The Power of Biomass Heating at Gutchess Lumber’s Latrobe, Pennsylvania Location
At Gutchess Lumber, we know a thing or two about wood. After all, we’ve been in the hardwood lumber business for over 100 years. In that time, we’ve learned a few things about what it takes to produce high-quality lumber. One of the most important aspects of our operation at our Latrobe, Pennsylvania manufacturing facility is our biomass heating system.
Our renewable heating method uses plant-based material, specifically wood chips, to create heat in our kilns. At Gutchess Lumber, we strive to use every part of the tree to ensure none goes to waste. This system has numerous benefits and puts wood chips and dust to use. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the details of our biomass heating operation.
The Gutchess Lumber Biomass Heating System
Gutchess Lumber uses biomass combustion to heat kilns that dry various hardwood products. The system consists of a biomass boiler that burns wood chips to generate steam. The Latrobe biomass boilers consume about 30 tons of wood chips per day to produce about 215,000 pounds of steam. The wood chips used in the system are by-products of our manufacturing process.
The Benefits of Biomass Heating
There are numerous advantages to using biomass combustion to heat hardwood kilns. First and foremost, it’s a renewable heating source that doesn’t rely on fossil fuels. It is arguably the more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. This means that it’s an environmentally-friendly option that also helps to reduce our carbon footprint, as it is believed to result in lower CO2 emissions.
Penn State Extension in Westmoreland County visited Gutchess Lumber’s Latrobe location to see and learn about our biomass heating operation. In the group touring was Gary Musgrave who was studying market and pricing barriers in the biofuel industry at the time. He also wrote a follow-up article in the Penn State Extension News.
“The tour proved to be an eye-opening example of how renewable biomass can provide cost-effective heat for industrial applications,” Gary said.
At Gutchess Lumber, we’re proud to be at the forefront of responsible hardwood lumber production. Our biomass heating system is just one example of how we’re working to reduce our environmental impact and create a product that our customers can feel good about. If you’re thinking about switching to a responsible hardwood lumber manufacturer, we encourage you to contact a sales representative today to learn more about how we can help you make the transition.
