The 2009 International Biomass Conference & Expo, to be hosted by BBI International Inc. in Portland, Ore., on April 28-30, will feature 90 speakers and six feedstock-oriented session tracks to appeal to the most diverse of biomass interests. In addition, 150 exhibitors are expected.
The tracks, which aim to focus the various areas of attendee interest, are: crop residues, dedicated energy crops, forest and wood processing residues, livestock and poultry wastes, municipal solid waste, urban wastes and landfill gas, and food processing residues. The general sessions will offer keynote speeches and presentations from industry leaders. One particular session will include panelists representing the spectrum of biomass-to-energy conversion technologies available today. They will field questions from attendees who are looking for ways to best utilize their specific biomass feedstock streams.
“This event, now in its second year, is unique because it appeals to a much broader audience than other bioenergy industry conferences,” said Tom Bryan, vice president of communications for BBI International. “We, as an industry, can’t afford to keep preaching to the choir. The growth of this industry is dependent on the commercial production of power, fuels and chemicals from nonfood, non-feed raw materials.”
Conference attendees can tour three facilities in the region for an additional fee. West Oregon Wood Products Inc. in Banks, Ore., uses forest and wood processing residues to create products such as fuel pellets. Summit Natural Energy Corp., which operates facilities in North Plains and Cornelius, Ore., uses food processing residues to produce more than 2 MMgy of ethanol. Clean Water Services’ Rock Creek Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility in Hillsboro, Ore., is a treatment plant that utilizes anaerobic digestion and biogas recovery.
