The Development of Switchgrass
as a Dual Use Biofuel
CRC Biofuel Solutions is committed to delivering cost-effective, environmentally friendly technology and expertise to help our clients generate sustainable energy with switchgrass (SG).
Why Use Switchgrass
The Bioenergy Feedstock Development Program (BEDP) was initiated in 1978. And was sponsored by the Department of Energy to evaluate various potential feedstock that could be grown specifically for bioenergy and bioproducts. Following extensive screening trials, SG was selected as a single herbaceous “Model Species”. In 1991, a 10-year focus on developing switchgrass as a bioenergy crop was initiated, and as a result of this focused effort, volumes of reports have been written about switchgrass as a biofuel (SG-BF). SG can be used in solid fuel boilers through two methods: (A) direct combustion of SG or (B) blending or co-firing SG with coal. Below is a brief history of how this technology has progressed in Southside Virginia to a successful, environmentally friendly, cost-effective alternative solid fuel source or a blending or co-firing additive.
Development of the Technology to Burn SG via Direct Combustion
The development of the direct combustion technology of SG-BF has evolved over the past 20 years in Southside Virginia, progressing through three phases:
- Initial phase: Limited availability of SG-BF led to short-term trial/error tests of the fuel feed system, fuel handling, and preparation to be “boiler ready“.
- Second phase: As more SG-BF became available and technology improved, successful test burns lasting several months were conducted.
- Industrial phase: Applied technology achieved a consistent level of steam production from SG-BF, and the available supply of fuel increased to meet the facility’s annual steam needs.
Program Cooperation and Coordination Partners
The success of these trials was achieved through collaboration with universities, state/federal agencies, private companies, and landowners, forming the Cooperative Farm to Fuel Switchgrass Biofuel Project in Southside, Virginia.
Piedmont Geriatric Hospital (PGH) in Burkeville, Virginia, has a 1985, 260 HP solid fuel boiler initially designed to burn coal. PGH had been burning sawdust, which was available only during summer, but they were interested in finding a biomass fuel that was available for 12 months/year, so they were open to trying SG-BF.
Farmers who grew SG for livestock forage initially donated the SG-BF supply. As demand for additional SG-BF increased to conduct more tests, we needed to find a long-term solution to the feedstock supply as we could not continue the project based on the generosity of livestock growers to share their forage for increasing tests.
Cooperators learned about an Ohio-based company that specialized in establishing stands of warm-season grasses, which included SG. They agreed to join the other cooperators and use their experience to develop a sustainable feedstock supply of boiler-ready SG-BF for the project. The company leases local farmland to grow SG-BF as an energy crop, and their services are all-inclusive, from site preparation and planting fields, to harvest, processing, and delivery of boiler-ready SG-BF to the customer.
This partnership has been effective for over a decade. As of 2024, they currently lease 3,300 acres, providing PGH with approximately 3,500 tons of SG-BF annually. The remainder of the annual harvest goes to other projects they are involved with.
Successful Industrial Level Annual Steam Production
Since 2017, SG-BF at PGH has accounted for 63% of the total steam demand for the campus. During these seven years, the hospital burned 18,076 tons of SG-BF, displacing 1,989,014 gallons of #2 fuel oil, resulting in a cost savings of $2,363,582. Additionally, SG-BF avoided 20,094 tons of GHG emissions and sequestered 18,900 tons of soil carbon while boosting economic and environmental conditions in the region.
In conclusion, the technology of burning SG-BF at PGH has, for the past seven years, despite mechanical issues with the 40-year-old solid fuel feed system, contributed the following percentages of annual steam production:
• 81% in 2018
• 33% in 2019
• 92% in 2020
• 90% in 2021
• 93% in 2022
• 30% in 2023
• 37% in 2024
Ability to Transfer Knowledge to Others
The direct combustion technology developed at PGH has been successfully tested at Augusta Correctional Center near Staunton, Virginia, and the United Methodist Center in Blackstone, Virginia, where short-term trials were successful in using their existing solid fuel boilers and fuel feed systems to burn SG-BF
The success of the “Cooperative Farm to Fuel Switchgrass Biofuel Project in Southside Virginia” has been supported and recognized by the US Department of Energy who release a statement and video about the project, and the receipt of the 2017 VA Governors Environmental Gold Medal award. This information can be seen on the Resources page of this website.
Blending or Co-Firing SG-BF with Coal
“Co-firing/mixing SG-BF with coal has been extensively tested, with more than 100 commercial-scale trials reported,” (a) says Dan Ciolkosz in his July 2024 Penn State Extension newsletter article. Co-firing projects are complex, involving various stakeholders from technical, economic, environmental, and regulatory groups. For example, Kentucky Co-ops recently hosted an Electric University (b) for state legislators to educate them on how electricity is generated and distributed, demonstrating the importance of collaboration.
While our experience with co-firing SG-BF and coal has been promising, long-term success requires reliable testing methods and a sustainable SG-BF supply. We recommend using Doug Boylan’s four-phase study as a model (c), with an added phase for stakeholder coordination. The five phases are:
- Establish a cooperative project with key stakeholders.
- Secure a reliable SG-BF supply.
- Test small quantities of the blended fuel to ensure compatibility with the fuel feed system.
- Conduct pilot combustion tests to optimize emissions reduction and steam generation blends.
- Implement full-scale, long-term operations including locally sourced SG-BF.
Successful Future of SG-BF
We’d like to encourage you to contact us to learn how we can help you transition from fossil fuels or to co-firing SG-BF with coal to achieve sustainable energy and reduce emissions using switchgrass biofuel. CRC Biofuel Solutions is able to work with your facility to acquire significant amounts of SG-BF for testing and multi-year use until a local source can be established and brought into production and use.
(a) Ref: https://extension.psu.edu/co-firing-biomass-with-coal
(b) Ref: https://www.electric.coop/kentucky-co-ops-host-electric-university-for-state-legislators
(c) Ref: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0961953400000520
