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Costs of mesquite biomass

June 26, 2012, Vernon, TX - Researchers from the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Service are exploring the costs associated with processing mesquite for biomass use.

According to an article on AgriLife Today, the researchers discovered that higher harvest and transport costs are offset but little to no production costs. Therefore, mesquite could be used as a bioenergy feedstock under certain conditions and densities.

“Our analysis found that biomass density and harvesting costs are the two major factors affecting cost of delivered biomass,” said Dr. Seong Park, economist from the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Service center at Vernon. “While biomass use – or capacity – of the bioelectricity plant and the percentage of suitable harvest areas strongly affect land-related factors, including feedstock transport costs, these have relatively minor effects on cost of delivered biomass compared to harvesting costs.”

For more information, please see the complete article on AgriLife Today.

June 26, 2012  By David Manly