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It’s the first of its kind in the United States.
A mobile pelletizing machine that can convert switch grass to pellets for fuel is due to be delivered next month to Columbia County, just west of Luzerne County. Talk to the Wayne Conservation District about the prototype and the word “exciting” will come up a lot in conversation.
“It’s really exciting because ...the pelletizer is going to provide a renewable resource that everybody can use for alternative energy — anybody that has a pellet stove and will have access to the pelletizer,” said Resource Conservationist Len Grover. Though the pelletizing machine will be housed in Columbia County, it’ll be on loan to Wayne and other counties.
“First priority for the mobile pelletizer will be to make biomass (switch grass pellets) for the Benton Area School District (Columbia County) which installed a biomass heating system. Grants were secured for both the pelletizer and the school’s biomass heating system,” said District Manager Bob Muller, Jr., Wayne Conservation District. “The grant for the pelletizer was secured through the Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D). The Council serves a ten county area in northeast, PA.”
Grover says they’re encouraging farmers and landowners who have fallow fields, to plant native grasses. That crop could be processed for fuel or sold for cash. “It’ll take fallow land and put it into production,” said Grover.
Horse trailer size
The mobile pelletizer is the size of a large horse trailer.
“There is a mobile pellet mill that’s the size of a tractor trailer. But that’s not easily transportable and it’s very expensive. This is going to be farmer useable,” Muller said.
“Looking at the initial prototype that this company designed, I can actually see smaller, more portable units being individually used,” Grover said.
“It’s something that you transport to the field to make the pellets. Instead of having to bring the hay to a stationary or bringing it to a mill, you can take the machine to the hayfield,” said Nutrient Management Specialist Dave Kennedy. “And ultimately this machine will be manufactured and sold to anyone that would want to buy it,” said Kennedy.
Muller says it’s an alternative to firewood for people who don’t wish to split logs. Grover says “the reproductive quality of the grass far outweighs wood. How long does it take to grow a tree useable for fire use — years. This (grass crop) will reproduce in a year.”
It’s the first of its kind in the United States.
A mobile pelletizing machine that can convert switch grass to pellets for fuel is due to be delivered next month to Columbia County, just west of Luzerne County. Talk to the Wayne Conservation District about the prototype and the word “exciting” will come up a lot in conversation.
“It’s really exciting because ...the pelletizer is going to provide a renewable resource that everybody can use for alternative energy — anybody that has a pellet stove and will have access to the pelletizer,” said Resource Conservationist Len Grover. Though the pelletizing machine will be housed in Columbia County, it’ll be on loan to Wayne and other counties.
“First priority for the mobile pelletizer will be to make biomass (switch grass pellets) for the Benton Area School District (Columbia County) which installed a biomass heating system. Grants were secured for both the pelletizer and the school’s biomass heating system,” said District Manager Bob Muller, Jr., Wayne Conservation District. “The grant for the pelletizer was secured through the Pocono Northeast Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D). The Council serves a ten county area in northeast, PA.”
Grover says they’re encouraging farmers and landowners who have fallow fields, to plant native grasses. That crop could be processed for fuel or sold for cash. “It’ll take fallow land and put it into production,” said Grover.
Horse trailer size
The mobile pelletizer is the size of a large horse trailer.
“There is a mobile pellet mill that’s the size of a tractor trailer. But that’s not easily transportable and it’s very expensive. This is going to be farmer useable,” Muller said.
“Looking at the initial prototype that this company designed, I can actually see smaller, more portable units being individually used,” Grover said.
“It’s something that you transport to the field to make the pellets. Instead of having to bring the hay to a stationary or bringing it to a mill, you can take the machine to the hayfield,” said Nutrient Management Specialist Dave Kennedy. “And ultimately this machine will be manufactured and sold to anyone that would want to buy it,” said Kennedy.
Muller says it’s an alternative to firewood for people who don’t wish to split logs. Grover says “the reproductive quality of the grass far outweighs wood. How long does it take to grow a tree useable for fire use — years. This (grass crop) will reproduce in a year.”
For example, a poplar tree would take three to 10 years to grow to the point of harvesting, whereas switch grass is an annual crop, Kennedy said.. It takes two years to establish the first crop, he said.
Muller says half a dozen farmers in the County have said they’re interested in planting switch grass.
Endless potential
“I think the potential — whether it’s a stationary or this mobile unit — there’s a whole new industry that’s going to be developed out of this,” said Kennedy. “Farmers can make it and fuel their own house. But there’s going to be people that are going to take that part of the industry and be a supplier of pellets.
“It’s going to be interesting, the jobs this will create ...The enterprise of pelletizing, marketing the pellets, and the stove manufacturer and the installer of the stoves,” said Muller.
“You could go from production to manufacturing to retail and have a bunch of jobs available,” Grover said.
