BDO ZoneCONNECT Webinar: North San Joaquin Valley, CA & Lewis County, WA
BDO ZoneCONNECT Webinar: North San Joaquin Valley, CA & Lewis County, WA
On April 18th, 2024, Ecostrat Inc., in collaboration with The Daily Digest, hosted the BDO ZoneCONNECT webinar, showcasing two prominent BDO Zone communities in North America: North San Joaquin Valley, California, and Lewis County, Washington. The one-hour event provided an in-depth exploration of biomass opportunities, highlighting prime locations in the US for large-scale bioeconomy projects.
North San Joaquin Valley, CA, received a BDO Zone ‘AA’ rating for Tree Nut Biomass, while Lewis County, WA, earned a BDO Zone ‘AA’ rating for Woody Biomass. The webinar explored feedstock availability, infrastructure assets, and local incentives, positioning these regions as prime destinations for bio-based projects requiring a reliable supply of biomass feedstock.
BDO ZoneCONNECT, a joint initiative with The Daily Digest, aims to facilitate connections and stimulate development interest within BDO Zone communities. It serves as a catalyst for networking, sharing new BDO Zone ratings, and attracting a diverse global audience of stakeholders, including investors, bio-based project developers, financiers, and community leaders.
The webinar was moderated by Jim Lane, Editor of TheDigest, and featured Aryn Garswood, Head of the BDO Zone Initiative, who introduced the key attributes of both BDO Zones and emphasized the significance of their ‘investment grade’ ratings. Karen Warner, CEO of BEAM Circular; Todd Chaput, Initiative’s Program Manager at the Economic Alliance of Lewis County; and Robert Russell, retired Paper Mill Engineer and Community Volunteer in Lewis County, provided comprehensive insights into their regions. They highlighted biomass resources, numerous project-ready sites, robust infrastructure, and enticing tax incentives. Their presentations illuminated why they actively pursued a BDO Zone designation and underscored why these locations are ideally suited for new bio-based project development, particularly those requiring a stable, long-term biomass supply.
To view the webinar, please click below:
Summary of Presenter Remarks
Bob Buckingham, Project Director, Ecostrat:
“20 years ago, there were an excessive amount of biomass plants in this area [North San Joaquin Valley]. Today, there’s only a half dozen. We found almost a million tonnes a year, just in the 75 mile radius of this project, that is available and essentially has no home. As a new developer coming into this area looking for a feedstock supply, this was a big green flag, because you have an amazing amount of [feedstock] volume and a very inexpensive rate.”
Karen Warner, Founder/CEO, BEAM Circular:
“California is the no. 1 agricultural state in the United States, we are also the no. 1 state for manufacturing and biotechnology. We are the leaders in all 3 of those industries which makes us uniquely suited to be leading in bioeconomy innovation and manufacturing.”
“Where we are [North San Joaquin Valley] is the center of the state, and the best place suited for the scale up of bio-industrial manufacturing because we are at the heart of where there is an abundance of feedstock.”
“We are really excited that this BDO Zone is the first in California. We work closely with partners at the state of California from the department of food and agriculture and the Governor’s office of Business and Economic Development to think about the future of California’s bioeconomy.”
“We are excited about projects that lean into these tree nut crops which we have an abundance of. California produces 100% of the almonds produced in the United States and 80% of the almonds produced worldwide. We produce 30% of those just in this tri-county region.”
“We are committed to supporting a talent pipeline for this sector and industry.”
Peter Wolf, Project Director, Ecostrat:
“This [Lewis County] is one of the leading regional forestry industries in North America in terms of value added production.”
“In the entire BDO Zone you have 17 sawmills (2 million bone dry tonnes produced annually), but if you just focus on the 4 sawmills around Centralia you have about 300,000 bone dry tonnes available.”
“There is a network of mobile and stationary chipping units in the area. The pulp and paper industry has been in decline, so a lot of these units are idling, a new project would be able to utilize these assets.”
Todd Chaput, Initiative’s Program Manager, Economic Alliance of Lewis County:
“What makes us [Lewis County] uniquely qualified for investment is our proximity to transportation hubs, we have rail throughout our county and all our ports, including 4 deep water ports centered in Centralia.”
“We have a ready workforce that is skilled in the logging industry.”
“Lewis county is the leading power generator in the state, we have inexpensive power through hydro and natural gas.”
“There are a lot of advantages for developing in our region and the BDO Zone rating helps put a stamp on that.”
Robert Russell, retired Paper Mill Engineer and Community Volunteer, Lewis County:
“Woody biomass is here, 1.2 million green tons available year over year. Lewis County has been harvesting biomass for over 150 years.”
“Our forests are expertly managed, the citizens here believe in and want development in our area.”
“Lewis County is business friendly, we have officials that believe in growth and want to grow the bioeconomy.”
“We are excited to get deeper into our wood basket and work with companies that want to partner with us here in Lewis County.”
For more information on the North San Joaquin Valley, CA, BDO Zone, click here and for their slide deck, click here.
For more information on the Lewis County, WA, BDO Zone, click here, and for their slide deck, click here.
Contact Information:
Eric Sonnenberg, BDO Zone Local Development Leader (LDL) and External Relations Manager, Economic Alliance of Lewis County (eric@lewiscountyalliance.org).
Matthew Godinez, BDO Zone Local Development Leader (LDL) and Director of Community Engagement, BEAM Circular (matthew@beamcircular.org).
Aryn Garswood, Head of the BDO Zone Initiative (aryn@ecostrat.com).
Originally published at bdozone.org.