Skip to:  Content • Community Forestry Programs • Coordination Programs • Offsite Links

  Fuels for Schools

Step 2: Grind up small diameter wood and debris harvested in Step 1.

Wood chips being stored for use in a biomass boiler.

Step 4: Use chips to fuel efficient clean biomass heating systems. Systems can be co-fired, converted or newly installed.

• Cleaner air: The emissions of carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous oxides, and particulates are considerably lower than in the burning of fossil fuels.

• Wood heat is less costly than petroleum based fossil fuels and helps move our country to energy independence.

• It minimizes the fire danger in wooded areas

• It helps control disease of trees

• Visible water vapor is the only exhaust

IS THERE SUFFICIENT FUEL IN NORTH DAKOTA FOR THESE PROJECTS?

Even though we live on the Northern Plains and may not think of ourselves as having wood resources, North Dakota is a biomass producing state with rich resources in agricultural residue and woody biomass. In 2003, the Energy and Environmental Research Center of Grand Forks studied the risk of wildland fires in the state and identified five areas in the state where high amounts of woody biomass and agricultural residue existed-namely, the Turtle Mountains, the Bismarck-Mandan Area, the Upper Missouri River Area, South Central/Southwest Counties and Pembina Hills. We are currently concentrating our efforts to develop the Fuels for Schools in areas that have primarily woody biomass as 50% of the fuel for the projects must come from forest thinning during the first two years of operation. Thereafter, the fuels can come from any source and being a biomass rich state and with the present push towards keeping the tree waste and other wood products out of the landfill we will likely have a sufficient fuel supply.

There are two studies of interest in determining North Dakota’s biomass fuel supply.

1.  Identifying Resources and Options to Mitigate the Risk of Wildland Fires in North Dakota (1.40MB - PDF)

2.  Opportunities for Small Biomass Power Systems. http://www.undeerc.org/centersofexcellence/biomass/pdfs/ds_smallbiomass.pdf

There is additional information about the Fuels for Schools Program web site at: http://www.fuelsforschools.org/ The Frequently Ask Questions Link http://www.fuelsforschools.org/faq.html has answers to many of the most commonly asked questions.

If you would like more information from the North Dakota Forest Service or have questions about the Fuels for Schools Program contact Tom Claeys or Joel Nichols at 701-328-9944.