Wood pellets from Georgia will soon be fueling power plants in the Netherlands, providing electricity while lowering emissions of carbon dioxide.  The wood pellet plant currently under construction in Waycross, Ga. and owned by RWE AG, Germany’s second-largest utility and the owner of the Dutch power plants, is a product of the growing demand for green energy.  It is also a powerful illustration of the potential that green energy holds for the state of Georgia.

According to Jill Stuckey, director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Energy or COI-E, a wealth of natural resources place the state in an excellent position to be a leading supplier of biomass or plant matter-based fuels. She cites Georgia’s abundance of sunshine and its more than 24.4 million acres of forest and more than 10 million acres of cropland.

“I believe that land is where we will grow our fuel in the next decade,” said Stuckey.  “We’ll rely on our foresters and farmers for electricity and liquid fuels.”

The COI-E was created in 2008 by Governor Sonny Perdue to expand the production and use of renewable energy and alternative fuels in Georgia.  Since that time, the Center has matched entrepreneurs and companies looking to develop biofuels with the needed funding, technical and business support.  The result is 34 announced biomass projects in Georgia, the highest number for any state in the southeastern U.S.

Spend an hour; save a month
In the past two years, the COI-E has taken a one-stop-shop approach to facilitating the development of biomass-related industries.  Each month, the COI-E convenes experts in the areas of finance, research and regulatory requirements among others.  Entrepreneurs, companies and other business entities interested in developing a biomass-related enterprise are each given an hour with the assembled experts to present their proposal and receive feedback.

“Each month we typically have four or five companies on the schedule, ranging from individuals who may have developed an innovation in their garage to major corporations like RWE,” Stuckey said.

By bringing everyone together in one room, companies can typically get up and running much more quickly.  The assembled experts can explain the hurdles that must be cleared and provide suggestions on how best to clear them.

“We can help businesses get the shovel in the ground faster – saving anywhere from three months to a year.  That’s money,” Stuckey said.

With European mandates to reduce CO2 emissions, the COI-E is seeing interest in biomass from multinational corporations.  In addition, discussions within the federal government on implementing a renewable portfolio standard for electricity production have generated interest in biomass from Georgia Power, Oglethorpe Power Corporation and other utilities.

From pellets to jet fuel
RWE announced its intention to build its Waycross plant, the world’s biggest plant for wood pellets, in January 2010.  The plant is expected to cost $170 million and will have an operating capacity of 750,000 metric tons per year beginning in 2011.

“Georgia has the sustainably managed forest land for wood pellet production,” Stuckey says.  “And we have established transportation infrastructure including two ports, an international airport and extensive highways and railways.”

Stuckey believes that industries like wood pellet and liquid fuel production will bring meaningful jobs and revenues to Georgia as green technologies mature.  Research at University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and other educational institutions is increasingly shifting from a focus on growing food and fiber to growing BTUs.  One objective is to gain the ability to convert biomass into drop-in fuels like gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

“Imagine pipelines carrying jet fuel that run from central Georgia directly to the Atlanta airport,” Stuckey said.  “That’s the type of energy innovation we’re are working toward.”

For more information on the Center of Innovation for Energy, an affiliate of the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, visit energy.georgiainnovation.org

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