keynote talks were interspersed between two-dozen technical presentations on subjects such as Fire Prevention, Raw Materials, Process Optimization and Developing Technologies.
And when not enjoying the presentations, the attendees were able to comb the exhibit area, where 50 leading equipment and technology companies set up shop.
“The mood was fantastic,” comments Jessica Johnson, managing editor of Wood Bioenergy magazine, which hosted the event. “I think it was a combination of people so looking forward to getting out in-person and the tremendous momentum of the wood-based energy industry.”
As evidenced in the keynote talks, momentum is not only the result of a growing number of production-related projects, but also due to the increasing awareness of the environmental benefits that wood-based energy brings to discussions on carbon emissions, carbon capture, climate change and forestland management.
BIO 2022 News
BIO Session: Developing Technologies
Bioenergy’s not-to-be-missed technical sessions will cover a variety of topics, including “Developing Technologies,” a session covering advancements in WESP designs, torrefaction and using RCOs for wood dryer VOC control, with speakers Rodney Schwartz of...
New Speaker Added
ESI’s Jeff White will join Wendy Owens and Larry Sullivan in the Raw Materials session delving into the key technical and commercial considerations of Biomass 2.0, while looking ahead to 2023-2025 as the industry faces a mini renaissance in using biomass as...
Madden Among BIO Keynoters
Taking Risks Today to Advance Bioenergy for Tomorrow Peter Madden, President and CEO, U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities is the forest sectors venture specialist. The Endowment collaborates with public and...
2022 Keynoters
Past, Present and Future of the Wood Pellet Industry
Harold Arnold, President, Fram Renewable Fuels
Over the past years the wood pellet industry has evolved, and there have been many changes in the present markets in Asia and Europe and there will be changes in the future markets. This presentation addresses these timelines and developments from the point of view of one of the first producers and exporters of industrial wood pellets in the United States.
Converting Coal Power Plants to Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) – Economic Reality or Sustainability Risk?
Pedro Campilho, Principal, Bioenergy Consulting, AFRY
The conversion of coal power stations to biomass presents a real opportunity to phase out carbon intensive energy generation and transition to carbon neutral energy systems. With the addition of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology such projects can become a game changer in the ambition to reach the goal of net zero carbon societies as BECCS projects can deliver real net negative emission profiles, balancing other sectors with decarbonization constrains. A diligent assessment of the availability of sustainable biomass fuel resources, of the suitability of available technology routes, of capital and operating cost requirements, of the availability of suitable CO2 storage options and of their economic viability are a prerequisite for developing and implementing successful and sustainable BECCS projects.
Latest Advances in NFPA Compliant Material Handling
Dane Floyd, Principal, Biomass Engineering & Equipment
BE&E has experienced tremendous organizational and project growth in the past two years. This presentation focuses on the latest developments in dust tight, efficient, safe and NFPA compliant material handling systems. Everyone is short on laborers so it is ever more important to reduce the manpower required for cleanup and maintenance. The presentation will demonstrate how a mill can achieve those goals while also reducing power demands, creating a multi-level payback.
Timber Supply and Outlook
Amanda Hamsley Lang, COO & Vice President of Client Services, FORISK Consulting
Amanda discusses the implications of timber supply trends on local markets, with impacts from mill capital investments. It includes updates on announced mill openings and expansions and potential impacts of these on timber and residual supplies moving forward. The presentation also provides an update on timber market dynamics and how these impact wood demand and timber supply. In addition, the talk includes a discussion of forest carbon offsets.
Taking Risks Today to Advance Bioenergy for Tomorrow
Peter Madden, President and CEO, U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities is the forest sectors venture specialist. The Endowment collaborates with public and private sector partners to advance systemic, transformative and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities. It invests deliberately in carefully chosen significant projects and sticks with them until through the desired results. Partnerships are essential to achieve big outcomes and the Endowment revels in being “bridge builders.” It embraces risk and takes pride in tackling what others can’t or won’t. When possible, it favors market-based approaches to drive outcomes. The Endowment has invested more than $20 million to prove out the commercial viability of producing bioenergy with the torrefaction of woody biomass to benefit restoration thinning efforts in the Northwest. The Endowment works with partners to understand mine reclamation efforts utilizing biochar and the possibilities of carbon capture and storage. The Endowment has partnered with AFRY to advance the knowledge-base of the cost structure and challenges of transforming domestic coal-fired power plants to utilizing bioenergy.
Current and Future Applications and Growth Opportunities of Sustainable Biomass
Thomas Meth, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-Founder, Enviva
Sustainable biomass is the only renewable energy source that provides vital dispatchable power and heat today. But as we look to the future, it will continue to expand into new applications such as decarbonizing heavy industry. Heavy industry is the hardest sector to abate for net zero. Woody biomass can serve as a replacement for fossil fuels in cement, lime and steel production. Woody biomass can also play a huge role in the Net-Zero Solution. Woody biomass can supply much-needed negative emissions technology through bioenergy with carbon capture and storage.
