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

New From Tigercat: 6040 Carbonizer

Jul 31, 2024

New From Tigercat: 6040 Carbonizer Tigercat Industries has announced the official release of its 6040 carbonizer—which replaces the 6050 carbonator that Tigercat marketed for a brief time after acquiring the product through the purchase of ROI in 2019. The mobile...

read more

Michigan’s Viking Energy Biomass Plant Still Closing

Jul 8, 2024

Michigan’s Viking Energy Biomass Plant Still ClosingThe Viking Energy Biomass plant in Lincoln, Mich. is closing early despite being under contract until 2027 and a recent order not to let them out of the contract, according to reports. The company is moving ahead...

read more

Novo BioPower Gets Some Breathing Room

Jul 8, 2024

Novo BioPower Gets Some Breathing Room Novo BioPower CEO Brad Worsley says the Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service have signed contracts through 2033 to buy electricity generated by burning biomass. Snowflake biomass plant is the only one in the state large...

read more

Novo BioPower Extends Key Arizona Power Contracts

Jun 12, 2024

Novo BioPower Extends Key Arizona Power Contracts   Arizona’s only major market for pulpwood and biomass and a key part of the state’s forest health solution, Novo BioPower in Snowflake recently signed new 10-year power off-take contracts that allow the company...

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 Now
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.

Complete the Form
Advertise

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

Contact Us