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Power Plant Co-Generation
with Biomass sources

Current Research

Kentucky Switchgrass for Biomass Project

In December 2008 University of Kentucky and East Kentucky Power Cooperative demonstrated switchgrass’ potential as an alternative fuel to generate electricity at East Kentucky Power’s Spurlock Station in Maysville. This was believed to be the first time switchgrass was used as fuel for a power plant in Kentucky. The switchgrass was mixed with the coal feedstock, replacing 1 to 2 percent of the coal normally used. East Kentucky Power will continue to study switchgrass’ energy potentials, and could possibly increase the percentage of switchgrass used to 3 to 10 percent.

The Kentucky Switchgrass for Biomass Project is being conducted by UK’s College of Agriculture to determine if switchgrass can be grown sustainably and economically in Kentucky. The four year project is being funded through a grant to the Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund. UK researchers are working with 20 farmers in northeast Kentucky to evaluate options for planting, growing, harvesting, transporting and processing the switchgrass. Each farmer manages a five-acre plot that UK forage specialists helped them establish. The switchgrass was planted during the spring of 2007 and 2008 and each year is being allow to grow the entire summer and then harvest after frost in the fall. The fields are then mowed and baled much like hay production and transported to the Spurlock Power Station.

“As people drive around northeastern Kentucky, they see a lot of land that lays fallow, and those are acres that have great potential for switchgrass production because it grows well even on marginal soils. We don’t even have to take acres out of forages for cattle production,” said Tom Keene, UK hay marketing specialist. “The opportunity is there.”

“Kentucky farmers successfully producing switchgrass opens up tremendous opportunities for them in the emerging biomass market,” said Ray Smith, UK forage extension specialist. “While further research is needed to determine the economic returns to producers, this project is allowing Kentucky farmers to be at the forefront of this movement.”