Strategic Biofuels—Cellulosic Biofuels—A Commercial Reality
Stan Parton, VP Forestry, Strategic Biofuels, LLC.
The Louisiana Green Fuels project demonstrates cellulosic biofuel production deployed at industrial scale with low technical risk and strong economic returns. The presentation provides an update of the Louisiana Green Fuels project development including: economic captured by the project; project scope and process modules; state of project development.
Development of Steam Exploded Pellet Facility in North America
Tyler Player, President, Player Design, Inc.
PDI has successfully produced steam exploded wood pellets in its Ashland, Maine facility on behalf of Active Energy Group. The reactor design, overall process setup, and fuel analysis will all be discussed. AEG has announced a new facility in Ashland to produce 70,000 tons per year of steam exploded pellets and is actively seeking partners to replicate the operation elsewhere.
Breaking Down the Complexity of Delivering Capital Projects
Bijan Shams, President, Cogent Industrial Technologies
Whether it’s greenfield, expansion or modernization, successful delivery of a capital project is a challenging and complex task. Not only does the project have to be carefully executed to meet the capital team objectives on time and on budget, but must also integrate process safety, reliability, efficiency and operability to ensure success within an industry where experienced personnel are hard to find. This presentation identifies the challenges and key actions needed to deliver a successful project while managing all stakeholders’ expectations.
Industrial Wood Pellet Markets: Pellet Fuel Is a Significant Part of the Strategy to Decarbonize the Power Sector in Many Countries. What about the U.S.?
William Strauss, President and Founder, FutureMetrics
Global trade in wood pellets used as a replacement for coal for power generation (“industrial” pellets) will be about 23 million metric tons in 2021. England, Western Europe, Japan and South Korea are the major importers. The world’s largest exporter is the U.S., projected at 8 million tonnes in 2021. Yet the U.S. uses zero tonnes in U.S. power generation stations. This presentation provides an overview of the global markets including a discussion of the policies that support the use of pellet fuel and the potential for use in the U.S. It also discusses the carbon benefits of displacing coal with sustainably produced pellet fuel and the potential for carbon negative power generation with the use of bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS). The presentation also addresses advances in thermal treatment technologies (torrefaction and steam explosion) that produce a solid fuel that has handling and storage characteristics similar to coal.
Drax and the Industrial Pellet Landscape in North America
Matt White, Executive Vice President, North America Operations, Drax
White leads the North America segment of the UK-based company that has defined the new generation of wood-fueled electricity, carbon emissions reduction and carbon capture. White will address the evolving North America operations as they continue to increase the supply of wood pellets to the power station in North Yorkshire, England. Drax developed and started up three large scale wood pellet plants in the Southern U.S. and is currently building three satellite pellet mills in the South; and through its purchase of Pinnacle in 2021 Drax added nine pellet plants in Canada and two in the Southern U.S.
Biomass Power in Arizona
Brad Worsley, President, Novo Power
Brad Worsley is president of Novo Power, the only industrial scale biomass facility in Arizona and one of the most successful such facilities in the United States. As the facility has progressed to a high output status, it has become the keystone of restoration efforts on nearly 4 million acres of national forestland in Arizona. Novo Power stands on the edge of opportunity as the U.S. Forest Service has recently announced plans to increase efforts in restoration as part of the Four Forests Restoration Initiative (4FRI), committing to increase restoration efforts by three to four times historic rates. Worsley comments, “We need to see more utilization of these underutilized assets to attack two of the greatest natural resource issues we now face—fire and water.”
2022 Sessions
Speaker presentations can be downloaded here. Please note that a password is required.
TUESDAY, MARCH 29
MORNING KEYNOTERS SESSION
(Rooms B-C)
8:30-8:35 a.m.
Welcoming Remarks and Keynoters Introduction
—Rich Donnell, Conference Co-Chairman, Editor-in-Chief, Wood Bioenergy
8:40-9:05 a.m.
Biomass in Arizona (and the 4FRI Factor)
—Brad Worsley, President, Novo Power
9:10-9:35 a.m.
Drax and the Industrial Pellet Landscape
—Matt White, Executive Vice President, North America Operations, Drax
9:40-10:05 a.m.
Current and Future Applications and Growth Opportunities of Sustainable Biomass
—Thomas Meth, CCO and Co-Founder, Enviva
MID-MORNING KEYNOTERS SESSION
(Rooms B-C)
10:35-10:40 a.m.
Remarks and Introductions
—Jessica Johnson, Managing Editor, Wood Bioenergy
10:45-11:10 a.m.
