Representatives of bioenergy firms discuss benefits of technology to lumber industry

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. -- With the lumber industry facing declining profits, the Eastern Ozarks Forestry Council is exploring ways to add value to wood product.

As part of that exploration the governmental council brought two bioenergy companies, Ensyn Corporation of Delaware and Phoenix Bio-Conversion Systems of Colorado, to Fredericktown for an informative session with government leaders and forest industry officials.

The companies outlined their systems for converting wood products and other biological materials to several products, from ethanol to food additives.

For the representatives of the two companies, the main goal was to establish biomass conversion as viable commercial processes against the skepticism such new energy technologies often face.

'Think outside the box'

"Forget everything you know or think you know about what's happening in biomass or biomass energy," Ensyn executive vice president David Boulard told attendees, encouraging them to "think outside the box."

Boulard and Phoenix's Lawrence Stewart both said their companies' technologies have become profitable, vital parts of the alternative and renewable fuels movement.

Ensyn's biomass conversion system quickly converts wood waste with 10 percent moisture or less, such as sawdust, to a variety of products from food additives to fuels. With few emissions and little solid waste, the process is a relatively clean way to generate energy, Boulard said.

Phoenix's system is slightly different, using a variety of biomass sources, from tires to sewage to garbage to wood, to produce synthetic gas to replace natural gas or catalytically converted to ethanol and methanol.

Unlike a proposed ethanol plant in Cape Girardeau that would require a fermentation system, the Ensyn and Phoenix conversion systems quickly become self-sustaining shortly after being put online.

Each representative said the technologies would rely heavily on strategic partnerships between local industry and government to start a plant and keep it running.

Many workshop attendees expressed interest in the technologies, but wanted more information.

Randy Van Winkle, a mill owner from Van Buren, Mo., said if he could get the same money for his mill waste by selling it to biofuel operations, he would easily make that decision.

"I don't think you'd find anyone who wouldn't be interested," Van Winkle said.

Jackson city engineer Kent Peetz attended the meeting to scout out information on the technologies. Peetz said he saw interesting applications for the conversion process that may be of interest to municipalities, such as conversion of waste to fuel through the Phoenix technology.

Steve Becker, a researcher with the forestry council, said there are about 4,700 tons per day of wood waste alone that could be used in the process in the council's 14-county area. That area includes Cape Girardeau, Perry and Bollinger counties.

Using such technologies, Becker said, could improve the health of forests by making the thinning process more economically feasible.

Benefits vs. costs

Now the question is whether bringing the conversion technologies to Southeast Missouri is feasible. That's the question Steve Foster, who owns the Missouri Fibre Corporation chip mill in Scott City, had for the presenters.

"I come from private business and if I don't make money, I don't want to do it," said Foster.

Until a feasibility study is conducted, it's unknown whether the benefits of bringing these technologies to the area will outweigh the cost, but the key players are interested.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182