Operating in the agricultural world inevitably means that we also operate at the whims of the weather. Talk to any farmer and you will find that the conversation quickly turns to rainfall amounts (or lack thereof), wet fields, late arriving Spring, early arriving Summer, temperature extremes, scorched crops, bumper crops when precipitation has been good, etc. With so many variables that could lead to major disruptions and with so much at stake, you can’t blame farmers for being obsessed with weather reports. Farmers are resilient though and have been dealing with weather issues ever since humans domesticated plants and animals. Weather emergencies are like any other emergency, it’s not a matter of “if” but “when”, so proper planning is essential. The same is true in biomass supply chain.
The primary method of preparation for Genera Energy is mitigating the risks. Selecting crops for drought tolerance, like miscanthus and switchgrass, is one way of protecting against the inevitable dry years. You can also mitigate your risk by having a diverse portfolio of energy crops. In the same way conventional row crop farmers may grow corn, soybeans, and wheat, Genera Energy sees great value in having access to a variety of energy crops and feedstock sources.
Genera has also developed a method for accurately assessing biomass supplies throughout the growing season. By projecting crop yields well in advance of harvest operations, any supply shortfalls due to poor weather conditions can be predetermined and necessary preparations to source secondary feedstocks can be made.
Too little rain obviously negatively impacts crop growth, but too much can be just as problematic. Getting equipment into the field right after a rain event could very well lead to equipment getting stuck, unsafe operations, and rutting up fields and damaging crops. One way to plan for this is to lengthen the harvest window. Having a crop portfolio with a large harvest window provides some flexibility when harvest equipment is unable to get in the field. In addition to carefully structuring harvest schedules, keeping an adequate buffer stock may play a role in some biomass supply chains. That way, harvest interruptions are alleviated and feedstock shortfalls do not lead to unnecessary facility shutdowns and unstable operational costs. Genera Energy has performed a number storage studies to optimize the long term storage of feedstock and allow for a safety stock of high quality material.
Let us know how Genera Energy can help you plan for the inevitable and make sure that weather impacts are less impactful.
By Lance Stewart, Supply Chain Manager
