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Project Updates |
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Borgford BioEnergy LLC Project Update:
Kulzer BioEnergy Park/Springdale Lumber & BioEnergy 2009
The Borgford BioEnergy business plan proposed a bio-energy park based on the Octaflame gasifier. The gasifier would use fuel in the form of forest thinning/logging waste. The heat from this gasifier would be used for several downstream enterprises, including electrical generation for self use and for sale on the grid, heat for drying lumber, sawmill for specialty cut lumber and beams, greenhouses, biochar manufacture, and water distillation.
Property in Kulzer, Washington was purchased as the site for this bioenergy park.
The total project was divided into four phases. At the end of June, 2009, Borgford BioEnergy was the recipient of a grant sponsored by Senator Patty Murray to fund the first phase. The first phase consisted of equipment purchases and site preparation. Borgfords matched the grant amount with personal funds and resources.
In October of 2009, the lumber mill at Springdale came up for sale. It was located only 7 miles south of the Kulzer property. It had been shut down four and a half years. This mill contained all of the machinery needed to fulfill the needs of the specialty lumber and beam sawmill that was a part of a later phase of the business plan. Borgford BioEnergy purchased this property.
Purchasing the Springdale mill instead of constructing a brand new mill at the Kulzer site saved a considerable amount of money from the total budget and 18 months of construction time. In addition to providing more operating space at Kulzer, the purchase will employ approximately 22 more people than the single Kulzer site alone would have.
Both physical locations (Kulzer and Springdale) now constitute the Borgford BioEnergy energy park project.
2010
The purchase of equipment was completed and continued site preparation and cleanup at both locations made progress according to grant specifications. An extensive routine audit of the grant monies was conducted by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). We received a grant contract modification that approved moving ahead of phase one when the Springdale sawmill was acquired, and full approval of all funds spent.
Throughout the winter of 2009/2010 several employees were hired to bring the sawmill back to operating condition, and more were hired once the mill was operational. Associated jobs were also generated in the logging and trucking industry. Economically, when the mill re-opened, the town of Springdale was able to move ahead with plans and funding for improvements due to the tax base increase, so there was an immediate effect in the local area in addition to the direct jobs generated at the mill itself.
The first Octaflame gasifier will be installed at the Springdale site to replace the propane burner which previously was used to heat the lumber kilns. Equipment replacement and upgrades in the mill itself will increase efficiency. The permitting process for these alterations to the existing mill was begun in 2010.
Activity at the Kulzer site during 2010 was minimal; however, the overall Business Plan is being followed. Some parts of the plan were initiated ahead of schedule due to the purchase of the Springdale mill. |
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To contact us: |
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Borgford BioEnergy LLC 958 Westover Road Colville, WA 99114 1-800-884-8776 1-509-684-8776 |
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Our family working for your family’s future! |
