NEW FEEDSTOCKS FOR BIOENERGY Fact sheets

Michael Jacobson Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Penn State

Miscanthus x Switchgrass giganteus

Willow

1 Common features of NEWBio Why dedicated energy crops energy crops • Lots of ‘marginal’ lands • Provide feedstock for heat, electricity or liquid fuels – No competition with food • Help reduce carbon emissions compared to other crops crops • Can help restore ‘marginal’ • Grow well on marginal land such as wet soils, so do not lands compete with other food crops, and they perennial • Compared to forest • Tolerate cold and drought conditions biomass • Provide numerous environmental and wildlife benefits – Consistent quality • Have attractive rates of return compared to other uses – Consistent supply of ‘marginal’ land – Fast growing Aboveground forest biomass map for the – High yields/acre northeastern United States

Woody biomass feedstocks projected in 2022, assuming a Potential biomass resources @ $60/ton farmgate price of $60 dry ton -1 in twelve Northeast states.

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Millions 7

6 West Virginia Vermont 5 Rhode Island

4 Pennsylvania New York 3 New Jersey New Hampshire 2 Massachusetts Supply in 2022 (dry inSupply Mg) 2022 Maryland 1 Maine Delaware 0 Connecticut Conventional Other residue Integrated forest SRWC wood removal operations Resource

Source: Billion Ton Update 2011

2 NEWBio Regional Demonstration Sites Planted acres in energy crops

ReEnergy BCAP

Ernst Seed

Aloterra BCAP

Sixty-four million acres are planted to energy crops by 2030 WV TBD at the highest simulated price Source: Billion Ton Update 2011

Demo Sites –BCAP areas Giant Miscanthus (Miscanthus x Aloterra Energy and Celtic Energy Farm and Ernst Conservation Seed ReEnergy Holdings giganteus) • Grass native to Asia • Used ornamentally since 1800s • Now sterile hybrid Giant Miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganteus ) – Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus

3 Miscanthus Miscanthus • Planted using rhizomes (root growths) making • Growth potential (12 feet high) and tolerance establishment more expensive than other energy to cold conditions and poor soils crops • Takes 2 to 3 growing years to establish • Can yield 8-12 dry tons (or more) per acre • Weed control is essential for establishment years but annually is not needed afterwards Winter kill in1 year • 15-20 years life – • Likes low nutrient environment • Requires little maintenance – Nitrogen may be counterproductive • Responds to precipitation but tolerates drought biomassmagazine.com

Miscanthus production Miscanthus - Harvest and uses • Site prep and planting • Conventional hay or silage equipment can be – Soil test, brush hog, plowing – 2 disk and 2 soil finishing passes used for harvesting which is done late winter/ • Establishment early spring – 3 X 3 feet spacing – about 7000 rhizomes/acre • Baling and wrapping – Specialized planter used Current uses: – Fertilizers and lime as needed www.miscanthusplanter.com • Weeding • Fuel pellets or biomass logs – Initial burn down • Animal bedding, absorbents, and materials – Pre emergent and post emergent only in 1 st 2 years such as fiberboard and paper based packaging

4 Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) • Warm season perennial Switchgrass grass native to the tall • Grown from seed or prairie region broadcast planted • Commonly grown as a • 3 years for full conservation crop or for establishment wildlife forage www.extension.org • Weed control/ mowing is • Yields (4-6 dry tons/acre) initially important but is basically maintenance free • Can grow as high as 2 after establishment meters (6 feet) in a year and • Tolerates low fertility soils, www.iowaswitchgrass.com can produce annual crop for but likes nitrogen up to 20 years

www.coolsprings.com

Switchgrass production Switchgrass - Harvest and uses • Site prep and planting – Soil test, brush hog, plowing (moldboard plow) • Conventional hay mowing and – 2 disk and 2 soil finishing passes baling equipment can be used for • Establishment harvesting which is done after – Common varieties in the Northeast are “Timber”, “Cave in first winter frost/ early spring Rock”, and “Kanlow”. • Baling, wrapping and storage – About 10 lbs of seed/acre Current uses: – Use seed drill or broadcast spreader • Fuel pellets, briquettes, or – Fertilizers as needed (after establishment) biomass logs • Weeding Animal bedding and low grade – Initial burn down • feed – Pre emergent and post emergent only in 1 st 2 years

5 Switchgrass Harvest & Storage Willow Biomass Production Cycle 24% DM loss in 12 months 3 or 4 wraps reduces spoilage Site preparation Three years old after coppice

Planting

One year old after coppice

Big squares rapidly degrade outside Chopping reduces density First-year growth Winter coppice Regrowth after coppice

Willow Biomass Production Cycle

Three years old after coppice Shrub Willow ( Salix) • Naturally found in cold to Winter harvest temperate climates and along streams • Yields (4-6 dry tons/acres), At least 7 fast growing and requires www.fao.org harvests few inputs • Can reach a height of 5-7 One year old after meters (15-25 feet) and can coppice be harvested for 15-21 years

Regrowth after coppice www.ceh.ac.uk

6 Willow Willow production • Site prep and planting • Planted using pieces of live – Soil test, brush hog, plowing (moldboard plow) dormant stems that are – 2 disk and 2 soil finishing passes planted with a specifically • Establishment designed mechanized – about 6000 cuttings/acre planter • Double row (2.5 feet) = six feet apart and 2 feet between • Willow sprouts need weed plants control but once canopy – Use special planter closes in the second year it – Fertilizers as needed is unnecessary • Weeding Initial burn down • Can be prone to pests – – Pre emergent and post emergent only in 1 st year

Willow harvest and uses Wood or grass?

• Harvesting occurs in the • Significant activity every 3 years vs annually third year and requires a • Ash content lower in wood specialized cutting head • Chloride content lower in wood attached to a forage harvester with silage trucks • More clinkers/slag in stoves with grass or dump wagon – low ash melting point due to the high silica Current uses: content (incomplete combustion) • Chips, pellets • BTUs/lb generally higher in wood • Mulch, animal bedding, and fiberboard

7 Summary Contact information: http://www.newbio.psu.edu/ • All these crops have positive environmental and economic benefits • Can all grow on marginal lands • Miscanthus has highest yields but also highest costs • Good yields are critical for positive returns – Use of good stock (varieties) and care with establishment practices, especially weeding • Annual revenues from grasses • Some issues with burning grass compared to wood

Mike Jacobson [email protected] or 814-865-3994

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