Conference panel to explore biomass co-firing options

Utilities have much to consider when replacing some of all of their base load power generation with biomass. Since all fuels do not burn the same in every boiler, retrofit or replacement options must be carefully examined. At the Southeast Biomass Conference & Trade Show Nov. 2-4 in Atlanta, explore your fuel and boiler system options with industry experts during a panel titled Technical Considerations and Approaches to Biomass Co-Firing for Power Production.

Patrick Travis, business development manager for Energy Products of Idaho, will discuss repowering and co-firing coal boilers with biomass utilizing state-of-the-art fluidized bed technologies. “Full or partial conversion of coal boilers to biomass provides the lowest overall cost for adding green, renewable power generation to the grid, and the Southeastern U.S. provides the best opportunities in the country for these retrofits,” Travis said. “The Southeast has a significant number of older coal boilers and plentiful biomass resources, and this presentation provides an overview of retrofit options covering both partial and full conversions.”

Matthew Everhart, territory manager for Vecoplan’s waste/paper division, will explain issues the company regularly experiences that plague biomass co-firing operations. “I’ll also show the value added by gaining a high level of flexbility in feedstock type and form, as well as the consistency in calorfic and density values that can be gained by properly accepting, sorting, reducing, metering and blending feedstocks that are currently regionally available to the power producer.“

Bill Markert, manager of engineering at International Applied Engineering Inc., will discuss firing pulverized coal utility boilers at full outputs on wood fuel. “The utility industry is under pressure from existing or proposed federal, state and local mandates for renewable power,” Markert said. “Finding efficient, cost-effective ways to integrate renewable technologies with their existing assets is key. Through the extension of client-based PC (pulverized coal) boiler conversion and co-firing studies, IAE has determined several ways to maximize the output of older PC boilers ripe for re-tasking. Participate with our panel and learn what a vendor-neutral engineering consultant sees as the answers.”

Robin Post van der Burg, director of business development for Topell Energy, will round out the   panel, which will be moderated by Jill Stuckey, director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Energy.

For more information on the Southeast Biomass Conference and Trade Show, go to www.biomassconference.com/southeast.