At Genera Energy, we are “feedstock agnostic”, meaning that we work with any feedstock that is the right fit for a given project. Some projects benefit from a diverse portfolio of biomass sources, whereas other operations are uniquely aligned to one particular feedstock. Biomass sorghum is an annual crop that Genera Energy has extensive experience with due to the many notable benefits from this impressive plant.
The yield benefits are quite obvious when standing next to a field of 16 foot tall biomass sorghum. High-biomass sorghum is a hybrid of the standard grain sorghum that you may have seen before. This variety however has been bred not to flower, which increases biomass growth. We have witnessed yields in excess of 10 dry tons per acre. One of the other highlights of high-biomass sorghum is that these remarkable yields are realized during a single year of growth. Perennial grasses certainly have an important role in the feedstock mix, but some of these grasses take 2-3 years to become fully established. A high yielding annual crop like sorghum is an ideal crop when feedstock inventory needs to be ramped up quickly. Additionally, one strategy of optimizing an efficient biomass supply chain is to elongate the harvest window. This means feedstock can be direct delivered to a facility for a longer portion of the year and feedstock inventory can be stored for shorter periods of time. Perennial grasses are typically harvested from November through February, but biomass sorghum is harvested during the months of September and October. This eliminates two additional months of storage from the supply chain when using a mixed feedstock supply and increases direct delivery to six months per year.
One downside to biomass sorghum is that its moisture content can exceed 60% at harvest. This can cause difficulties storing the material and also introduces unnecessary transportation costs. However, with proper harvest management practices, moisture content can be properly handled. Go check out my previous blog on feedstock moisture management to get an idea of how we handle moisture issues and why we pay so much attention to moisture content. Knowing the issues that can arise with high moisture content, some of our sorghum seed providers are working on advanced breeding techniques to create varieties that retain their remarkable yield numbers while also reducing internal moisture.
Feel free to get in touch with us to find out how high biomass sorghum crops can fit into your feedstock portfolio!
By Lance Stewart, Supply Chain Manager
