This document discusses considerations for wood biomass projects, including wood fuel availability, pricing stability, and policy incentives. It provides an overview of Eric Kingsley and Innovative Natural Resource Solutions LLC, their expertise and services. It then describes various types of wood biomass fuels in terms of energy content, moisture content, suppliers, and transport/delivery methods. The document concludes by outlining the price stability of wood biomass and several state and federal incentive programs that can support wood biomass projects.

1. Project Considerations:
Wood Availability, Price Stability, Incentives
New England CHP Technical Assistance Partnership
March 2023
Eric Kingsley
Innovative Natural Resource Solutions LLC
kingsley@inrsllc.com
Phone 207-233-9910

2. Innovative Natural Resource Solutions LLC
• Founded in 1994
• Offices in New Hampshire and Maine
• Focus at the intersection of forest industry, energy and
economic development
• Services include:
- consulting in renewable energy
- forest industry consulting
- advocacy
- forest certification and sustainability
• Clients from the private, non-profit and government sectors
• Conducted work in all regions of North America
• www.inrsllc.com
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3. Biomass Fuel Types and Availability

4. Percent Forestland
By County
Data Source: USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory & Analysis

6. Wood is sorted on a log
landing into products,
biomass being the least
valuable product

7. Biomass is chipped
and blown directly
into a truck – in most
cases for immediate
delivery to a customer

8. Whole Tree Chips
• Generally the tops, branches, and non-merchantable parts of a tree
• Gets name from utilization of the entire tree, not necessarily that the entire
tree is chipped
• Around 9.25 Mmbtu/ton
• 45% - 55% moisture content
• Disruptions in supply during spring and fall mud seasons
• Stems and Off-size materials common
• Purchased from loggers or brokers
• Generally transported in trailers that require truck dumps – your
projects probably will not have

9. Sawmill Chips
• When sawmills make boards,
everything that isn’t a board
needs a market
• 1,000 to 1,600 green tons per
million board feet of lumber
• Around 9.25 Mmbtu/ton
• 50% - 55% moisture content
• Can be screened for size – no
branches
• Appropriate transport can be
arranged
• A great fuel for your projects
• Competing with other users

11. Secondary Mill Residue
• Facilities that take boards and
make consumer-ready products
– Flooring, furniture, manufactured
housing
– A shrinking base
• ~ 13.2 mmbtu per ton
• ~ 15% moisture content
• Often heavy to sawdust and
shavings – check your fuel
handling system

12. Bole Chips
• “Bole” – the trunk of a tree
• Around 9.25 Mmbtu/ton
• 45% - 55% moisture content
• Often produced by remote yards for pulp mills
• Sizing ideal and highly consistent
• Look for remote chip yards for pulp mill, export
facilities, etc. – a small customer of a big producer

13. Semi-Dry Chips
• Wood chips from wood that has been dried to a certain moisture level
• Can be achieved
• Forced drying (in a machine designed for drying); or
• Ambient drying (logs left to sit for extended periods of time
• Often ~25% moisture content
• Offers boiler efficiencies, needs to be weighed against increased costs
• Limited producers at this point, though can be arranged

14. Ground Pallets
• Around 13.2 Mmbtu/ton
• 10% - 15% moisture content
• Sizing ideal and highly consistent
• Look for local pallet recyclers and
grinders
• Often available in large quantities
near major ports and shipping
points
• Must deal with nails – should be
captured in processing, but some
always get through

15. There is A Lot of Wood
• The Northeast grows significantly more wood than is harvested
• Some wood – such as sawmill residue – needs a home
• Competitors will include large biomass facilities, pulp mills, wood
pellet manufacturers, and (someday) bio-fuel facilities
• These competitors can be critical in supporting the supply
infrastructure
• The press release is NOT the project >> don’t believe everything you
read regarding biomass

16. Biomass Fuel Delivery

17. For most projects, fuels that require
unloading infrastructure are out

18. Live floor trucks allow easy unloading –
likely ideal for your project
Live floor trucks can be arranged for a number of
fuels, make sure that truck has the ability to back up
into loading area

19. Self dumping trucks come in a variety of sizes
Look Up!
Having a truck contact power lines
in bad for everyone involved

20. Truck Scales
• Biomass is generally sold on weight
• You will need to locate a certified truck scale
proximate to the customer and arrange for
weighing
• Can be done on a sample basis, but requires truck
to be weighed on the way in and out, so element of
surprise is very difficult to manage

21. Biomass Fuel Is Affordable and Price-Stable

22. Biomass Fuel is Incredibly Price-Stable

23. Biomass Fuel is Incredibly Price-Stable

24. Policy Incentives and Financial Support

25. Renewable Portfolio Standards
• New Hampshire and Maine incorporate thermal energy (heat) into
the state Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS)
• Like most states, NH and Maine have RPS that mandates a certain
amount of electricity be purchased from qualifying renewable
generators.
• In addition to electricity, NH and Maine RPS now includes a carve-out for
renewable thermal energy (e.g., heat produced using biomass, solar and
geothermal).
• In those states, utilities are required to encourage development of
renewable generation through the purchase of Renewable Energy
Certificates (RECs) from qualifying generation.
• These RECs are generated concurrent with the generation of energy
(electricity or thermal energy), but can be traded independently for
compliance purposes (e.g., a school can use its heat and sell its thermal RECs).

26. Factory with a Biomass Boiler
Heat and T-RECs
Electricity and RECs
RECs and T-RECs sold to
a Utility to meet their
legal obligation

27. Renewable Energy Certificates
• 1 REC for each MWH of electricity generated
• 1 Thermal REC for each MWH of heat generated (and used)
• “Used” is important here – heat needs to be put to a use
• 1 MWh = 3.412142 MMBTU
• Depending upon state, RECs and T-RECs need to meet certain standards –
emissions, vintage, fuel sourcing, etc.
• RECs trade on a market, and are subject to supply and demand changes,
statewide electricity use changes, and legislative risk
• INRS and Wilson Engineering broker T-RECs in both states, prices have
recently been low $20s, but many things could change that (subject to
price caps)

28. Thermal REC Requirement as a Percent of
Total Electric Load
Maine New Hampshire
0.0%
0.5%
1.0%
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%
3.5%
4.0%
4.5%
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2032
2033
2034
2035
2036
2037
2038
0.00%
0.50%
1.00%
1.50%
2.00%
2.50%

29. Rural Energy for America Program
Guaranteed Loans & Grants
• A program of USDA Rural Development
• Both loan guarantees and grants
• Up to $1 million grants
• Match required
• 60% for grants
• 25% for loan guarantees
• Eligible entities
• Agricultural producers
• Businesses in rural areas

30. USDA Forest Service Programs
Wood Innovation Grant
Community Wood Grant
• The Wood Innovations Grants Program stimulates, expands, and supports U.S.
wood products markets and wood energy markets to support the long-term
management of National Forest System and other forest lands. National focus
areas include mass timber, renewable wood energy, and technological
development that supports hazardous fuel reduction and sustainable forest
management.
• Up to $300,000
• The Community Wood Grant Program provides funding for grants to install
thermally led community wood energy systems or to build innovative wood
product manufacturing facilities. The Forest Service expects renewable wood
energy systems installed under this program to use the most stringent control
technologies. The program places extra emphasis on assisting sawmills in
economically challenged areas to retool or add advanced technology.
• Up to $1 million
• Annual, but this year applications due March 23

31. Eric Kingsley
Innovative Natural Resource Solutions LLC
Phone 207-233-9910
Email kingsley@inrsllc.com
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