Released February 9, 2013
Alternative fuel use by the wood products industry could reduce the industry’s dependence on fossil fuels and decrease its emissions.
A new resource guide created by the Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP), the Penn State College of Engineering, and the Mid-Atlantic Clean Energy Applications Center (MACEAC) promotes the use of one such alternative fuel: combined heat and power (CHP). CHP, also known as cogeneration, is the simultaneous production of electricity and heat from a single fuel source — in this case, on-site waste products such as sawdust, wood shavings or bark.
Shifting to CPH technology can increase energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and increase energy security, said Denise Bechdel, an environmental specialist at PennTAP. It is a particularly attractive option for lumber and furniture production facilities that have access to inexpensive and abundant fuel sources on-site.
~continued on Forest Business Network, http://www.forestbusinessnetwork.com/25805/new-guide-promotes-alternative-fuel-use-by-forest-products-industry/
