Turning grass into electricity
11 Dec 2001
A project in central Iowa in the US aims to turn common switchgrass into electricity. Switchgrass is a common prairie grass and is grown on marginal farmland throughout many parts of North America.
Alliant Energy is testing small portions of the switchgrass at its Ottumwa Generating Station in Chillicothe, Iowa, which is co-owned with MidAmerican Energy. If the project reaches its goal, 5% of the fuel burned at the generating station will be switchgrass, eventually adding up to 200,000 tons burned annually at the site.
The Chariton Valley Biomass Project is a cooperative effort of government agencies and private sources and is managed by the Chariton Valley Resource Conservation & Development, Centerville, Iowa, a non-profit corporation focused on helping Southern Iowa farmers.
'This renewable energy source will offer every coal-fired generating station a good alternative as governmental policy concerning green fuel changes and as coal gets more expensive to produce,' said Martin Braster, project coordinator for the Chariton Valley Biomass Project.
John Deere self-propelled windrowers and square balers harvested the switchgrass needed in the experimental phase and John Deere's Ottumwa Works personnel developed the expertise on how and when to best cut and store the annual crop.
'The preliminary results are very positive,' said Braster. 'The switchgrass mixture produces less greenhouse emissions and is a good renewable source of energy. However, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will issue the official test results later this year.'
Permanent processing equipment and other hardware as well as storage buildings for the switchgrass are being installed now in the project's second phase. Authorities hope to make harvesting the grass a valid commercial enterprise for Southern Iowa farmers by 2004-2005.
Switchgrass was chosen because it has a high-energy output when properly harvested. Iowa State University is testing the impact of harvests on the environment, including water runoff, wildlife, and soil stress. The initial success of the Chariton Valley Biomass Project has been encouraging for similar projects in Alabama and Pennsylvania that were initiated over a year ago.
