environmental impacts of woody biomass utilization · life-cycle assessment: general overview...
TRANSCRIPT
Environmental Impacts of Environmental Impacts of Woody Biomass UtilizationWoody Biomass Utilization
From Forests to Electrons:From Forests to Electrons:A LifeA Life--Cycle Assessment Approach Cycle Assessment Approach
Mark Nechodom, Research Scientist Pacific Southwest Research StationUSDA Forest Service, Davis CA
California Biomass CollaborativeCalifornia Biomass CollaborativeAnnual Forum Annual Forum -- March 1, 2005March 1, 2005
Forest HealthForest Health: Framing the : Framing the problem and the solutions…problem and the solutions…Essential Drivers: Wildfire & Ecosystem “Health”Essential Drivers: Wildfire & Ecosystem “Health”
1.1. Public SafetyPublic Safety2.2. Amenity ValuesAmenity Values3.3. Watershed ProtectionWatershed Protection4.4. Ecosystem Values (“biodiversity”?)Ecosystem Values (“biodiversity”?)
Contested solutionsContested solutions1.1. How bad is it?How bad is it?2.2. What are the tradeoffs?What are the tradeoffs?3.3. What’s the return on investment?What’s the return on investment?4.4. Can some do well by doing good?Can some do well by doing good?
Article of FaithArticle of Faith: Must move a lot of biomass : Must move a lot of biomass around the landscape (“up, down or out”)around the landscape (“up, down or out”)It’s a It’s a waste problem, not an industrywaste problem, not an industry--creation creation problemproblem
Costs From Forest to Costs From Forest to Customer = 7.5¢/kWhCustomer = 7.5¢/kWh
Capital Amortization/ROI (.5)
Transportation (1.6)
Processing (.8)
Collection (.6)
Harvest (1.2)
Operation and Maintenance (2.8)
Sources: Nechodom, Mason & Hartsough in progress; TSS Consultants Unpubl.
Avoided Costs of Biomass Power Generation = 11.4 cents/kWh
Source: Morris 1999
SOx (.01)
NOx (.13)
PM-10 (.71)
CO (.15)
CH4 (7.52)
non-methane HCs (1.1)
CO2 (- .23)Forest Thinning (.13)Landfill (1.9)
Environmental and Social Impacts Environmental and Social Impacts and Costs of Wildfire: and Costs of Wildfire: At What PriceAt What Price??
Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation and restoration costsrestoration costsTransportation Transportation (movement of goods (movement of goods and services)and services)Human health Human health Evacuation and Evacuation and displacement displacement Cultural and Cultural and archeological sites
Timber lossesTimber lossesWatershed damageWatershed damageWater treatmentWater treatmentTourism and Tourism and recreationrecreationAmenity valuesAmenity valuesWildlife habitatWildlife habitatDisaster relief costsDisaster relief costsLost jobs and wages
archeological sitesLost jobs and wages
A Pricing Problem…A Pricing Problem… ??!
5.37.5
11.42
15.22
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Cen
ts p
er k
ilow
att-
hour
Wholesale Power(CA 2002)
Cost of BiomassGeneration
(Nechodom & Mason2003)
EnvironmentalBenefits & Potential
Income (Morris1999; Nechodom &
TSS)
Env/Soc Benefitsand Avoided Losses
(ShamelesslyHypothetical)
LifeLife--Cycle Assessment:Cycle Assessment:General OverviewGeneral Overview
CradleCradle--toto--grave analysis of environmental grave analysis of environmental impactsimpactsBreaks material and energy pathways Breaks material and energy pathways down to individual “unit processes”down to individual “unit processes”Imposes discipline to analyze complex Imposes discipline to analyze complex processesprocessesCan be used to frame policy dialogueCan be used to frame policy dialogue
EE44 Approach to LCAApproach to LCA
