Utility to consider biomass for fuel: Board votes to fund $50,000 study into possibilities for future plant conversion

Sep 7 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Carla Knapp Pharos-Tribune, Logansport, Ind.

Utility Service Board member Tom Slusser called it "one of the most important things we as a board have ever done."

Slusser was talking about the board's decision to fund a $50,000 feasibility study into the potential for converting Logansport Municipal Utilities' power generating plant to burn biomass instead of coal.

The board voted unanimously at its Aug. 26 meeting to support the study, which will be conducted by E3 Engineering Consultants.

Utilities Superintendent Paul Hartman said in an interview last week the study would likely be complete by November.

"This is a study to let us know what the potential of the generating plant is to convert to a combination of coal and biomass, or all biomass, what the economics are and that type of thing" said Hartman. "It will tell us if the area around us supports this type of fuel. It's going to study everything."

Hartman told the board members at the August meeting the study is a necessary precursor to the completion of LMU's strategic plan.

"If we don't do that, we're short circuiting ourselves," he told board members. "We would no longer have a vision at the plant."

Hartman said LMU has been considering this type of study for "quite a while now." He said thoughts of converting the plant were triggered by the rising cost and the limited availability of coal.

Those problems have been compounded by the recent problems with emissions at the plant. The dark-colored smoke seen coming from the plant's smoke stack is believed to be caused by the high-sulfur coal being utilized. LMU has requested a shipment of low sulfur coal, which is more expensive but burns cleaner than high sulfur coal; however, the utility's coal vendor said its supply has already been allocated for this year.

"Sulfur coal is not something that everyone wants to produce anymore," he said. "If we want to stay in the generating business, we have to look at all of our options."

Hartman said he had no estimate as to the cost of such a conversion nor was he able to comment on the potential savings for LMU for burning biomass. He said the study would answer those questions as well as what type of biomass would be the most economical for the plant to utilize should it convert.

The term "biomass" refers to any type of alternate fuel, of which there are many kinds, said Hartman. He gave the examples of farm crops, animal waste, wood chips, even garbage.

Though some fuel options would likely be more economical than others, Hartman said LMU plans to withhold any judgments until it has received the report from E3.

"We're not going into this with any preconceived notions," said Hartman, adding that E3 generally makes recommendations based on what types of biomass are readily available in the immediate area so as to reduce delivery costs. "We're going to have them steer us."

Carla Knapp can be contacted at (574) 732-5150 or via e-mail at carla.knapp@pharostribune.com