West Biofuels official opens Hat Creek Bioenergy biomass-to-energy facility

In California, West Biofuels celebrated the official ribbon cutting for Hat Creek Bioenergy, a biomass-to-energy facility which the company constructed and is operating. This flagship facility represents years of collaboration with local, regional and statewide partners and converts forest biomass into renewable power, supporting forest stewardship and providing clean energy directly to the local electrical grid.

The plant is a landmark achievement in sustainable forest management, providing a critical destination for forest biomass, which aids in wildfire mitigation efforts in the community. The project is also a significant driver of local economic opportunity, supporting a team of 15 skilled plant operators, most of whom are from the Burney community. The plant’s construction phase also provided over 60 short-term jobs to the region.

The facility supports the sustainable management of about 5 square miles a year of forested area by local licensed timber operators and their staff.  The residuals from this forest management are delivered to the facility and converted into renewable electricity and carbon sequestering biochar.  During the life of the facility, over a hundred square miles of forest area around the Burney community can be made and kept fire-safe, dramatically reducing the risk of a local catastrophic fire.