Switchgrass Production for Electricity Generation

Switchgrass Production

for Electricity

Generation

June 14, 2012

Tom Keene & Dr. Ray Smith

University of Kentucky

Thanks

•Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy

•Kentucky Agricultural Development Board

•Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council

•University of Kentucky – College of Agriculture

•East Kentucky Power Cooperative

•Roundstone Native Seed

•Midwestern Biofuels

•Massey Coal & Kanawha River Terminals

•Cooperators & CES Agents

•And others ???????

Multi Use Crop

• Biomass

• Ethanol

• Pelleted

• Grazing

• Hay

• Seed

Overview

• 20 Farms (Cooperators)

• Establish 5 acre fields of switchgrass per farm

• 100 acres total

• 12 counties (Mason, Fleming, Bracken, Lewis,

Robertson, Campbell, Grant, Montgomery,

Rowan, Boyd, Nicholas, Harrison)

• Utilize Production as Green, Renewable or

Alternative Energy

2007 Planting

• 7 Farms

• Late Planting Date

• Drought Year/No Harvest

• Roundstone Native Seed contract planter

• 50% Establishment Success

• 10 pounds seed per acre

• UK - Spindletop & Eden Shale

2008 Planting

• Remaining 13 Plots planted

• 3 – 2007 Plots replanted

• Another drought year

• Earlier Planting Date

• 80% Establishment Success

2008 Harvest

• 6 Cooperator Farms & 2 UK Farms harvested late October/early November

• Round Bales & Mid Size Square Bales

• Delivered 70 Tons to EKPC

• Some held back for UK research & Alltech, Inc

• Ground & blended the material at EKPC with Coal

• Provided Green (alternative) Energy to EKPC

Members

2009 Harvest

• 20 Cooperator Farms & 2 UK Farms harvested

early to mid-November

• Round Bales & Mid Size Square Bales

• Harvested 265 Tons of Material

• Some held back for UK research & Alltech, Inc

• Pelleted Material at MWB in Greenup County

• Blended on barges and shipped to EKPC

• Provided Green (alternative) Energy to 500,000

EKPC Members

2010 Harvest

20 Cooperator Farms & 2 UK Farms harvested

early to mid-November

Round Bales & Mid Size Square Bales

Harvested 392 Tons of Material

Some held back for UK Research

Ground on site at Power Plant

Provided Green (alternative) Energy to 500,000

EKPC Members

Numbers

• 20 cooperators

• 12 Counties

• Numerous Fertilizer & Equipment Dealers

• 150 Employees at EKPC Spurlock Plant

• 500,000 Kentuckians using Green Energy

Composition of Potential Biomass

Feedstock

Glucan

(% db)

Xylan

(%

db)

Lignin

(%

db)

Ash

(% db)

Heating

Value

(Btu/lb)

Switchgrass

Stems

36.2 23.0 16.5 3.4 7,700

Miscanthus 38.2 24.3 25.0 2.0 7,700

Black Locust 41.0 14.6 26.8 1.8 8,100

Hybrid

Poplar

41.5 14.8 25.0 1.8 8,100

Corn Stover 36.9 17.8 17.9 10.4 7,700

Averages based on www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/feedstock_databases.html

Cost per million btu’s

• EKPC Coal $2.60/mbtu

• KY SWG $6.00/mbtu

EKPC Projected Needs

Tons of coal burned in Gilbert Unit 3 annually 923,000

Tons of coal to be replaced with switchgrass on a heat input basis (3%) 27,690

Tons of switchgrass needed 42,706

Acres of switchgrass needed @ 5 tons/acre yield 8,541

Acres of switchgrass needed @ 8 tons/acre yield 5,338

Tons of coal burned in Gilbert Unit 3 annually 923,000

Tons of coal to be replaced with switchgrass on a heat input basis (10%) 92,300

Tons of switchgrass needed 142,353

Acres of switchgrass needed @ 5 tons/acre yield 28,471

Acres of switchgrass needed @ 8 tons/acre yield 17,794

More Data

• Farm Yield 2010 6.2 T/A

• Research Yield 2011 17.72 T/A

2008

2009

2010

What about the

future???

Questions??