Biomass
Biomass in Mississippi
According to researchers at Mississippi State University, Mississippi’s total standing biomass is nearly 720 million dry tons. Each year, around 18 million dry tons are added. This means that up to 4 million dry tons of biomass are available annually (MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center 2010 Annual Report).
Biomass in Mississippi could produce annually as much as:
- 318 million gallons of ethanol
- 470 million gallons of raw bio-oil or
- 300 million gallons of petroleum diesel
70% of forest land in Mississippi is privately owned.
Pine Timber Inventory for Ackerman, MS
Data supplied by Mississippi Institute for Forest Inventory (MIFI)
Note: Choctaw County and the contiguous counties are in the Central Mississippi District as defined by MIFI. A portion of the procurement areas extends into the North Mississippi District.
30 Mile Procurement Radius for Pine - Ackerman, MS
| Area | Total Tons/Acre | Pulpwood Tons/Acre | Sawtimber Tons/Acre | Total Tons | Pulpwood Tons | Sawtimber Tons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVERAGE/TOTAL | 68.86 | 34.36 | 34.50 | 38,839,763 | 16,374,599 | 22,465,164 |
| North Mississippi | 73.75 | 41.97 | 31.79 | 877,274 | 499,167 | 378,107 |
| Central Mississippi | 63.96 | 26.75 | 37.22 | 37,962,489 | 15,875,432 | 22,087,057 |
50 Mile Procurement Radius for Pine - Ackerman, MS
| Area | Total Tons/Acre | Pulpwood Tons/Acre | Sawtimber Tons/Acre | Total Tons | Pulpwood Tons | Sawtimber Tons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVERAGE/TOTAL | 56.14 | 26.22 | 29.92 | 82,742,703 | 38,972,420 | 43,770,283 |
| North Mississippi | 50.94 | 23.47 | 27.47 | 8,810,514 | 4,059,730 | 4,750,784 |
| Central Mississippi | 61.35 | 28.97 | 32.38 | 73,932,189 | 34,912,690 | 39,019,499 |
Map of Pine Cover Around Choctaw County
Hardwood Timber Inventory for Ackerman, MS
Data supplied by Mississippi Institute for Forest Inventory (MIFI)
Note: Choctaw County and the contiguous counties are in the Central Mississippi District as defined by MIFI. A portion of the procurement areas extends into the North Mississippi District.
30 Mile Procurement Radius for Hardwood - Ackerman, MS
| Area | Total Tons/Acre | Pulpwood Tons/Acre | Sawtimber Tons/Acre | Total Tons | Pulpwood Tons | Sawtimber Tons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVERAGE/TOTAL | 80.30 | 39.61 | 40.68 | 44,015,301 | 17,015,793 | 26,999,508 |
| North Mississippi | 73.75 | 45.55 | 28.21 | 877,274 | 285,999 | 591,275 |
| Central Mississippi | 86.84 | 33.68 | 53.16 | 43,138,027 | 16,729,794 | 24,408,233 |
50 Mile Procurement Radius for Hardwood - Ackerman, MS
| Area | Total Tons/Acre | Pulpwood Tons/Acre | Sawtimber Tons/Acre | Total Tons | Pulpwood Tons | Sawtimber Tons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVERAGE/TOTAL | 71.21 | 35.81 | 35.40 | 87,644,454 | 39,620,463 | 48,023,991 |
| North Mississippi | 64.10 | 38.17 | 25.94 | 13,020,512 | 7,752,389 | 5,268,123 |
| Central Mississippi | 78.32 | 33.45 | 44.87 | 74,623,942 | 31,868,074 | 42,755,868 |
Map of Hardwood Cover Around Choctaw County
Research and Development
Just 25 miles from Ackerman, Mississippi State University has the College of Forest Resources with three departments: Forestry; Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture; and Forest Products.
The forestry major options for the Bachelor’s degree are accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF).
Research in the Department of Forest Products includes biotechnology, chemicals and energy from wood, engineered wood products, furniture, new manufacturing systems for wood-based industries, and performance of wood structures in housing.
Current Research in Chemicals and Energy from Wood
- Assessment of bio-oil as a replacement for natural gas for heating agricultural facilities
- Bioconversion of lignocellulose into a feedstock for the production of a diesel
- Bio-products stabilization review & evaluation
- Characterization of bio-oils from different southern feed-stocks
- Design, build and demonstrate a mobile pyrolysis reactor
- Development of fuels for bio-oil
- Feed stock and pretreatment
- Production of bio-energy feed stocks from forest understory vegetation
- Production of bio-oil and analysis of treated products
- Pyrolysis biofuel processing
- Raw bio-oil upgrading
- Separation and characterization of hemicelluloses from biomass for chemicals and biopolymer applications
- Sustainable energy bio-oil: Anhydrosugars
- Sustainable energy bio-oil: Catalytic pyrolyzer
- Sustainable energy bio-oil: Deoxygenating by electrocatalysis
- Sustainable energy bio-oil: Petroleum refinery technology
- Sustainable energy bio-oil: Pilot plant
- Up-regulation of lignin degrading enzymes as a pretreatment for woody biomass utilization
Degrees Awarded from the College of Forest Resources (2009-2010)
| Department | Bachelor Degrees | Master Degrees | Doctoral Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Products | 1 | 9 | 6 |
| Forestry | 27 | 5 | 0 |
Mississippi Financial Incentives for Biofuel Producers
State Renewable Incentives
- Direct payments to producers
- $0.20/gallon, up to 30 million gallons/year/producer for up to 10 years
- Maximum total annual payment to a single producer in one year is $6 million
- View the details of this program
To view other financial incentives offered by the state of Mississippi, visit the Incentives and Taxes pages.
