Placer County Planning Commission has approved a use permit for the proposed Cabin Creek Biomass Facility, allowing the project to move forward with plans to convert locally and sustainably sourced woody biomass and other eligible organic waste into biochar and other renewable or beneficial-use products, Biomass Magazine reported.
The commission granted approval at its September 10 meeting. The project is intended to contribute to Placer County’s efforts to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires by creating a productive use for excess biomass generated through forest thinning and management activities.
The proposed biomass utilisation and biochar production facility will be located on county-owned property within the Eastern Regional Landfill complex at 900 Cabin Creek Road. The site is approximately two miles south of Interstate 80 and immediately west of State Route 89. The facility is planned for the southernmost 2.7 acres of a 148-acre county-owned parcel.
The approved proposal represents a redesigned version of a biomass energy facility that received approval for the same site in 2013. The new project replaces the previously approved gasification-based power generation system with patented non-combustion thermal conversion technology.
The facility is proposed as a public-private partnership between Placer County and Biochar Now LLC. Under the plan, woody biomass sourced locally and sustainably, along with other eligible organic materials, will undergo kiln-based thermal conversion to produce biochar and other renewable or beneficial-use products.
The project is also intended to provide an alternative outlet for surplus woody biomass produced through forest thinning and management work that has been carried out in Placer County for many years. Such activities are undertaken by agencies including the U.S. Forest Service, local fire districts and private property owners.
Historically, some of the excess biomass generated through these activities has been disposed of through open pile burning and other methods. The county said alternatives to open burning, such as the proposed Cabin Creek facility, can help reduce air emissions while creating opportunities to make beneficial use of the biomass within the local economy.
