HomeMy WebLinkAboutBio-Brick ProjectWildfire T M Bricks
A Right -Sized Solution for Rural Job Creation, Energy Security and Forest Health
WildfireTM bricks are a densified biomass fuel made from forestry residuals and other woody biomass
generated during wildfire risk reduction and forest stewardship activities on public and private
forestlands. Wildfire bricks are burned in existing wood stoves and can offset or entirely replace fossil
fuel and electricity use for residential and commercial heating. They are an ideal product to amplify
public investments in forest restoration and rural economic development. We are proposing constructing a
network of 4-6 brick plants in rural communities across Oregon, each capable of processing 20,000-
60,000 green tons of forest biomass annually (12-36,000 tons of finished product). The brick plants
represent a simple, economical way to stimulate rural communities, increase energy security and improve
forest health. Construction of brick plants can be completed within 6-9 months
Job Creation
Wildfire bricks plants are similar in size and layout to a small sawmill and require a workforce with
similar skills. A series of plants would provide immediate and long-term employment for rural
communities including:
Construction Employment
• Each facility would generate 35-50 family wage jobs during construction, depending on size,
including:
o 30-45 jobs in project construction and fabrication, full-time for 6 months and
o 5 civil, mechanical, structural engineers, full-time for 6 months.
Long -Term Employment
Each plant would provide approximately 10-18 FTE long-term positions for plant operators, managers,
shipping, receiving and inventory management, depending on plant size.
o Production facility jobs would be family wage with competitive salary and benefits.
Indirect Employment
Each facility will also create 5-9 FTE in biomass harvesting, processing and transporting, depending upon
plant size including:
o Grinding crews at forest landings,
o Truck drivers for chip hauling, and
o Additional work required for loggers and forest contractors to pile biomass material.
Local Sourcing
The design and construction of the plants, as well as the fabrication of the machinery, would be conducted
by Oregon -based businesses. By design and by necessity, the raw material for the plants will be 100%
Oregon -sourced over the lifetime of the plant.
Workforce Development
Each facility will create stable employment in rural communities by transforming locally available
biomass into renewable energy. The skills required to operate a densified biomass production facility are
similar to those required to operate a sawmill. A densified biomass energy plant would help rural
communities retain and develop a skilled workforce.
Energy Impact
Production of densified wood heating fuels can help reduce dependence on costly, imported, non-
renewable heating fuels. Each facility will initially produce a minimum of 12,000 tons/yr of biomass
heating fuel (from 20,000 green tons), in the form of wood bricks, meeting a majority of the space heating
Wildfire" Bricks
A Right -Sized Solution for Rural Job Creation, Energy Security and Forest Health
needs of 6,000 homes. The facilities are modular and can be easily expanded up to 36,000 tons per year of
finished product, producing 28 MW of thermal energy per hour or 168 GWhr of thermal energy per year,
to meet the heating requirements of 18,000 homes.
Integration
Wildfire bricks help address important environmental issues. They are made from the residuals of forest
management (e.g. slash) and fuels reduction projects—materials that would otherwise be burned in slash
piles. Having strong local markets for woody biomass will allow public land managers to accomplish
more fuels reduction activities. The Deschutes National Forest estimates that using biomass instead of
burning it would save them between $100 and $300 per acre in avoided costs. This savings would result
in more acres treated with the same appropriation. If fuels reduction activities generate 10 tons of biomass
per acre, then a plant utilizing 20,000 green tons of biomass would help treat 2,000 acres per year, saving
the land managers between $200,000 to $600,000 in its first year and up to $600,000 to $1,800,000 per
year once it is fully expanded.
Applied Innovation
Oregon is the birthplace of densified fuels; wood pellets were invented and commercialized here. Project
team member Bear Mountain Forest Products still operates the world's first commercial -scale biomass
densification plant (built in Linn County in 1983) and has grown its production to over 150,000 tons
annually. Given the tumult in the timber industry, the residuals of which are the current source of raw
materials for densified fuels, it is imperative that the biomass fuel industry to move towards sourcing raw
materials directly from the woods, and to construct facilities that are appropriately scaled to the resources
available in rural forest communities. Technology to manufacture the bricks is currently available from
A3 Energy Pai tiiers and is installed at Bear Mountain's Cascade Locks densification facility.
Proposed Facility Locations
Proposed sites include upgrading the existing Bear Mountain facility at Cascade Locks and building four
new facilities in Lane, Josephine, Deschutes/Jefferson, and Washington/Tillamook Counties.
Project Team
The project is team a partnership between the public and private sectors and non -profits organizations.
• Resource Innovations, University of Oregon
• A3 Energy Partners, Inc.
• Bear Mountain Forest Products, Inc.
• Lane, Deschutes, and Josephine Counties
• Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council
For More Information Please Contact:
Marcus Kauffman
Resource Innovations
marcusk@uoregon.edu
Andrew Haden
A3 Energy Partners, Inc.
andrew@,a3energypartners.com
tner. s.com
541.346.0661
503.706.6187