Transforming Wood Waste into Bioenergy
Bioenergy encompasses a range of clean, renewable energy sources that can deliver significant socio-economic and environmental benefits, while simultaneously providing firm power to Hawaii households. One of the most tried and true forms of bioenergy is biomass. But currently, only one biomass facility in the state, Green Energy Team on Kauai, offers the benefits this technology can provide to state residents.
As a cleaner and greener alternative to fossil fuels, traditional biomass generates energy through the combustion of forestry and agricultural sources. Biomass energy can also be produced by utilizing municipal biowaste, organic solid waste or other biodegradable waste streams as feedstock.
A green, renewable Hawaii
According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), the United States produces more than 70 million tons of organic waste each year. Such waste can pose a significant environmental and public health risk, unless it is carefully managed. Organic and food waste can contaminate water and leach into soil.
The state of Hawaii’s long-term vision is to minimize waste and make Hawaii more sustainable through effective resource management of waste, instead of waste disposal. Over the years, Hawaii has attempted to generate energy through more effective solid waste management.
Hawaii’s bioeconomy, for example, has the potential to reduce the amount of municipal, agricultural and forestry waste by sustainably utilizing organic biomatter to generate clean, firm renewable bioenergy.
Benefits of converting wood and agricultural waste into biomass
Biomass can be converted into energy using a wide range of technologies, including combustion heaters, boilers and biodigesters. These advanced emission-reduction technologies pose no environmental risk and comply with national and state environmental and safety regulations.
Growing, harvesting and generating heat by burning wood and biomass feedstock offers renewable energy through a relatively simple process. Burning wood waste to generate energy, as Honua Ola plans to do, represents a reliable, time-tested method of minimizing landfill waste, avoiding water pollution and producing clean, renewable energy. The ash produced as a byproduct of the combustion process can also be used as a soil fertilizer, greatly benefiting local farmers and the agricultural industry.
Once operational, Honua Ola can use the whole tree, or use portions left after logs are harvested for other uses, including veneer, furniture and other wood products, thus enhancing the viability of the island’s timber industry. Other feedstock, such as invasive albizia and strawberry guava, can also be used, which will help rid the state of these dangerous nuisance trees.
The amount of wood waste around Hawaii Island will substantially be reduced if it can be sustainably utilized, collected and converted into bioenergy.