Biomass Plant Emissions Spark Debate | Central Mass. operators say energy source is clean
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BURNING UP: Biomass plants like this one at Mount Wachusett Community College have come under fire recently.
Just over one year ago Munksjo Paper Co. in Fitchburg closed its factory and laid off 100 workers.
There was a glimmer of hope in the announcement, however.
The company had plans to build a biomass heat and electricity plant on its site, which would burn wood chips to produce electricity and heat for the factory’s operations. The decrease in energy costs by producing power independently would allow the plant to reopen and possibly hire back its workers.
Reported Concerns
But a new study commissioned by the state’s Department of Energy Resources is casting a somewhat critical eye on biomass power plants and questioning just how environmentally friendly they are.
Munksjo CFO Andrew Rice said he’s worried that stricter regulations regarding biomass power plants that could result from the study may hamper the company’s ability to build the power plant, and hence reopen the factory.
“We’re pretty much in a waiting pattern,” Rice said. “Yes we’re still looking at it, but depending on how things go with the release of this new study, if regulations change too much, it may not make it feasible to do the project.”
The critical report prompted state Environmental Secretary Ian Bowles to issue a letter that said the state would increase greenhouse gas emission standards for biomass plants.
Biomass operators and hopeful owners of the wood-burning facilities say the renewed focus on biomass plants’ environmental impact will make it harder to build new facilities in the state in the coming years.
Owners of biomass facilities in Central Massachusetts, however, said they’ve had only positive experiences with the process.
Thomas Walker is a consultant for the Manomet Center for Conservation in Manomet, which completed the most recent study examining how environmentally friendly biomass facilities are, and how much biomass fuel, or wood, is available to support biomass facilities in the state.
When asked if biomass is an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly renewable power resource, Walker can’t really give a straight answer.
“It depends,” he said.
Dead And Down
Numerous factors play a part in determining how environmentally friendly it is to burn wood chips to produce heat and electricity. The type of combustion system being used, the type of fossil fuel it is replacing and where the wood that is being burned derives from all play critical roles.
“In some cases biomass can be (environmentally friendly),” Walker said. “In other cases, while it may be a renewable resource, the time it takes to achieve those benefits may be longer compared to alternative methods.”
It’s difficult to simplify the study because it analyzes the carbon payback of biomass compared to traditional fossil fuel power generation. But, generally, the study shows that if trees are being cut down for the sole purpose of being converted into power, that could have a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels.
But, if excess wood, such as forest debris, timber scrapings and leftover construction-related wood is used to fuel biomass plants, less greenhouse gas emissions can result.
The study also generally finds that using biomass to produce heat is better for the environment than producing electricity.
Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner has had a biomass power plant producing heat for the entire college campus for years.
“It’s been a saving grace,” said Daniel Asquino, president of the college. He estimates school utility bills have been cut to about one-tenth of the cost because the college produces its own heat from burning wood chips.
Asquino said he’s worried negative press about biomass plants could be creating an unfair stigma.
“People read the headlines saying biomass is bad and they don’t realize that if it’s done in the right way, it is a fine energy source,” he said.
Chris Bourque heads the Pinetree Power Fitchburg Inc. biomass facility in neighboring Westminster, which produces about 17 megawatts of electricity, or enough or power about 14,000 homes.
Bourque said how environmentally friendly a biomass plant is depends on where the wood that is burned is coming from.
“If you look at our operations, we’re burning wood chips that are from excess logging operations,” he said. “We’re talking material that would have been left out in the forest to erode.”
No full trees are harvested just for producing fuel for the Pinetree plant, he said.
Joe Dalton, head of government affairs for GDF SUEZ Energy North America Inc., which owns Pinetree Power, said recent headlines since the Manoment study came out have mischaracterized the industry.
In fact, Manomet released a statement saying that some press coverage has “oversimplified” the results of the study and that the study paints a much more complex picture. The Manomet study, for example, only examines greenhouse gas emissions of biomass plants that collect wood from actively managed, harvested forests. It does not take into account woody biomass from other sources, such as land clearing and construction waste.
Market Response
Whether the study has been mischaracterized or not, it is causing companies in Central Massachusetts to rethink their plans to invest in biomass.
Simonds International Corp., the saw and steel part company in Fitchburg, had plans to construct a biomass plant at its campus, similar to Munksjo’s.
President Raymond Martino said those plans have been scrapped and instead the company is investigating installing solar power panels and a high-efficiency natural gas boiler system.
“There’s a great deal of uncertainty about the acceptance of biomass as a renewable energy source,” Martino said.
Martino said he’s not an expert on the mechanics of biomass plants and how environmentally friendly they are, but he could tell there is increased scrutiny on the plants, which may lead to additional regulations down the road. That was enough for him to look to invest the company’s money elsewhere.
Dwayne Breger, division director of renewable energy for the state’s Department of Energy Resources, which commissioned the study, said the state will be reviewing its regulations regarding biomass over the coming months, but he could not say how, if at all, those regulations could change.
In a letter Bowles sent to the DOER earlier this month, he outlined changes he would like to see made in new regulations regarding biomass plants that qualify for state incentives. One recommendation is that biomass plants maximize efficiency and limit greenhouse gas emissions. He also recommends mandating that wood fuels used at biomass plants be produced sustainably.
Bowles said he would like new regulations to be in place by the end of the year.
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