"Our goal for the Bioenergy Summit was to stimulate a conversation among the leaders in the green energy sphere and prepare for the future," said Kyle Hancock Jr., vice president, sales and marketing, CSX. "At CSX, we are committed to providing efficient, environmentally friendly transportation, and part of that dedication involves engaging our customers in dialogue about these key issues and working together to facilitate growth in the bioenergy market."'
CSX is actively involved in the transportation of biomass used for energy production. Biomass is any plant or animal substance that is sustainable and renewable. Examples are wide-ranging and include recovered wood and paper, food crop residues, plant and animal waste and any woody, herbaceous or agricultural byproduct, including substances like distillers dried grains - a byproduct of ethanol production.
One example of a renewable energy product that CSX currently ships is pelletized wood from yellow pine trees. The company is an integral part of the supply chain that efficiently transports these pellets to East Coast ports for export to a number of European markets where renewable fuels are used.
Held in Amelia Island, Fla., the Bioenergy Summit focused on supply chain challenges, energy portfolio transformation, and regulatory updates. The summit included a presentation by Chuck Leavell, author of multiple publications on environmental issues and acclaimed musician. Other speakers included Gunnar Tinjar, Head of Biomass Upstream for the German Utility RWE Innogy; William A Johnson, owner of Biomass Consulting Services; Rick Boyd, Manager of Fuel Operations for Dominion Generation; Dr. Kenneth Mitchell, Special Assistant to the Air Programs Division Director for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4; and Niel Barnard, Managing Director of London based International Woodfuels Europe.
