Re: GAS-L: A plague of criticism, any solutions?

[LINVENT@aol.com]

Dear Daniel,
    Thanks for the early morning support. It is after 4am here. 
    None of the biomass projects which I have seen in large scale are 
economically successful for two major reasons, cost of the fuel, (always 
positive) increasing with transportation distance, and power value. A recent 
presentation in Albuquerque by the McNeal Station manager showed that the 
value of electricity which they received from the grid was so low that the 
plant was only used for peaking. It was started and stopped several hundred 
times a month, whenever the power value exceeded the cost of operation. The 
cost of harvesting and transporting biomass was a the major factor in these 
economics.  
    The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have massive problems 
with the harvested biomass from forest thinnings. There is an initiative to 
address the forest management by the Bush administration because of the 
recent uncontrollable fires which devastated massive areas of the Southwest 
and are now taking the toll on Oregon. The limited factor is the cost of 
disposal of millions of tons of biomass throughout widespread areas of the 
forested regions of the country. Gasifying it for power production does not 
work due to energy values and lack of remote connections for power transport. 
Other solutions are needed. It appears as though Thermogenics can play a 
major role in this program.  
    If the density of biomass production was increased per unit area, then 
the transportation cost would decline and economics would improve, but there 
would still be harvesting cost and the like which would not change much. If 
genetics or fertility could change this a great deal, it would still not make 
much change in the economics. These economics of harvest and transport is the 
limiting factor in biomass utilization.
    If islands or areas where fuels are very expensive such as the outbacks 
and remote locations are used, that is a much better deal and possibly 
feasible for biomasses. European subsidies can assist there. 
    I cannot respond to the stoves and bioenergy lists as I am not subscribed 
to them. 
    

Leland T. Taylor
President
Thermogenics Inc. 
7100-F 2nd St. NW Albuquerque, New Mexico USA 87107 Phone: 505-761-5633, fax: 
341-0424, website: thermogenics.com. 
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