Workshop Summary

Using Corn Stover for Energy at Ethanol Plants conference offered a range of topics delivered by a line-up of speakers who discussed topics related to the proposition that corn stover can be collected and utilized as a fuel to provide process heat and generate electricity at fuel ethanol plants. Academic speakers discussed research conclusions related to engineering, biomass removal rates, and project economics. Custom operators and ethanol plant engineers discussed their experiences with harvest of corn stover and corn cobs, as well as results from test burns. An electrical engineer presented his perspective on the market and policies guiding sale of electricity from combined heat and power facilities. A finance expert provided an overview of objectives of investors in power production projects. In addition, a lawyer specializing in renewable energy project organization, spoke on the business models and tax incentives that are available for investors in renewable energy projects today.

Conference Presenters

Powerpoint presentations from the Meeting

Doug Tiffany - Welcome and Using Corn Stover for Energy at Ethanol Plants

Vance Morey - Corn Stover Logistics and Densification

Jeff Coulter - Agronomic considerations for Corn Stover Harvest

Vance Morey- Using Biomass at Ethanol Plants for Combined Heat and Power

Andrew Zurn - Biomass Gasification at Chippewa Valley Ethanol Co.

William Glahn for Larry Schedin - Electric Markets and Steam Supply Contracts

Dan O'Neill - Investor Perspectives: Financing Biomass Project Assets

Doug Tiffany - Economics of Using Biomass to Produce Heat and Electricity at Ethanol Plants

Mark Hanson - Contracting Biomass: Selling Steam and Electricity

Program Sponsors: Xcel Energy Renewable Development Fund and University of Minnesota Intiative for Renwewable Energy and the Environment