Cleaner Air, Cleaner Energy: Converting Forest Fire Management Waste to On Demand Renewable Energy
Demonstrating a mobile biomass gasifier to convert forest slash biomass into renewable energy.
All Power Labs, Inc.
Recipient
Berkeley, CA
Recipient Location
7th
Senate District
14th
Assembly District
$1,881,963
Amount Spent
Completed
Project Status
Project Result
The 150-kW Powertainer (PT) demonstrated how a containerized and portable gasification system could address the tree mortality crisis by converting forestry waste into clean, renewable energy and sequestering carbon at locations that can best utilize available fuel. During the 40 hours of performance testing, the technology met the majority of the performance targets set in the testing plan; however, the PT was not able to reach the expected electrical output of 150 kW during this test period. The system achieved 100 kW at maximum power with stable power production at 50 kW. The PT progressed from a technology readiness level of 4 to 6. The next generation of the Powertainer is targeted to advance the TRL to a commercial readiness level.
The Issue
California has an opportunity to help achieve the state's renewable energy goals using biomass from forest management. Gasification is a key technology for forest biomass-to-energy conversion that can increase reliability, lower costs, cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and help reduce the risks from forest fires. Current related technologies are not profitable at distributed scales. Further, any negative environmental impacts from the use of forest waste and biomass resources in the state must be mitigated with appropriate technology and management strategy.
Project Innovation
This project aims to design, deploy, and test a 150 kilowatt-electric (kWe) modular, mobile biomass gasification generator (the Powertainer) that converts forest slash biomass into on-demand renewable energy that meets the California Air Emission Standards. The results of the demonstration will inform the optimal siting of such systems to enhance grid stability and the impact of monetizing current forest waste as fuel on forest thinning, hydrological resources, and wildfire risk.
Project Benefits
This project develops and demonstrates a high-capacity, mobile conversion system capable of cost-effectively converting forest biomass near where it is sourced into renewable, on-demand energy to help address a myriad of issues associated with climate change, including drought, fires, and the need for more renewable energy.
Affordability
The project uses increased forest thinning to produce renewable energy more economically via a low cost modular and mobile biomass gasification technology that is able to have a levelized cost of energy at or below SB1122 incenti
Environmental Sustainability
The deployment of the Powertainer to address the tree mortality crisis would require 9,589 units of 150 kW and consume 10 million bone dry ton per year at a capacity factor of 60 percent. This scenario would produce 7,560-gigawat
Reliability
The Powertainer has the potential to offer flexibility in meeting location-specific needs while supporting critical operations and mitigating fire events. For a 150 KW Powertainer unit running one full year at a 60% capacity fact
Key Project Members
Tom Price
Subrecipients
Placer County Air Pollution Control District
Sierra Pacific Industries
Renewable and Appropriate Energy Lab
The Regents of the University of California
Center for Forestry/Forest Products Laboratory
Match Partners
All Power Labs, Inc.
