A crop identified as having an excellent biomass potential by the U.S. Department of Energy hopes to bring decent money to a farmer in Madrid. Thomas E. Lee is converting switchgrass into biofuel, doing his bit for the environment. He bought machinery last year that helps him transform switchgrass by cutting, baling and then grounding them into large pallets.
Similar to charcoal briquettes in appearance, these pallets burn no different. They burn quite well, emitting a large amount of heat. Mr. Lee is selling out a 40-pound bag of the briquettes for $4. His energy source is competitive with wood pellets that Summerhaven in Potsdam or Curran Renewable Energy, Massena sells out. Taking power from a tractor, the $35,000 machine he bought from inventors in Pennsylvania is capable of pushing through about 12 bales in an hour. Till date, Mr. Lee has sold 1 ton to a Canadian interested in buying a similar machine. Although he doesn’t look for big production, but strongly believes it to be a interesting way to progress towards a greener lifestyle.
Via: WatertownDailyTimes