Researchers from the universities will help ensure the facility is cost and environmentally friendly by focusing on four areas — facility development, wood transportation, equipment costs and efficiencies and dispersing the information.

The research is funded by a $2 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

The facility will use wood fibers to make ethanol, similar to the ethanol created from corn, which will be blended into gasoline, said Art Abramson, the head research administrator for Frontier Renewable Resources.

“We’re very happy that we can sort of take advantage of the skills and background that both universities have in a collaborative way,” Abramson said.

Ray Miller, a forest biomass coordinator for the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, said the goal of the research is to ensure the facility will not have a large negative impact on wildlife and environmental values.

“The last thing we want is do is have some type of problem with development that causes environmental, social or economical damage,” Miller said. “This new bioenergy industry is a new player that can use some of that forest resource to help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”

Miller said one of the areas of research includes developing a model describing the processes of transporting, growing and harvesting the wood.

“The first project area is hopefully (to) build (a) model about how things are working in Michigan and modify (the current system) to make a more (effective) and sustainable system,” Miller said.

The second area of research will examine the environmental aspect of harvesting trees and the amount carbon levels would increase.

Robert Froese, an MTU assistant professor of forest and environmental science, who will be working on this area of the project, said the facility will use resources that currently aren’t being utilized.

“Personally, I feel this is a great opportunity to make more productive and effective use of Michigan’s abundance resources,” Froese said.

The third research portion focuses on studying and improving the man and machine power needed to produce ethanol.

“This is primarily an engineering study to look at the systems in use right now, other systems in use around the world and the country (and) changes we make to make them more efficient and cost effective,” Miller said.

After completing research in the other areas, the fourth stage is to distribute the information to land owners, loggers and communities. The research for this project has the potential to help others looking to create facilities in the
bioenergy field, Miller said.

“You can develop information but you don’t get (it) into hands of those who need it,” Miller said. “Otherwise, it just sits in a dusty book somewhere.”