Michigan Company Opens AI Powered Biomass Facility In Grand Rapids

Woodchuck, an AI-powered climate tech company focused on transforming wood waste into renewable energy, officially opened its flagship biomass processing facility in Grand Rapids, Mich. in early May. Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined local and state officials, clean energy advocates, and Grand Rapids business leaders in celebrating the launch of the nation’s first AI-driven wood waste-to-energy facility of its kind. The new facility combines advanced machine learning with localized waste diversion to turn construction and demolition wood waste into high-quality biomass for energy producers. In partnership with NorthStar Clean Energy, a CMS Energy Company, Alloy Partners, Beckett Industries, and The Right Place, Woodchuck is establishing a model that bridges environmental responsibility with economic opportunity. By using AI to sort, identify, and process usable materials, Woodchuck drastically increases efficiency and transparency in a sector long plagued by fragmentation and contamination challenges.

“Construction and demolition sites produce an enormous amount of recoverable wood, yet the majority of it still ends up in landfills,” says Todd Thomas, CEO, Woodchuck. “This facility changes that. Woodchuck transforms waste into value, reducing costs, reducing landfill usage, and unleashing an abundant energy future!”

In addition to servicing the construction industry, Woodchuck’s capabilities are already proving critical in emergency response and environmental recovery. Following the devastating ice storms that swept through northern Michigan earlier this month, Woodchuck has partnered with several counties to rapidly process fallen trees and wood debris—turning what would have been landfill waste or burn piles into clean biomass energy. The effort is helping communities recover faster, while reinforcing the value of localized circular economy solutions in the face of climate-driven weather events.

Latest news

Japan Brings 112 MW Biomass Power Plant On-Line

Japan Brings 112 MW Biomass Power Plant On-LineThe Sendai Port Biomass Power Plant has begun commercial operations in Miyagi Prefecture, ranking among Japan's largest dedicated biomass power facilities with an output of 112 MW. The plant is expected to generate...

read more

Drax Ceasing Operations In Williams Lake, BC

Drax Ceasing Operations In Williams Lake, BC Drax has made the difficult decision to cease operations at its pellet plant in Williams Lake, B.C. The curtailment and closures of neighboring sawmills and the loss of a bid for key local supply have led to a significant...

read more

UK Government Signs Contract With Drax

UK Government Signs Contract With DraxDrax confirms it has signed a contract with the UK Government for a low-carbon dispatchable CfD (Contract for Difference) agreement to cover all four biomass units at Drax Power Station over the period April 2027 to March 2031....

read more

Biomass Plant Coming To South Carolina

Biomass Plant Coming To South CarolinaStartup company Carolina Renewable Products recently announced a new biofuel plant to be located near Orangeburg, SC. The company’s $280 million investment will create 155 new jobs. The company plans to convert sustainable woody...

read more

Find Us On Social

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Wood Bioenergy News Online hits the inboxes of subscribers in the wood-to-energy sectors.

Subscribe/Renew

Wood Bioenergy is published and delivered worldwide 6 times per year. Free to qualified readers in the U.S. Subscribers outside the U.S. are asked to pay a small fee.

Advertise

Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative.