"p4UBSU.F6Qp64*1" – Oddly we’re picked up a bit of Moore from the electronics industry along the way. The more we produce the cheaper it gets, quite unintentionally, remarked Harald Arnold, USIPA Chairman. Bioenergy International No 82, 6-2015 25 MAKE NO MISTAKE, MIAMI BEACH was by all accounts the place to be. Driven by 2020 targets, the energy sector in the European Union (EU) remains the largest volume market for industrial pellets and US producers’ major suppliers for the foreseeable future – foreseeable being the operative word. Arnold continued his address to describe how far and fast the US industrial pellet industry has moved since the first conference, which was held just five years ago in New Orleans. He noted several milestones including safety, sustainability, standards and scale, the rollout of production- and supply-chain capacity all adding up to US$ billions in investment capital. In a word “remarkable” as Harald Arnold put it. Thinking beyond the fire Arnold’s milestones also indicate a degree of industry maturation. Coupled with the final Clean Power Plan (CPP) issued 3 August requiring the US power sector as a whole to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, not to mention movements in other non-subsidised markets for woody ligninbased applications, such as the chemical industry, it was very timely that such topics were also on the “exporting pellets” conference agenda to be “explored”. Judging from the questions and comments heard during the event, it was also a welcome development. Providing an inspirational and well-received insight into the latter, Dr Federico M. Berruti, Consultant, McKinsey & Company, reminded delegates that there are numerous pathways to consider for extracting the most value from biomass and three “investment horizons” for biomass technologies; proven, emerging and demonstration. Pelletising falls into the first category, pellets are well proven, have a transportation cost advantage over other solid biomass forms and a near-commodity. –We should learn from the crude oil world. The largest share of revenues from petroleum refining comes from the smallest share of end-use, speciality fuels and chemicals, explained Berruti before ending with a recent example of Canadian cellulose to glucose research using pellets. Wilco van der Lans, Senior Business Developer Industry and Energy, Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands took the train of thought one step further; van der Lans is also Project Manager for the Rotterdam Biorefinery concept. The objective is to set-up a second-generation integrated ligno-cellulosic project using 1 million tonnesper annum of pellets as feedstock. It makes much more sense than it may first sound. Rotterdam is the location of the largest refining, petro chemical and chemical industry cluster in » PELLETS – Things get better with age, remarked Harold Arnold, USIPA Chairman and President of Fram Renewable Fuel in his opening address of USIPA’s 5th Annual Exporting Pellets Conference in Miami Beach, Florida. This year’s edition was characterised by mature reflection and a sober outlook. It was the best yet in terms of dedicating time to a much broader discussion on industrial pellet markets other than the European utility sector in general and the UK in particular. Well-tuned keynote speaker, Chuck Leavell, award winning forester, forest owner and Rolling Stones keyboardist, spoke of forest owners’ stewardship and the importance of partnership in the industry.
Bioenergy no 6 October 2015
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