Taking Risks Today to Advance Bioenergy for Tomorrow
—Peter Madden, President and CEO, U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
11:15-11:40 a.m.
Strategic Biofuels—Cellulosic Biofuels—A Commercial Reality
—Stan Parton, VP Forestry, Strategic Biofuels, LLC.
11:45 a.m. – 12:10 p.m.
Timber Supply and Outlook
—Amanda Hamsley Lang, COO & Vice President of Client Services, FORISK Consulting
AFTERNOON KEYNOTERS SESSION
(Rooms B-C)
1:25-1:30 p.m.
General Remarks
—Dan Shell, Senior Editor, Wood Bioenergy
1:35-2:00 p.m.
Past, Present and Future of the Wood Pellet Industry
—Harold Arnold, President, Fram Renewable Fuels
2:05-2:30 p.m.
Industrial Wood Pellet Markets: Pellet Fuel Is a Significant Part of the Strategy to Decarbonize the Power Sector in Many Countries. What About the U.S.?
—William Strauss, President and Founder, FutureMetrics
2:35-3:00 p.m.
Converting Coal Power Plants to Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)—Economic Reality or Sustainability Risk?
—Pedro Campilho, Principal, Bioenergy Consulting, AFRY
FIRE PREVENTION
(Room A)
3:35-4:00 p.m.
Explosion Mitigation and Prevention Solutions for Bioenergy Facilities
—Bernardo Sanson, Sales Engineer, CV Technology
4:05-4:30 p.m.
Recent Advancements in Spark Detection Better Protect Your Greenfield Startup
—Jeff Nichols, Managing Partner, Industrial Fire Prevention
RAW MATERIALS
(Room B)
3:35-4:00 p.m.
What is EPA RFS Compliant Wood?
—Larry Sullivan, Bioenergy & Biochemical Sector Sales Manager, Forest2Market
4:05-4:30 p.m.
Alternatives to Wood in Energy Pellet Production: Vines, Veggies Stalks, and Various Dedicated Energy Crops
—Wendy Owens, CEO, Hexas Biomass LLC.
4:35-5:00 p.m.
Power from Biomass 2.0
—Jeff White, President, ESI
AIR TREATMENT
(Room C)
3:35-4:00 p.m.
Latest in WESP-RTO Installation Designs and Alternate Solutions
—Jaymie Deemer, President, Nestec Inc.
4:05-4:30 p.m.
RCO Catalyst Monitoring and Maintenance
—Grigorii Bunimovich, Owner and COO, Matros Technologies
4:35-5:00 p.m.
Specifying and Selecting the Right Pollution Control System for Your Pellet Plant
—Jarrad Markley, APC Product Manager, TSI
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30
SUPPLIER KEYNOTERS SESSION
8:30-8:35 a.m.
Welcoming Remarks and Keynoters Introduction
—Jessica Johnson, Managing Editor, Wood Bioenergy
8:40-9:05 a.m.
Latest Advances in NFPA Compliant Material Handling
—Dane Floyd, Principal, Biomass Engineering & Equipment
9:10-9:35 a.m.
Development of Steam Exploded Pellet Facility in North America
—Tyler Player, President, Player Design Inc.
9:40-10:05 a.m.
Breaking Down the Complexity of Delivering Capital Projects
—Bijan Shams, President, Cogent Industrial Technologies
RAW MATERIALS
(Room A)
10:35-11:00 a.m.
Water Reuse in the Bioenergy Sector
—Rakesh Govind, Ph.D., President, PRD Tech, Inc.
11:05-11:30 a.m.
Start with the Fuel
—Ray Ganga, Senior Staff Consulting Engineer, Wellons, Inc.
11:35 a.m.-Noon
Innovative Solutions for Improved Wood Pellet Manufacturing
—Tom Thorn, Commercial Manager, Energy Division, Arkema-ArrMaz
DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGIES
(Room B)
10:35-11:00 a.m.
Advancement in WESP Design for Dryer Particulate Control
—Rodney Schwartz, Senior Vice President, Dürr Systems
11:05-11:30 a.m.
Torrefaction for an Emerging Market
—Andrew Johnson, Vice President, TSI
11:35-Noon
RCOs for Wood Dryer VOC Control—Why Not?
—Steve Jaasund, Geoenergy Products Manager, LDX Solutions LLC.
PROCESS OPTIMIZATION
(Room C)
10:35-11:00 a.m.
Digital Twins Using Machine Learning for Optimization in the Sustainable Biomaterials Industries
—Timothy Young, Ph.D., Professor/Data Scientist, University of Tennessee
11:05-11:30 a.m.
Increase Throughput and Profitability Through IoT Data-Driven Moisture Control
—Jason Kovacik, Sales Manager, Finna Sensors