Pine Valley Biochar

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Pine Valley Biochar Demonstration Plant
Eric Twombly Pine Valley Biochar Investment
Group Halfway, OR 541-742-6707
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US Forest Service

• Fuels Reduction Tons Burned 2008
• Est. 100 Million US Wide
• Fuels Reduction Tons /Acre
• 10 to 40 Tons Typical
• Tons burned In Wildfires
• Est. 1.5 Gt/yr Burned

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The Majority of these Fuels are Burned

• Amounts of 3 to 300 Tons Per acre are burned.
• This process produces Greenhouse gasses the could
  be prevented.
• The Forest Fuels could be used as biochar, carbon
  negative fuel (biooil) and soil amendmets could
  be produced.

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Greenhouse Gas

• All of these above Wildfires and Fuels Treatment
  burning produce greenhouse gasses.
• Currently burning is the best tradeoff since
  wildfires would produce vastly more greenhouse
  gasses than treatment burns.
• Utilizing the fuels treatment biomass to produce
  biochar and bio-oil would allow for increased
  forest fuels reduction reducing wildfire and
  allowing for increased fuels reduction acres
  treated.

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Wildfire
Wildfire in 2035
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Fuels ReductionBrush Slash
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Fuels ReductionThinning
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Thinning Reduces Wildfires
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Objective of Pine Valley Demonstration

• Demonstrate an industry that utilizes forest
  fuels and reduces output of greenhouse gasses.
• Demonstrate an industry that produces carbon
  negative heating oil
• Provide char amendment to soils to improve local
  farmland
• Demonstrate a small scale scalable industry for
  local economic development in small rural
  communities
• Demonstrate biochar industry can provide living
  wage jobs in small rural communities

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A variety of wood waste products are produced in
Forest Fuel Reduction

• Logs Rotten or small logs can be efficiently
  haul to biochar plant sites
• Small wood can be converted into chips such as
  Limbs, roots, brush to haul to plant sites
• Duff or Leaves can be removed if in excess for
  soil cover can be hauled to plant sites.

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Local Non-National Forest Feedstock are Usually
Available

• Local Farm Ranch Organic Waste
• Local yard and clearing waste
• Slash from Local Private Timber Lands

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Rural Communities near National Forests have poor
Economies

• Can the use of Forest Fuels that need to be
  removed reinvigorate these economies.
• Forest fuels available for extraction are
  variable.
• A Biochar plant needs to be scalable and portable
  to best react to change in available excess fuels

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Farming Ranching in the Same Communities

• Most Communities near National Forests also have
  farms and ranches.
• There is potetntial to utilize biochar to improve
  soil on these local farms and ranches.
• There is potenital to reduce costs and improve
  profitability of small family farms ranches

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Biochar Plant Scalability

• Feedstock availabilty must be analyzed to limit
  risk.
• Pine Valley estimate is for 10 Dry Ton Per Day
  Unit.
• Range of profitability is from 3 DTPD and above
  is profitable at estimated product prices.

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Pine Valley Biochar Site
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Simple Product Mix

• Biochar Delivered by the ton or in bags to
  garden stores nurseries.
• 200/ton Bulk
• 300/ton bagged
• BioOil Stabilized ½ BTU's of Petroleum Heating
  oil.
• 1.75/gallon

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Local Economy

• 10 DTPD plant at full production. Direct
  Indirect Jobs
• 12 Family wage jobs 3 shifts at the plant
• 10 to 12 Seasonal organic matter harvesting.
• Support Jobs mechanics, etc

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Biochar is Viable

• 1500 Dtons/yr 5 Jobs 45,000 Profit
• 2750 Dtons/yr 7 Jobs 132,000 Profit
• 4450 Dtons/yr 12 Jobs 463,000 Profit

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Current BioChar/BioOil Science Issues

• Char application to various soils/expected
  response.
• Char production can be modified to meet specific
  soil needs such as pH what is needed.
• BioOil stabilization and refining to produce a
  variety of products.

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Current Search for Biochar Plant

• Biochar plant producers have few or no actual
  plants in production.
• Biochar plant producers may not be able to
  provide details and examples of chars and biooils
  produced.
• Experience producing viable/scaleable plants is
  very limited at this time.

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Considerations in Selecting a Plant

• Portability/Quick Relocation
• Scalability for Feedstock Availability
• Quick Startup/ Flexibility of Operation
• Independent Operation
• Efficiency of Operation
• Cost
• Maintenance Cost

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Will work best in Small Rural Areas
Small rural towns have a difficult time
maintaining local industries since most
industries become more efficient if scaled
up. Biochar is perfect for small scale since the
feedstocks are bulky and low value. It is most
efficient to produce biochar close to the
feedstock source.
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Conclusions

• Biochar could take National Forest Waste fuels
  and utilize them in a carbon negative and
  economically viable products
• Local small town economies could be improved,
  jobs related businesses
• BioOil and Biochar could be used locally and
  provide value.
• The Pine Valley Biochar Demonstration will test
  these conclusions in the next few years