Beasley Forest Products, LLC operates hardwood sawmills and a chip mill in Hazlehurst, Georgia as well as procurement operations in several southeastern states. Land Care Services, LLC, based in Dublin, Georgia, is a grading and specialty services contractor.

In addition to providing reliable base load power, the facility will furnish all the steam required at an existing paper mill. The plant will utilize annually up to 1.2 million tons of wood bark, chips and other biomass from the local area. GPS plans to create up to 150 construction jobs for the area, 55 permanent jobs, and support more than 200 permanent logging and forestry positions.

Terms of a 20-year power purchase agreement with Georgia Power are being finalized and engineering and preliminary construction activities are ongoing with phase one startup targeted for October 2012. “By tapping into woody biomass to produce electricity, Georgia Power is both continuing to diversify its expanding renewable portfolio throughout the state and doing what’s good for the environment,” says Jaime Hockin, Georgia Power’s renewable and green strategy manager.

The production of energy from woody biomass can be an important component of a comprehensive plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy security.  Biomass represents 79% of independent renewable energy generation in North Carolina and will continue to represent a large portion of the renewable energy portfolio for the foreseeable future. This offers an exciting economic development opportunity on top of the contribution it can make to energy sustainability and pollution reduction.  This one day conference will provide a regional insiders’ overview of woody biomass and emerging wood-fueled renewables from experts in the field and on the front lines.

The Woody Biomass Supply Chains Conference and VIP Tour event will marshal the experience and wisdom of biomass specialists in technology, science and economics. Participants will gain insight and market knowledge from candid discussions on supply opportunities, solutions to market obstacles and proven methods of seizing market advantage. Participants’ experience will be enriched by face to face contact in both formal (classroom) and informal (lunch, exhibitor showcase, and VIP Tour) settings with an audience and presenters to include:

•    Wood suppliers
•    Economic development officers
•    Entrepreneurs
•    Financiers
•    Venture capitalists
•    Agency staff
•    Export experts
•    Researchers

VIP Tour of the Mid-Atlantic Logging & Biomass Expo

Participants are encouraged to register for the full Expo weekend which brings perspective to the knowledge gained by attending the conference. The VIP tour takes place on Friday, October 7 from 8:00 AM to 1:30 PM. VIPs receive these benefits:

•    Transportation to and from hotels in Selma/Smithfield area and the Expo site (8AM to 1:30PM)
•    Personal meetings with the designers, engineers and manufacturers of state-of-the-art woody biomass harvesters and in-woods processors
•    See equipment in action throughout the event
•    Catered luncheon on site with your VIP group
•    Receive an exclusive VIP Resource Guide containing key contacts and information for easy follow-up
•    VIP tickets that allow unlimited re-entry at no charge to the Expo throughout October 7th and 8th

Sponsored By:
North Carolina State University
NC Association of Professional Loggers
North Carolina Forestry Association
25×25 Alliance
Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc.

For more information please visit: www.biomassforestry.org

“We believe that hybrid poplars are the ideal feedstock for advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals and look forward to continuing to grow with ZeaChem.”

Under the agreement, GTFF will be the primary feedstock supplier for ZeaChem’s first commercial biorefinery. GTFF will supply cellulosic biomass from its existing poplar plantations to the biorefinery, offering new markets for its wood products. ZeaChem’s first commercial biorefinery is expected to have capacity of 25M gallons per year (GPY) and to be located in Boardman, Oregon.

“This landmark feedstock agreement represents a major milestone on the road to developing ZeaChem’s first commercial production facility and to become the world leader in low cost production of advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals,” said Jim Imbler, president and chief executive officer of ZeaChem. “We are proud to have GreenWood Resources, a leading supplier of economical and sustainable cellulosic feedstock, as a partner in our commercial operation. The model we have developed provides a significant strategic advantage and is something that GWR and ZeaChem will seek to replicate around the world.”

“This agreement with ZeaChem is a significant step for GTFF and for GreenWood Resources into new markets and end-uses that closely align with our sustainability goals,” said Jeff Nuss, president and chief executive officer of GreenWood Resources. “We believe that hybrid poplars are the ideal feedstock for advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals and look forward to continuing to grow with ZeaChem.”

ZeaChem is currently constructing a 250,000 gallon-per-year demonstration-scale biorefinery in Boardman, Ore. An existing GTFF hybrid poplar tree plantation near Boardman supplies feedstock to the facility, minimizing the transportation and logistics costs of cellulosic biofuel and bio-based chemical production. Hybrid poplar trees are an excellent cellulosic feedstock because of their high yield per acre, short rotation and ability to regenerate after harvest, providing superior economic and environmental benefits. Additional advantages of woody biomass include the ability to aggregate forestry land and the forestry industry’s common practice of signing long-term contracts.

ZeaChem’s demonstration plant in Boardman, Ore. will begin to come online in 2011. The company is now developing commercial biorefineries for the production of advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals.

The Mason County project will deploy Adage’s reference plant design, which employs advanced environmental controls to minimize air emissions and water usage. The proposed 55 megawatt facility will provide enough power for more than 40,000 homes. The $250 million initial investment will create more than 400 direct jobs during construction and more than 100 direct jobs during permanent operation. Adage plans to begin construction in late 2010.

The two companies are interested in the feasibility of opening a commercial-scale production facility next year that would make pellets from woody biomass and sell them to utilities and industrial users for energy production.

• Parametrix (Bingen) will launch a pilot to convert woody biomass into liquid fuels at SDS Lumber, using fast pyrolysis technology.
• Borgford BioEnergy, LLC (Valley, Springdale) will use wood waste to generate electricity, bio-oil, syngas, and bio-char.
• Atlas Products (Omak) will use forest biomass to produce wood pellets for heating.
• Nippon Paper Industries USA, Ltd. (Port Angeles) will use wood waste for the cogeneration of heat and electricity at its paper mill, as well as selling excess energy.

The projects will use woody biomass that the companies purchase in part from state trust lands managed by DNR. The biomass can come from timber harvests or be removed during forest health treatments, such as thinning over-crowded and fire-prone tree stands.

“These four partners will put their technologies to work using forest products they purchase from state trust lands to produce clean, sustainable energy and rural jobs,” said Goldmark. “These projects have a huge potential to help encourage rural economic development and improve the health of fire-prone forests. This will hopefully be the beginning of a new green industry on state lands.”