A “biomass day” is planned for a coal plant in Oregon, a report by The Corvallis Gazette-Times says.

The test day is the first step in converting the Boardman Coal Plant in Boardman, Oregon, into 100 percent biomass, the report says. Portland General Electric (PGE), Portland, Oregon, will use nothing but wood debris to power the station for one full day at the 550-megwatt facility.

A previous test using a 10-to-1 mix of coal and biomass was conducted and successful last year, according to the report. This will be the first time the plant was fed biomass for 24 straight hours and will show whether the plant will be able to use biomass as feedstock long-term.

If the facility does not accept the biomass, PGE has either decided to shut it down entirely by 2020, according to the report. It is the state’s last remaining coal-fired power plant.
For the feedstock, PGE has partnered with Oregon Torrefaction, which will use small diameter, beetle-filled trees that undergo a process called torrefaction that creates a dry, crispy feedstock, the report says. It will take 8,000 tons of feedstock to keep the facility running for a full day.

Oregon Torrefaction registered as a benefit corporation with the state July 1, the report says. Its partners include the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Greenville, South Carolina, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Portland, Oregon, and Ochoco Lumber Company, based in Prineville, Oregon.

The majority of biomass for the PGE project will come off national forests, the report says. Oregon Torrefaction is in the process of installing a large torrefier at a chipping yard in the Port of Morrow, and from there the material will be trucked eight miles to the Boardman Coal Plant.

It will take approximately 800 truckloads to deliver all 8,000 tons of biomass, according to the report. If the full day test burn is successful, the next step will be to see if biomass can be used to power the plant for multiple days in a row.