Lexington, KY - The "greening" of the state got a boost recently with the first plantings of Miscanthus Giganteus, a perennial grass that could serve to supplement the use of coal in Kentucky as an energy source.
The idea comes from Midwestern Biofuels, LLC and its president, Jeff Lowe, and vice-president, Brandon Minix. The two have used their Lowe's 20-year background in the energy industry and Minix's experience as a chemist to produce a pellet made from Miscanthus and other biomasses that will burn in the same way as coal to power electrical generating plants.
The pellets are more environmentally friendly than coal alone and the plants provide a new avenue of revenue for farmers, said Lowe.
"We're going to be planting about 125 acres of Miscanthus, which is a sterile hybrid that you plant just like tobacco with a regular tobacco setter," he said. "That will serve as a nursery, and we'll dig up the rhizomes next year and we'll be able to plant around 2,500 acres, because you get a 20-to-1 yield when you pull up these rhizomes."
Lowe added that, once the Miscanthus is planted, it will produce for about 20 years, and while it may not become the new coal, it has the potential to become the new tobacco.
"Our estimates are showing it to be one and a half to two times more profitable than tobacco," he said. "Regarding hay, we're looking at about four times the value of hay. Ultimately the sky is the limit. We're looking at 500 tons of production by the year 2011, depending on our capital, and obviously we're going to be constrained by capital. The more we have to buy plants and provide for the farmers, then buy back from farmers, the more (Miscanthus) we'll be able to utilize. Essentially we're limitless as far as capacity."
Lowe, who is a farmer himself, also said that, compared to tobacco, the labor intensity of the Miscanthus plant isn't even in the same ballpark. That's good news for those former tobacco farmers who have their hands full with other projects.
"This is one of the least labor-intensive crops a farmer will ever have to deal with. There has really not been a crop out there that could replace tobacco until now," he said.
The company will supply plants to farmers in exchange for the farmers selling the harvested plant back to them. Lowe said they would even help in harvesting if needed. From an environmental standpoint, the Miscanthus pellets will leave less of a carbon footprint, making it an ideal green product.
"Our product is less than half the sulfur of the lowest sulfur product in the United States. As far as a clean-burning fuel, it is ultra clean," Minix said.
He added that while it would be impossible to replace coal since it provides an estimated 51 percent of the power in this country, as an additive, the pellets will help to make coal more environmentally friendly.
The project is gaining attention from local and state officials as well as the biofuels industry. Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear participated in the first planting of Miscanthus near the company site.
"This project is a natural fit for both this area of Greenup County and for the state in general," Beshear said. "Kentucky can capitalize on the new technology in biofuels and biomass production within today's renewable energy industries and help the state and nation become more energy independent."
While the project is basically in a start-up mode, the goal of Lowe and Minix is to expand once a profit can be made.
"Once we start turning a profit, we'll be looking at making capital investments. Our ultimate goal is to have these biomass stations set up all across the eastern U.S.," Lowe said.
Kentucky has been on the forefront of biofuels production over the last few years, with ethanol and biodiesel plants locating here as well as projects that have involved the use of biomasses such as switchgrass. The Miscanthus, however, has a yield advantage over more traditional fuel crops, according to Minix.
"We are also working with switchgrass, but the biggest thing about Miscanthus is the yield. You're looking at two to three times the tonnage yield per acre versus switchgrass," he said.
In a study conducted by the University of Illinois last year, Miscanthus was shown to be more efficient than corn in ethanol production.
"What we've found with Miscanthus is that the amount of biomass generated each year would allow us to produce about two and a half times the amount of ethanol we can produce per acre of corn," said crop sciences professor Stephen P. Long, who led the study.
One more unique thing about the project is the ability to utilize existing infrastructures from planting to its burning stage. Lowe said they want to provide utilities with a renewable, clean energy source that can be handled without any headaches, and what better way is there to sell the product than if the customer doesn't have to do anything different? Farmers can also take advantage by using implements they already have, such as their tobacco setters and hay cutting and baling equipment, which are used during the harvesting of the plant. The plants can be cut in the same manner even as silage.
More about Miscanthus
Miscanthus is basically a perennial ornamental-type grass that is native to Asia and Africa and goes by other names, including Chinese silver grass and maiden grass. It can grow to heights of about 13 feet and is well suited for dry weather and poorer soil conditions. It also needs very little fertilizer. If planted in June, the crop would be ready to harvest by January or February after a hard freeze, which starts the drying process. The full yield potential won't be realized until after the first year and should be approximately between 15 and 24 tons per acre.
Working with University of Kentucky County Extension offices, Lowe and Minix are taking a grassroots method of getting the word out about this project.
"The main thing now is getting everybody up to speed on this. It's not a Johnson grass or the kind of thing that spreads," said Lowe. "It has been well received, but we have to keep having town meetings and educate everyone because it is new to them. I know how hard it is to keep your farm, and we're going to try and help as best as we can."
The first testing of the product took place recently with the help of a couple of customers, including a coal burning plant in Ohio. Full results of the test will not be available for about a month.
For more on the project and Midwestern Biofuels, contact Jeff Lowe or Brandon Minix at jlowe@mwbiofuels.com or bminix@biofuels.com.