Lewis County, Washington issued BDO Zone 'AA' rating for woody biomass
Lewis County, Washington issued BDO Zone 'AA' rating for woody biomass
See the rating →
The BDO Zone Initiative has issued a ‘AA’ rating for Lewis County, Washington for 600,000 bone-dry tons per year of woody biomass.
The Economic Alliance of Lewis County and Ecostrat are pleased to announce the issue of the Lewis County BDO Zone. Centered in Centralia, WA, it stands as the first ‘AA’ BDO Zone rating in the state for Pulpwood, Forest Residues and Sawmill Residuals.
The BDO Zone exhibits “very high quality” fiber supply chains and stable lumber markets and features at least ten companies with dedicated pulpwood chipping capacity. Generating an impressive 600,000 bone-dried tons of woody biomass annually, the region’s industrial infrastructure is ideal for large-scale bio-based projects.
“Lewis County is thrilled to announce our recognition as a ‘AA’ rated BDO Zone for woody biomass,” stated Richard DeBolt, Executive, Director, Economic Alliance of Lewis County. “This rating showcases our region’s forest products leadership role, and deep knowledge and expertise in forest management and resource utilization. Lewis County has deep experience handling woody biomass, creating wood products, and making energy woven throughout the region’s DNA! We look forward to showing bioenergy, biochemical and bioproduct plants how they could thrive in Lewis County.”
Jordan Solomon, Chairman of the BDO Zone Initiative added, “A ‘AA’ rating is hard to achieve. Lewis County’s stable forestry sector combined with a confirmed surplus of over half a million tons of biomass, and robust infrastructure make it a clear bullseye for new large-scale bio-based projects.”
To see the full BDO Zone Rating for Lewis County please click here, or visit www.bdozone.org.
About Lewis County
As one of the largest timber-producing counties in the Northwest, Lewis County generates over 1 billion board feet/year (8 million tons/year), supporting 10,000 direct and 20,000 indirect jobs. The region’s forests are among the most intensively managed in North America, backed by a skilled forestry workforce.
Lewis County provides several strategic industrial sites with well-developed infrastructure, primed for large-scale biobased initiatives. Boasting reliable transportation networks in proximity to two major highways, four major railroads, and 3 airports, making it an ideal location for manufacturing.
The county offers a blend of economic viability and a high quality of life, characterized by natural beauty and abundant recreational opportunities.
About the Economic Alliance of Lewis County
The Economic Alliance of Lewis County is a public-private partnership whose goal is to contribute to the economic vitality of the community by increasing the number of jobs and improving the local quality of life. We have assisted over eighty firms to locate here, which provide over 2,300 jobs to our community. In addition, we partner with 100’s of members in business, government, and community groups to solve transportation, utility, and regulatory problems.
The Economic Alliance of Lewis County can help support new bio-based development in the BDO Zone. The BDO Zone Local Development Leader (LDL) is Eric Sonnenberg, External Relations Manager (eric@lewiscountyalliance.org).
About The BDO Zone Initiative
The BDO Zone Initiative certifies regional readiness for bio-based manufacturing, creates global connections with project developers, and ignites an influx of clean energy opportunities.
A BDO Zone rating is an internationally recognized standards-based technical risk assessment of biomass feedstock, supply chain, and infrastructure risk with respect to the development potential of new biofuel, renewable chemical, biogas, and bioproduct plants. Investment grade ratings attract new bio-based manufacturing plants to the areas where they are most likely to succeed, and create jobs.
For more information on the BDO Zone Initiative, please contact info@bdozone.org. To view all current and upcoming BDO Zone designations, visit www.bdozone.org or check out the BDO Zone LinkedIn page for all news and updates.
About Ecostrat
Ecostrat is the North American Leader in supplying biomass due diligence for biofuels, renewable chemicals, biogas, and bio-product project development and finance. Ecostrat led the USDOE/BETO funded project to develop the new investment Standards and Ratings for Biomass Supply Chain Risk which were subsequently used in the development of the CSA W209:21 Biomass supply chain risk National Standard of Canada.
Ecostrat’s Advisory Group combines the BSCR Standards with powerful predictive analytics to understand and minimize supply chain risk. It’s Biomass Supply Group has 25 years of experience in sourcing and supplying more than 5 million tons of biomass feedstock for bioenergy, biofuel, and biochemical projects across North America.
Jordan Solomon is Chairman of the BDO Zone Initiative and President of Ecostrat. He can be reached at jordan.solomon@ecostrat.com. For more information about Ecostrat, visit the company’s website at www.ecostrat.com or check out the Ecostrat LinkedIn page for all news and updates.
Originally published at ecostrat.com.