SILVAN POWER COMPANY                                           Biomass Fueled Renewable Energy

ABOUT BIOMASS 

Biomass refers to biological material both living and dead such as wood, forest debris and grasses that can be used as fuel or for industrial production.

 Mankind has been using basic biomass principles for energy (heat for warmth and cooking) since the dawn of time. Two billion people currently cook every day, and heat their homes in the winter by burning biomass.

For hundreds of thousands of acres of forests weakened by overcrowding, drought, disease and decades of fire suppression, biomass  power facilities provide landowners a reliable way for removing fire debris at a reasonable price while also providing for clean renewable energy. The long term goal is to create better forest conditions. The best trees remain. Smaller, competing trees, diseased and dying trees are removed as well as undesired undergrowth. This helps eliminate the fuel ladders that would otherwise transport fire from the ground to the tree tops. The materials taken to the biomass plants are those having no value for lumber or pulp chip production, and would otherwise be left in the forest or burned.

Studies show that forest thinning for desired conditions protects watersheds and even increases water yield and quality. By removing the excess materials from the forest many critical benefits are achieved. Fire danger is greatly reduced, forest health is improved and air pollution from fires is reduced. Larger healthy trees are left to grow and mature, but at a much faster rate than before since there is less competition for sunlight, water and soil nutrients.