HomeMy WebLinkAboutBiomass Energy Technologies Fact Sheet 04-2018-BIOALASKA ENERGY AUTHORITY
WWW.AKENERGYAUTHORITY.ORG
REDUCING THE COST
OF ENERGY IN ALASKA
FOR MORE INFO
CONTACT:
Devany Plentovich
Program Manager
DPLENTOVICH@AIDEA.ORG
907.771.3068
QUICK FACTS
ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES: BIOMASS
53 REF
Biomass
Projects
100,000+
cords of wood
used annually
for home
heating
statewide
150 pre-
feasibility
studies
statewide
since 2005
CURRENT STATUS
Through AEA's biomass program, 22 wood heating systems are currently operational. The
Chistochina and Fort Yukon systems were commissioned in the last 4 months. Since 2008
the Renewable Energy Grant Fund has funded 53 biomass projects. Currently there are 6
biomass systems in design and construction. Numerous projects are in the development
phase with 5 completed prefeasibility studies in 2017 through the Alaska Wood Energy
Development Task Group. AEA and project partners recently completed a “best practices”
handbook for Alaskan schools to build, manage, and integrate into curriculum biomass
headed greenhouses. An Associated Press article on the Greenhouse Handbook was
published in over 520 news outlets across the world.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Alaska's most important biomass fuels are wood, sawmill wastes, fish byproducts, and
municipal waste. AEA's biomass energy program focuses on developing wood-fired systems
that displace fuel oil for heating public facilities, demonstrating fish oil biodiesel
performance, and recovering energy from municipal solid waste.
More than 100,000 cords per year are used for residential space heating statewide. Closure
of the major pulp mills in Sitka and Ketchikan in the 1990s brought an end to large-scale
wood-fired power generation in Alaska; however, the volatility of fossil-fuel pricing has
raised interest in using sawdust and wood wastes as fuel for lumber drying, space heating,
and small-scale power production.
Demonstration projects like the Sealaska Corporation’s large-scale pellet boiler at its Juneau
headquarters and Tok School’s chip-fired boiler have proven that biomass can significantly
reduce the cost of energy in a community and has led to the start-up of other wood-fired
boilers in Coffman Cove, Craig, Gulkana, Elim, Thorne Bay, Haines, Minto, Anvik, Hughes
Koyukuk, Naukati, Kobuk , Ketchikan, Kokhanok, Galena, Kenny Lake, and Tanana.
Interest in manufacturing wood pellets continues to rise. Currently, there are both small and
large-scaled plants operating in Alaska. The largest facility, Superior Pellets, is located in
North Pole and is capable of producing an estimated 30,000 tons of pellets per year.
ONGOING PARTNERSHIPS
Through an MOU with 17 State, Federal, and Non-governmental organizations, AEA and the
U.S. Forest Service have funded more than 150 pre-feasibility studies since 2005. These low-
cost pre-feasibility studies are the catalyst that led to the development of many of the
Renewable Energy Grant Fund applications and all of the operational biomass systems.
Additional pre-feasibility studies are planned for 2018.
Alaska Energy Authority was one of five states to be awarded a State Wood Energy Team
federal grant. This award, along with matching State of Alaska funds, will allow for the
continuation of pre-feasibility studies and will provide technical support, education, and
project development for biomass heating systems.
APRIL 2018