It’s Electric! Wood chips generate over 3,000 megawatt hours of electricity!

Woods chips produced from hazard trees within the Smith River Complex transform into electricity with help from partners

Gasquet, CA., May 21, 2024—After the 2023 Smith River Complex fire suppression efforts concluded, a major focus was to ensure Highway 199 was safe for motorists to travel on. As a result, fire weakened trees were felled. Trees marked as non-marketable or not suitable for firewood, were chipped and used for erosion control in strategic locations along the corridor, however, a substantial amount of chips remained (7,600 tons of wood chips).

Fortunately, after meticulous planning and collaborative efforts, the disposal and energy conversion of these wood chips has been successfully accomplished. Biomass One, a cogeneration powerplant played an essential role in this endeavor, utilizing commercial chip forest product permits to burn the chips locally, and thereby mitigating the fire hazard of spontaneous combustion while disposing of potentially pathogen-infected material in an environmentally friendly manner. The 7,600 tons of wood chips generated over 3,000 megawatt hours of electricity capable of powering 1800 average size U.S. homes for a period of 2 months.

The coordination of this massive operation was facilitated by CalTrans, in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service and local companies including Biomass One, LP, Bettendorf Trucking Co., and Tidewater Inc. By joining forces, Bettendorf Trucking Co. and Tidewater Contractors Inc. worked together to load and transport the chips to Biomass One in White City, Oregon. This coordinated effort positioned the project as the leading supplier of material for renewable energy production at the cogeneration plant during the months of March and April 2024.

A total of 53 free use chip permits were issued to the general public and Tribal members, aiding in the removal of an estimated 116 green tons of material. Additionally, a new Forest Product Plan has been established for wood chips generated anywhere on the Gasquet Ranger District, ensuring a streamlined process for future public use.

Thanks to all the help from the public, and coordination between multiple agencies and partners, most of the wood chips were distributed for public use or energy generation. CalTrans will handle the small chip pile that remains to ensure public safety and minimize disruption of operations at the curtain burner, which is slated to continue operations for another two months.

Photo 1: Kristin Coons, Forester, Gasquet Ranger District, standing on top a massive wood chip pile. Photo by: Kristin Coons, U.S. Forest Service

Photo 2: Heavy equipment loading bucket loads of wood chips into Bettendorf Trucking Co. and Tidewater Contractors Inc. dump trucks to transport to Biomass One Cogeneration Facility in White City, Oregon. Photo by: Kristin Coons, U.S. Forest Service