Sustainable, closed-loop bioenergy crops can supplement or replace wood in a variety of bioenergy applications. One such crop is giant reed. Wendy Owens, CEO of Hexas Biomass LLC, will speak about it at the Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo. In direct combustion, testing has shown giant reed burns at about 8,000 BTU/lb. and, when torrefied, giant reed burns at around 10,400 BTU/lb., a significantly higher energy density than other bioenergy crops. This presentation will discuss the benefits of supplementing wood bioenergy material with a sustainable bioenergy crop to achieve equal energy production levels and potentially lower cost.
Wendy Owens’ latest venture, Hexas, combines her background in materials engineering with her experience in biotechnology. Owens spent 14 years as an advisor to the US Secretary of Commerce and US Trade Representative on international trade policy as a member of an International Trade Advisory Committee (ITAC).