ARF25 - Species, soil type, and management interactions on profitability and properties of biomass for pellet production

OMAFRA, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and GreenField Ethanol (formerly Commercial Alcohols Inc.) jointly funded this project in 2008 through the Alternative Renewable Fuels "Plus" Research and Development Fund.

Lead researcher

Dr. Bill Deen, Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph

Objectives

  1. Evaluate grass species across varied soil types and management systems for suitability for biomass production: establishment feasibility, stand persistence, time to maximum stand yield potential, standability, yield.
  2. Identify species, soil types and management practices that correlate with improved physical, chemical and energy properties of pellets. Evaluate amendments to the biomass and biomass blends that could improve pellet properties.
  3. Determine ash suitability as a soil amendment and potential to be marketed as a certified organic fertilizer
  4. Assess net energy and profitability of biomass production relative to other land uses.

Expected benefits

Locally grown and combusted biomass feed stocks are a rural initiative where the biomass is consumed in the immediate area it is grown, consequently much of the benefit stays within the community. Densification of the biomass allows for export to more distant markets, such as those emerging in the Far East and Europe.

Relative to conventional wood boilers, pellet boilers could reduce emissions, operating costs, reduce infrastructure costs, reduce maintenance, storability, ease in handling and increase combustion efficiency.

Results

Our research indicated the following:

Winter hardiness

  • Establishment varied among varieties within species and among locations
  • Winter tolerance varied across species, varieties and locations, e.g. whereas some miscanthus varieties showed low incidence of winterkill, other varieties had significant winterkill.
  • Switchgrass and big bluestem winter survival was good at Simcoe but reduced at Elora.

Yield and Stand Persistance

  • Increases in N-fertilizer rate had no significant effect on stand persistence (lodging and kinking); lodging and kinking were minimal at 0Nkg/ha
  • Yields were significantly affected by main and interaction effects of treatments imposed, e.g. miscanthus yields were higher in Elora than in Ridgetown, and switchgrass consistently produced higher biomass yield than big blue stem.
  • Yearly increases in biomass yields were observed in Miscanthus stands in Elora and Ridgetown for both fall and spring harvests; however, changes in switchgrass and big bluestem yields were negative for the fall harvests but positive in the spring harvests in both locations.

Ash Content

  • On average, ash content was 1.5 times greater in switchgrass than in miscanthus.
  • Delayed spring harvest significantly reduced ash content and ash chemical composition compared to fall harvest.

Net Energy and Profitability

  • The gross calorific value for miscanthus was greater than that of switchgrass.
  • Cost of miscanthus as an energy source was primarily below the average prices over the past few years of both coal and natural gas.

Related information


For more information:
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E-mail: research.omafra@ontario.ca
Author: Rajib Hazarika, Research Analyst/RIB
Creation Date: 20 August 2008
Last Reviewed: 2 February 2012