COOK COUNTY LOCAL ENERGY PROJECT - DISTRICT HEAT & POWER - BIOMASS PROJECT

Grand Marais Biomass District Heat and Binary Co-generation Power Feasibility Study (3.53 MB)

How can the local forests provide enough biomass to fuel the plant for many years to come?
How is the Turboden technology different?
Who is providing the expertise for this project?
How long will it take to build the plant?
How many jobs will be created by the district heat and power plant?
We've heard these types of plants contain dangerous steam - how is this plant different?
Will we be able to hook up our house heating system?
How much will the fuel for the plant cost?
What is the benefit of this plant to Cook County?
I don't like the idea of harvesting the forest for biomass. How is this different?


How can the local forests provide enough biomass to fuel the plant for many years to come?

Under recent diminished logging in the county, 120,000 tons of wood is still produced. An estimated 20,000 tons of slash is left in the woods for burning. The plant needs approximately 800 truckloads of fuel per year. Calculate that 800 truckloads of chips, or approximately 2 truckloads per day available for the plant, is equal to what is now being wasted in the woods.

How is the Turboden technology different?

Burning wood is certainly not a new technology. However, burning it this efficiently and cleanly is not only new but also high tech. The technology that the Cook County Local Energy Project / Cook County Firewise Committee proposes to use can burn wood that has up to 55 per cent moistu;re content. It can include bark and dirt. It can be chipped material or hogfuel. This technology allows us to burn the type of material that has no other use. There are piles of this material in Forest Service trenches throughout the County that are now just being lit into huge bonfires. We can also burn the waste slash piles of loggers.

Who is providing the expertise for this project?

Engineering expertise for this proposed project has been provided by LHB, Duluth, Minnesota. LHB engineer, Charles Hartley, has over 30 years of diverse energy experience, including O&M, engineering, utilities management, corporate staff, auditing, development, training, environmental, and consulting. Mr. Hartley is a Registered Professional Engineer (mechanical, MN & NV), Certified Energy Manager, Green Building Engineer, and MN Chief "A" Boiler / Turbine Operator

How long will it take to build the plant?

It is estimated the actual building of the plant will take 18 months.

How many jobs will be created by the district heat and power plant?

The plant itself will only require minimal servicing, probably an added role of a current employee. The jobs created (5 to 6 additional estimated) will come from the biomass collection, processing, and trucking industries. All jobs will be within Cook County, with the exception of specific periodic maintenance.

We've heard these types of plants contain dangerous steam - how is this plant different?

The Turboden plant uses a system which heats silicon oil, rather than producing steam, thus making the system operation much safer.

Will we be able to hook up our house heating system?

Research is currently underway to determine the largest users of heat from the plant. Once the routes of the piping is determined, local residents on the piping route may have the opportunity to tap into the system.

How much will the fuel for the plant cost?

It is estimated the cost of fuel will be between $21 to $27 per ton.

What is the benefit of this plant to Cook County?

The amount of material this unit will burn per year will cost about $500,000 per year and wil be going to local loggers and truckers throughout Cook County.That money stays here. Since the biomass is aout 45 percent cheaper than fossil fuels currently being purchased for heat, it is displacing an even larger dollar figure that has been leaving our area each and every year. It will be like getting over a half a million dollar stimulus package for our County year after year from day one of operations. In addition, woody debris collected from Firewise and fuel reduction projects will no longer require open burning, the current means of disposal.

I don't like the idea of harvesting the forest for biomass. How is this different?

All this will be done by burning waste wood and leftover slash from completed timber sales or wildfire fuel reduction projects, wood that is presently just being burned in big piles by Forest Service personnel. No saleable round wood will be used by this unit.

District Heat & Power - Biomass Project Overview

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Photos from a Turboden Plant in Europe