Economic Viability (Economic Viability (E1E1))
Environmental Impact (Environmental Impact (E2E2))
Energy Efficiency (Energy Efficiency (E3E3))
Social and Policy Effectiveness (Social and Policy Effectiveness (E4E4))[CEC Biomass LCA study does not treat E4][CEC Biomass LCA study does not treat E4]
F o re s t B io m a s s R e m e d ia t io n P ro c e s s e s (M o d u le A )
(a l t e rn a t ive s + b e n c h m a rk : h a n d t h in n in g , m e c h t h in n in g , p re s c rib e d f i re ,
n o re m e d ia t io n )
R a w B io m a s s M a t e ria l M a n a g e m e n t P ro c e s s e s (M o d u le B )
(a l te rn a tiv e s + b e n c h m a r k : s h re d & d is p e rs e ; c o l le c t & re m o v e fo r fu r th e r
u ti l i z a tio n ; b u rn )
B io m a s s - to -F u e l C o n ve rs io nP ro c e s s e s
(M o d u le D 4 )(a l te rn a tiv e s + b e n c h m a r k :
th e rm a l p y ro ly s is , g a s i fic a tio n /o x id ta ttio n , )
F u e l - to -E le c tr ic i ty C o n ve rs io n P ro c e s s e s (M o d u le D 6 & E 3 & 4 )
(a l te rn a tiv e s + b e n c h m a r k :c o m b u s tio n + s te a m tu rb in e ;
g a s i fic a tio n + e n g in e /g e n e ra to r ; c o m b u s tio n + g a s tu rb in e )
la n d s c a p e e c o s y s t e m b e fo re
la n d s c a p e e c o s y s t e m a ft e r
ra w b io m a s s p ro d u c t s w it h in f o re s t b o u n d a ry(m ix o f t re e s , b ra n c h e s , b ru s h , l it t e r )
c o lle c t e d b io m a s s p ro d u c t s f o r re m o v a l a n d f u r t h e r u t l iza t io n a t f o re s t b o u n d a ry
R e m o ve d B io m a s s U tl iza tio n P ro c e s s e s (M o d u le F & D 3 )
(a l te rn a tiv e s + b e n c h m a r k : c o m p o s t, m u lc h , fu e l in p u t m a te r ia l )
b io m a s s f u e l in p u t p ro d u c t s a t p ro d c u t io n p la n t b o u n d a ry
EN D PO IN T 3 : " N o n - f u e l" a lte r n a t iv e s
EN D PO IN T 2 : " N o - r e m o v a l" a lte r n a tiv e s
b io m a s s -b a s e d f u e l p ro d u c t s a t p ro c e s s in g p la n t b o u n d a ry
E le c tr ic i ty G r id C o n n e c tio n P ro c e s s e s (M o d u le D 7 & E 5 )
(a l te rn a tiv e s + b e n c h m a r k :b io m a s s p la n t a l te rn a tiv e c o n fig u ra tio n s ;
n a tu ra l g a s p la n t )
e le c t r ic it y p ro d u c t s a t e le c r ic it y p la n t b o u n d a ry
e le c t r ic it y ( k W h ) d e liv e re d t o m e t e r a t t h e g r id
EN D PO IN T 4 : Ele c tr ic ity g e n e r a tio n
a lte r n a tiv e s
EN D PO IN T 1 : " N o r e m e d ia tio n "
a lte r n a tiv e
F I R E E F F E C T S P o st-p ro c e ssi n g M O D E L 4
- e s t im a t e s fre q u e n c y & s iz e o f fire s
- c o n ve rt s fire r is k t o p ro p e rt y d a m a g e e s t im a t e & e n viro n m e n t a l im p a c t s
fi re fre q u e n c y, s ize & d a m a g e
la n d s c a p e e c o s ys te m a fte r fi re
F O R E S T E C O S Y S T E M M O D E L 2
LCA
MO
DEL 1 - SEQ
UEN
TIAL PR
OD
UC
TION
PRO
CESSES
L C A M O D E L 1 - E n e rg y , M a te r i a l a n d E n v i ro n m e n ta l A c c o u n ti n g F l o w s
P A R T 1 : E s t im a t e s o f C a p it a l a n d O & M c o s t s o f L C A p ro d u c t io n p ro c e s s e s
P A R T 2 : C o s t e s t im a t e s o f im p a c t s o f L C A g e n e ra t e d e m is s io n s a n d w a s t e s
P A R T 3 a : C o s t e s t im a t e s o f fo re s t e c o s y s t e m im p a c t s o f b io m a s s re m e d ia t io n p ro c e s s e s
P A R T 3 b : C o s t e s t im a t e s o f fo re s t fire e c o s y s t e m im p a c t s
P A R T 4 : C o s t e s t im t e s o f fire d a m a g e s a n d fi re fig h t in g c o s t s
