Profitable Use of Biomass at Ethanol Plants
Cost: $60 (includes lunch)
These meetings focus on evaluating alternatives for using biomass
fuels (DDGS or other ethanol co-products and/or corn stover) to
generate electricity and process heat at ethanol plants. We believe
this approach can positively impact key issues affecting the ethanol
industry.
These meetings are for:
•
Ethanol Plant Managers and Board Members
•
Bankers Financing Ethanol Projects
•
Regulators
•
Utilities
•
Engineering Companies
•
Policy makers
Sponsors
Program Overview
Objective: Learn about opportunities to use biomass at ethanol
plants to:
- reduce energy costs
- generate renewable electricity
- improve the renewable energy balance
(reduce carbon footprint)
- improve profit margins
Technical Considerations
- Potential biomass fuels
- Conversion technologies
- Emissions control
- Integration with existing plant systems
- Levels of implementation
(process heat, combined heat and power, electricity to the
grid)
- Renewable
energy balance
The Carbon Footprint for Ethanol
- Definition
- Why it is important
- How to calculate it
- How to improve (lower) it
Economic Considerations for Biomass
- Economic factors
favoring biomass
- Increased capital costs
- Operating costs and incentives
- Rates of return
- Policy implications
Generating Electric Power at Ethanol Plants
- Combined
heat and power (CHP)
- Selling power to the grid
- Opportunities, regulations, incentives
- Renewable power incentives
Perspectives
- Ethanol plants
- Lenders
- Regulators
- Public policy
Program Agenda
8:30 am Registration
9:00 am Welcome and Overview of Biomass at Ethanol Plants
(presentation)
- Vance
Morey, Professor, Bioproducts & Biosytems Engineering,
University of Minnesota
9:25 am Biomass Conversion and Integration at Ethanol
Plants (presentation)
- Matt De Kam, Graduate Student, Bioproducts & Biosytems
Engineering, University of Minnesota
9:55 am Calculating the Carbon Footprint for Ethanol
(presentation)
- Adam
Liska, Postdoctoral Fellow, Center for Energy Sciences
Research, University of Nebraska (Norfolk and Des Moines)
- Vance Morey (Mankato)
10:25 am Break
10:45 am Economic Considerations for Biomass (presentation)
- Doug
Tiffany, Research Fellow, Applied Economics, University of Minnesota
11:30 am Generating Electricity at Ethanol
Plants and Selling to the Grid (presentation)
- Larry Schedin, LLS Resources,
LLC
Noon Buffet Lunch
12:45 pm Ethanol Plant Perspectives
- Bill Lee,
Chippewas Valley Ethanol - Mankato - (presentation)
- Normal Reese, Frontline Bioenergy- Norfolk
- Normal Reese, Frontline Bioenergy- Des Moines
1:15 pm Lender Perspectives (presentation)
- Mark Schmidt, AgStaf Financial - Mankato
- Chad Gent / Shane Frahm, Farm Credit Services of America -
Norfolk
- Ron Monson, Farm Credit Services of America - Des Moines
1:45 pm Pollution Control Perspectives
- Jess Richards, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Mankato
(presentation)
- Hugh Stirts, Nebraska Dept. of Environmental Quality - Norfolk
(presentation)
- To be determined - Des Moines
2:15 pm Public Policy Perspectives
- Kenneth Brownl, Minnesota Department of Commerce - Mankato
(presentation)
- John O'Connor, Nebraska Public Power District - Norfolk (presentation)
- Brian Crowe, Iowa Office of Energy Independence - Des Moines
(presentation)
2:45 pm Wrap up and Evaluation
Speaker Bios
Matt De Kam
Matt De Kam is a graduate student in Biosystems and Agricultural
Engineering at the University of Minnesota. He is modeling integration
of biomass combustion/gasification in corn ethanol plants. He has
a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Calvin College.
Adam Liska
Adam Liska is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in the Department
of Agronomy and Horticulture at the University of Nebraska. He
completed his Ph.D. in biology in 2003 at the Max Planck Institute
of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, in Dresden, Germany, and
completed his B.S. in biochemistry and biology at the University
of Nebraska. Adam is a member of a team of faculty studying the
energy efficiency and environmental impact of corn-ethanol biofuel
production systems. His current research includes the life-cycle
analysis of crop-based ethanol, biodiesel, and cellulosic ethanol,
potential GHG emissions trading for biofuels, and the impact of
biofuels on food security and the environment. He lead development
of the Biofuel Energy Systems Simulator (BESS) Model for studying
life-cycle energy and GHG emissons of corn ethanol.
Vance Morey
Vance Morey is a professor in the Department of Bioproducts
and Biosystems Engineering and has been at the University of
Minnesota since 1970. He earned is PhD from Purdue University and
his undergraduate
degree from Michigan State University. He served as Head of
the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering from
1992
to 2001.
His current areas of research involve biomass utilization
to provide heat and power at ethanol plants, and biomass densification
to
improve handling, transportation and storage. His past research
involved post-harvest handling of grain including drying, storage,
and improving quality.
He teaches courses in food process engineering
and introduction to design.
Larry Schedin
Larry Schedin started his own energy consulting business, Schedin & Associates
Inc. in 1980 after 18 years with Northern States Power Company,
a large electric and gas utility company serving over two million
people in a four-state service area. His utility experience included
a variety of management positions such as; Director of Corporate
Planning (1976-78), General Manager of Rates (1971-75), Manager
of Power Supply Coordination (1970-71), System Planning Engineer
and other engineering positions (1961-70).
In 1998, Alliant Energy
of Madison, Wisconsin purchased Schedin & Associates
Inc. and operated the business as part of their non-regulated consulting business
subsidiary named Alliant Energy Integrated Services, LLC. Mr. Schedin continued
to manage the Minneapolis office for Alliant Energy until early 2004. In March,
2004 Mr. Schedin began a new business named LLS Resources, LLC where he continues
to serve a broad range of commercial, industrial, institutional and utility
clients.
Mr. Schedin has a bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering
from the University of Minnesota and a Masters Degree in Engineering
Management from
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a Registered Professional
Engineer in the State of Minnesota.
Doug Tiffany
Doug Tiffany is a Research Fellow in Applied Economics
at the University of Minnesota. He has worked on energy-related
topics, including
biomass fuels and energy requirements of agricultural production.
Collaborating with others he has estimated the economics of
using biodiesel to reduce emissions in underground mines, biodiesel
production economics, ethanol plant economics, the grain flow
patterns of Minnesota, and impacts of the Kyoto Accord on Midwestern
agriculture. He has published papers on the economics of wind
energy, pyrolysis of native prairie grasses, phosphorous abatement
strategies, and the payoffs of precision agriculture. Doug
has
made numerous presentations of his work with audiences including
graduate-level seminars, legislative hearings, farmer extension
audiences, as well as the U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Naval
Academy. For the academic year 2001-2002, Doug was awarded
the Endowed Chair of Agricultural Systems in the College of Agriculture,
Food, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Minnesota.
Doug has worked in state government and commercial banking
with
most involvement in land valuation and policies. Doug earned
B.S. and M.S. degrees in Agricultural Economics at the University
of Minnesota.
|
Return
to: BAE Home
