Whenever conversation turns to reducing fossil fuel use, it seems wind and solar power grab all the attention. But, let’s not forget about the benefits of biomass — specifically, wood — which today supplies almost 15 times as much energy in the U.S. than wind and solar combined.

(Actually, biomass should also be considered a form of solar energy because trees are the most efficient solar energy receptors ever devised by Mother Nature.)

Finch Paper and other forest products companies have been using biomass, in the form of bark, sawdust, and wood chips left over from our manufacturing processes, for decades. It is an efficient, affordable and, most importantly, renewable source of energy. On-site boilers burn the wood “waste” and create steam. The high-pressure steam is then used to generate two forms of energy: driving a turbine to produce electricity, and directly powering manufacturing equipment. The condensate is then recycled back to the beginning of the process, reheated, and used again. This is called a cogeneration process and is the most effective way to use biomass, because both electricity and steam power are created and utilized.

The benefits of biomass extend beyond fossil fuel reduction, too:

• Biomass helps keep forests healthy and growing. Industrial demand for biomass provides forest owners with yet another market for the wood that is responsibly harvested on their land, and helps them keep their land as forested open space. Biomass is typically derived from the uppermost, poorest quality branches of the tree. Rather than going to waste, this wood can be sold to help offset property taxes and other landowner expenses. Keep in mind that forest owners are under increasing financial pressure to sell or subdivide their land for commercial or residential development — a trend the U.S. Forest Service says is the single largest threat to America’s forests.  Forestry certification and landowner education programs also help keep forests as forests by guiding landowners through the process of sustainable forest management.
• Forests provide a carbon balance. Healthy, growing trees absorb the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) from the environment. When they die and decay, or when they are burned to produce biomass energy, the CO2  is released and reabsorbed by other trees and plants, creating a closed loop cycle. In contrast, burning fossil fuels adds CO2 to the atmosphere without a corresponding balance.
• Biomass does not produce methane when burned. However, wood left to decompose (as branches in the forest, or paper in a landfill) does release methane — the second-largest greenhouse gas and global warming contributor.

Sustainably produced, biomass is an environmentally sound, renewable energy source that also helps contribute to the health and growth of our nation’s forests. When it comes to reducing fossil fuel use, let’s get the biomass conversation started.

Tags: Carbon, Sustainable Practices