P A R T 5 : C o s t e s t im a t e s o f h u m a n h e a lt h im p a c t
A g g re g a t e d E c o n o m ic c o s t s ($ / k W h ) ($ / A c re ) fo r
e a c h E N D P O IN T A L TE R N A TIV E
e m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d
c o -p ro d u c t s
m a t e ria ls c o n s u m e d
e n e rg y c o n s u m e d
$ c a p it a l/ O & M c o n s u m e d
m a t e ria ls c o n s u m e d
e n e rg y c o n s u m e d
$ c a p it a l / O & M c o n s u m e d
m a t e ria ls c o n s u m e d
e n e rg y c o n s u m e d
$ c a p it a l/ O & M c o n s u m e d
m a t e ria ls c o n s u m e d
e n e rg y c o n s u m e d
$ c a p it a l / O & M c o n s u m e d
m a t e ria ls c o n s u m e d
e n e rg y c o n s u m e d
$ c a p it a l / O & M c o n s u m e d
m a t e ria ls c o n s u m e d
e n e rg y c o n s u m e d
$ c a p it a l/ O & M c o n s u m e d
e m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d
c o -p ro d u c t s
e m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d
c o -p ro d u c t s
e m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d
c o -p ro d u c t s
e m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d
c o -p ro d u c t s
e m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d
c o -p ro d u c t s
E N E R G Y A N A L Y S I SM O D E L 4
E N V I R O N M E N T A L I M P A C T S A N A L Y S I S M O D E L 5
P A R T 1 : E n e rg y c o n s u m e d b y a l l p ro c e s s e s
P A R T 2 : E n e rg y g e n e ra t io n a lt e rn a t ive s
P A R T 1 : E m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d o r o ffs e t b y a l l p ro c e s s e s + c o -p ro d u c t s
P A R T 2 : A s s e s s m e n t o f e m is s io n s im p a c t s (e . g . , C M L , E u rg ia 9 9 , e t c . )
A g g re g a t e d E n e rg y g e n e ra t e d (k W h / B D T)
(k W h / A c re ) fo r e a c h E N D P O IN T A L TE R N A TIV E
A g g re g a t e d E m is s io n s g e n e ra t e d (g / k W h ) g / A c re )
(g / B D T) fo r e a c h E N D P O IN T A L TE R N A TIV E
Assessment of Energy,Environment and Economics
EnergyMaterials
Capital/Costs
Wildland Biomass Treatment Options
Biomass Disposal Options
Biomass Utilization Options
Commercial Value-Added
+Public Benefits and
Costs+
Emissions+
Wastes
mechanical thinning
hand thinning
prescribed fire
no treatment
collect and remove
chip and disperse on site
burn on site
electricity
Options for Generating Electricity
biomass othernatural gas
compost mulch other
Biomass LCA: Framework and Key Biomass LCA: Framework and Key ModulesModules
Module A Module B Module D Module P
ForestRemediation
ForestRemediation
BiomassManagement
ElectricityGeneration From ForestRemediation
Biomass
Electricity Generation
From NaturalGas (Benchmark)
CompareCompare
AlternativeUses ofForest
RemediationBiomass
Public Benefit ResultsEconomic (P1E1-P7E1)
Environment (P1E2-P7E2)Energy (P1E3-P7E3)
CompareCompare
ReduceForest Fire
Effects
Module EModule C Module F
Biomass LCA Project StatusBiomass LCA Project Status
Study Timeline: Oct 2004 Study Timeline: Oct 2004 –– Sept 2008Sept 2008Research team in place (>20 people: State, Research team in place (>20 people: State, Federal & Private)Federal & Private)Technical and Policy Advisory CommitteesTechnical and Policy Advisory CommitteesConceptual Framework CompleteConceptual Framework Complete
Model boundaries identifiedModel boundaries identifiedModeling platform: Umberto (process flow and LCA Modeling platform: Umberto (process flow and LCA model)model)
First “handFirst “hand--cranked” scenario by July 2005cranked” scenario by July [email protected]@fs.fed.us 530530--759759--17061706