Utilizing forest residues for biochar production: Lessons learned from the Waste to Wisdom project Han-Sup Han, Ph.D. Professor/Director of Forest Operations and Biomass Utilization

Description

The Waste to Wisdom project was part of the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI) and funded by the Department of Energy at an amount of $5.8 million. Our interdisciplinary research team, consisting of academics, business professionals, and land managers, worked together for about four years (September 2013 to December 2017) to: 1) conduct field-based experiments to develop innovative tools and systems that improve the economics, accessibility, and production of quality feedstocks from forest residues, 2) develop and test stand-alone in-woods or near-the forest biomass conversion technologies (BCTs) for the production of biochar, torrefied wood, and briquettes, and 3) perform analyses to evaluate the economic feasibility of commercial deployment of BCTs and to quantify the life cycle economic and environmental benefits of utilizing forest residues with BCTs for the production of bioenergy and bioproducts. The research papers presented in this Special Issue cover key aspects of the research efforts and findings made by the project team. We encourage the audience to visit the project web site (http://wastetowisdom.com/) to learn more about the team’s research on feedstock development, biomass conversion technologies, and the financial and environmental benefits of utilizing forest residues for production of bioenergy and biobased products.”

Speaker
Han-Sup Han, Northern Arizona University, Professor and Director of Forest Operations and Biomass Utilizationn