Proceedings - Biomass South 2008
Bob Neikem, Director of Renewable and Wholesale Power, Progress Energy
Bob Niekum is Director of Renewable and Wholesale Power for Progress Energy. In this position, Mr. Niekum is responsible for all long term purchases and sales of wholesale power for Progress Energy Florida. The company’s wholesale business serves municipal utilities, cooperatives and investor owned utilities. Purchases are also made from these utilities as well as from cogeneration facilities and renewable energy projects. He has been with Progress Energy for 26 years and has worked in Transmission Planning, has been the manager of Generation Planning and Director of Fuels Procurement. He has a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Power System Planning from the University of Florida. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Florida.
Growing Biomas Energy: Part of the Balanced Solution
Notes:
- Case for Biomass in Southeast
- Limited hydro, geothermal, and wind in south.
- Solar has som potential.
- Tropical climate enables biomass growth in large quantities.
- Potential Energy Crops
- Pine trees
- Switch grass
- Energy canes
- Arundo Donax (E-grass TM)
- E-grass - fast growth, high BTU value, mechanically harvestable, conversion by fast pyrolosis process.
- Other Biomass Opportunities
- Waste wood / energy crop facilities
- Biofuel co-firing in utility plants
- Biomass gas and electric
- Ridge Generating Station
- 66% - wood waste (250,000 tons/year)
- 30% - scrap tires (35,000 tons/year)
- 4% - landfill gas
- Traveling grate stoker boiler
- 200,000 MWH/yr
- Characteristics of biomass facilities
- Cost competitive with natural gas
- Land cost is key
- Tropical climate increases yield
- Operates like utility plant
Thanks to Sarah Ashton, Rachel Cook, Lindsey Hannum, James Jeuck, Liwei Lin, James McCarter, Susan McIntyre, and Mark Megalos for providing notes and summaries for presentations.
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