Better

Biomass

Pathways

www.marinrcd.org/marinbiomassproject

Better =�

• wildfire safety
• value-added bio-products
• SB 1383 compliance
• greenhouse gas reduction
• ecological safety and regeneration
• long-run affordability and resilience

Findings�

• Residual biomass = 250,000 tons per year�
• Some materials getting recycled�
• > 60% entering higher-GHG pathways�
• Better pathways are possible

Recommendations

• Expand Composting of green materials
• Expand Co-digestion of food scraps�
• (Re)Develop Milling for roadway logs
• Develop Gasification of C&D materials
• Develop Co-Pyrolysis of digestate�
• Reduce biomass shipment to Central Valley
• Reduce biomass landfilling

residual biomass

zero waste

greenhouse gas

reduction

circular economy

est 2020

suitable

biomass

economy

​

​

​

​

​

​

fire districts

agricultural producers

clean energy

haulers and landfillers

city and county governments

Wastewater

Districts

​

​

​

​

​

​

fire districts

agricultural producers

clean energy

haulers and landfillers

city and county governments

Wastewater

Districts

Wastewater

Districts

Wildfire

Prevention

foresters

firefighters

Resource

Recovery

haulers

processors

Carbon

Farming

farmers

landscape

scientists

researchers

Local Government

planners

managers

electricity

providers

workforce development

Economic

Development

wastewater district

water district

Utilities

• How much and when?�
• Where does it currently go?

green materials

logs

wood chips

digestate

food scraps

construction and demo wood

ag residues

biomass flow mapping

Forest/Woodland Biomass

(from vegetation management)��

• large diameter material�
• small diameter material�
• chipped woody biomass with some green materials

RECOVERABLE

FROM SITE

TOTAL CUTS

VEGN MGMT

logs

branches

Metro Biomass�(from landfill diversion)�

from SB 1383 definition of “organic waste”

TOTAL

ORGANICS

Suitable

Uses

~ 250,000 TPY

~ 80,000

TPY

• wood
• lumber / wood products
• food scraps
• green materials
• landscape prunings
• organic textiles
• carpets
• paper products
• sludges, incl. manure
• digestate

yard

C/D wood

branches

food

onsite

dispersion

solid fuel

production

wood product

manufacturing

thermochemical conversion

biological conversion

disposal

prescribed burning

piling and burning

air curtain burners

mastication

broadcast chipping

prescribed grazing

post and pole production

small-scale milling

large-scale milling

particle board mfg

mass timber production

onsite

dispersion

solid fuel

production

wood product

manufacturing

thermochemical conversion

incineration

CONVERSION

TECHOLOGIES

biological conversion

landfilling

disposal

wood

products

solid

fuels

soil

amendments

energy

resources

prescribed burning

piling and burning

air curtain burners

mastication

broadcast chipping

prescribed grazing

post and pole production

small-scale milling

large-scale milling

particle board mfg

mass timber production

onsite

dispersion

solid fuel

production

wood product

manufacturing

thermochemical conversion

incineration

biological conversion

landfilling

disposal

BIO-PRODUCTS

wood

products

solid

fuels

soil

amendments

energy resources

prescribed burning

piling and burning

air curtain burners

mastication

broadcast chipping

prescribed grazing

post and pole production

small-scale milling

large-scale milling

particle board mfg

mass timber production

onsite

dispersion

solid fuel

production

timber

product mfg

thermochemical conversion

incineration

biological conversion

landfilling

disposal

pathways

in Tons

per Year

81,000

in Tons

per Year

81,000

61,000

20,000

landfilling

in Tons

per Year

81,000

landfilling

31,800

20,000

landfill waste

landfilling

Marin’s

Current

Economy

in Tons

per Year

Digestate

81,000

118,000

Marin’s

Current

Economy

in Tons

per Year

Digestate

81,000

118,000

20,000

700

15,000

1,800

16,500

Marin’s

Current

Economy

in Tons

per Year

Digestate

81,000

118,000

20,000

700

15,000

1,800

16,500

61,000

2,600

123,000

3,100

39,200

15,900

81,000

123,000

17,400

700

15,000

1,800

31,800

2,600

123,600

8,000

23,000 MWh/yr

7,900

380 MWh/yr

Compost

Waste

Landscape Dispersion

Electricity (local, renewable)

