<br> By Shawn Jeffords, The Observer <a target="_blank" href="http://www.theobserver.ca">www.theobserver.ca</a><br> <br> Some call it nirvana. To others it's the holy grail.<br> <br> To Ontario Power Generation's Phil Reinert, it's a promising fuel that could help fill the void left by coal in the province's energy system. It could also be a potential fuel source for Lambton Generating Station if the province decides to keep the station open after the 2014 deadline to eliminate coal.<br> <br> It's "torrefied" biomass. That's wood or agricultural products that are treated to burn more efficiently in power plant units, Reinert said.<br> <br> "If it truly can deliver all the things it promises it would be a holy grail product," he said.<br> <br> Reinert is Nanticoke Generating Station's Alternative Fuels Manager and is part of a team researching different types of biomass treatments. Torrefaction is just one way to "roast" biomass to make it more efficient, he explained to crowd of several dozen during a seminar at Lambton College Thursday.<br> <br> During torrefaction, the biomass is specially treated so that it has a high energy density. That means that when it burns it produces more energy.<br> <br> "There is more energy in this versus raw biomass," he said. "Which means you need to transport less of it, store less of it, and when it comes to combusting … you're putting more energy in the boiler so you're getting more energy out."<br> <br> Torrefied biomass also doesn't absorb water, which means it can be stored outside or transported in open rail cars or in ships without fear of getting it wet. Moisture can sap away energy from burning biomass, making the fuel less efficient.<br> <br> "We are satisfied with raw biomass, however there are features we want to improve upon," he said.<br> <br> Reinert said this method appears to be the closest to market and Ontario Power Generation will continue to study it. Keeping assets like LGS from going "extinct" is a priority, but biomass isn't the only solution, he said.<br> <br> "We're exploring natural gas first, for the continuity of some units at Lambton and Nanticoke potentially if a case can be proven. At the same time, … we're exploring biomass."<br> <br> Observer Article ID# 2863839
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