About
The Biomass Workshop
The Energy & Environmental Research Center’s (EERC’s) Biomass Workshop began in 2002 and was initially
held at the EERC’s facilities in Grand Forks. It began as the Biomass Energy: Heat and Power Workshop,
which focused on emerging technologies in biomass for the production of heat and power. The 1-day event
attracted about 50 participants who learned about the different types of biomass and how they provide fuel
resource opportunities, discussed new technology, and developed opportunities for biomass utilization in their
business or community. Attendees also learned about energy solutions, economic development opportunities,
partnership advantages, and the cost savings of biomass.
The event has grown from a small event with attendees representing just eight states and two countries to a
much larger, well-known event, attracting at one point more than 400 people from 28 states and three countries.
Attendees represent a wide variety of affiliations, including community and economic developers, government and
regulatory agencies, researchers, rural land owners, media, and more than 60% private industry. As the event grew,
it was expanded to a 2-day event out-grew the EERC facilities and moved to a much larger venue, the Alerus Center.
The topics and scope of the event have also expanded to include not only discussions on heat and power,
but also chemicals from biomass, as well as the production of biofuels, such as renewable jet fuel. A
preworkshop tutorial was added in 2008, which includes the fundamentals of gasification technologies.
About the EERC
The EERC is recognized as one of the world’s leading developers of cleaner, more efficient energy and environmental technologies to protect and clean our air, water, and soil.
The EERC is a high-tech, nonprofit branch of the University of North Dakota (UND). The EERC operates like a business; conducts research, development, demonstration, and commercialization activities; and is dedicated to moving promising technologies out of the laboratory and into the commercial marketplace.
The EERC provides practical, cost-effective solutions to today’s most critical energy and environmental issues and challenges. The EERC's research portfolio consists of a wide array of strategic energy and environmental solutions, including clean coal technologies, CO2 sequestration, energy and water sustainability, hydrogen technologies, air toxics and fine particulate, mercury measurement and control, alternative fuels, wind energy, biomass, water management, flood prevention, global climate change, waste utilization, energy-efficient technologies, and contaminant cleanup.
Learn more about
our organization.