Long-Distance > 100mi�(Electricity)

Compost

Waste

Landscape Dispersion

Electricity (local, renewable)

beneficial uses to �expand and complement

Long-Distance > 100mi�(Electricity)

Compost

Long-Distance > 100mi�(Electricity)

Waste

Landscape Dispersion

Electricity (local, renewable)

> 60%

best match

• GHG reduction and sequestration
• economic feasibility and growth

pathways

Marin’s

ALTERNATIVE

Economy

in Tons

per Year

Digestate

Digestate

81,000

118,000

20,000

700

15,000

16,500

in Tons

per Year

Digestate

Digestate

81,000

118,000

20,000

700

15,000

16,500

81,000

84,000

14,200

9,500

5,400

29,000

700

Digestate

Digestate

81,000

118,000

20,000

700

15,000

16,500

41,800

84,000

3,100

5,400

27,500 MWh/yr

600

5,400 MWh/yr

Compost

Electricity (long distance)

Waste

Dispersion

Biochar

Wood Products

Local Electricity

beneficial uses to �expand and complement

> 60%

Compost

Electricity (long distance)

Waste

Dispersion

Biochar

Wood Products

Local Electricity

frontier for further work

Alternative

Current

Electricity �(co-digestion)

Wood Products

Compost

Biochar

Electricity (gasification)

Electricity �(co-digestion)

Wood Products

Compost

Biochar

Electricity (gasification)

Electricity �(co-digestion)

Wood Products

Compost

Biochar

Electricity (gasification)

Electricity �(co-digestion)

Wood Products

Compost

Biochar

Electricity (gasification)

Recommendations

• Expand Composting of green materials
• Expand Co-digestion of food scraps�
• (Re)Develop Milling for roadway logs
• Develop Gasification of C&D materials
• Develop Co-Pyrolysis of digestate�
• Reduce biomass shipment to Central Valley
• Reduce biomass landfilling

+

biomass

feedstocks

RECOVERY SYSTEM

A

Develop our recovery system

+

biomass

feedstocks

Utilization Pathways

B

Develop use �opportunities

A

Develop our recovery system

biomass

feedstocks

carbon-rich soil

amendments

Utilization Pathways

A

B

Utilization Pathways

Marin

Biomass

Project

Marin

Biomass

Project

moving

carbon

moving

carbon

higher risk�(net positive emissions)

higher reward (net zero or negative emissions)

moving

carbon

higher risk�(net positive emissions)

higher reward (net zero or negative emissions)

moving

carbon

higher risk�(net positive emissions)

higher reward (net zero or negative emissions)

wildfire

prevention

landfill

diversion

utilization planning

carbon

uptake

carbon

retention

transferrable

insights

www.marinrcd.org/marinbiomassproject

Chad White

Project Manager

chad@marinrcd.org

(end of presentation)

(extra slides from here on)

electricity

electricity

anaerobic digestion

composting

mulching

combustion

capture and collection systems

biogas

compost

mulch

heat

soil

carbon

soil

carbon

landfill

landfill

gas

CNG

yard

C/D wood

logs

branches

food

wood

products

biogas

biochar

syn gas

compost

mulch

heat

collection • transportation • sorting

PATHWAYS

GHG Savings (annual)

​

200 MTCO₂e�(0.3 MTCO₂e/ton)

Investment�

$1-2M

1. Wood Products Mfg ..

Project 2. Local, Renewable Electricity..

GHG Savings (annual)

​

10,000 MTCO₂e�(0.6 MTCO₂e/ton)

Investment�

$15-20M

Project 3. Compost (soil amendment)..

GHG Savings (annual)

​

12,000 MTCO₂e�(1.4 MTCO₂e/ton)

Investment�

$5M

Project 4. Biochar (soil amendment)..

GHG Savings (annual)

​

3,000 MTCO₂e�(0.6 MTCO₂e/ton)

Investment�

$5-10M

Project 5. Institutionalization (Growth and Integration)

Investment�

$0.5-1M

+