Air Force considering biomass project at Columbus

  • Published
  • By Air Force Real Property Agency
  • AFRPA / PA
The Air Force is requesting private industry input on a possible biomass renewable energy project on 120 acres at Columbus AFB, Mississippi.

Under the Enhanced Use Lease Program, the Air Force Real Property Agency issued a Request for Information asking for information to make the biomass project attractive to developers.

The Air Force is asking developers to identify issues, concerns and challenges associated with developing a biomass energy project. Biomass projects use biological material to produce energy.

The RFI, available for review on the Federal Business Opportunities website at www.fbo.gov, also asks developers for:
  •  Concept or concepts that would most interest developers, and how the scenario(s) might operate in terms of finance, security, size of the project, and acreage needed;
  •  Description of a possible biomass energy generation project, including design, provider, fuel source, plant life-cycle, and output;
  •  How developers would address concerns about competition for feedstock in the area, air emissions, transportation of feedstock to and from the site, transmission and interconnection, and storage of feedstock;
  •  Identification of commitments, guarantees, etc., developers require from the Air Force to own and operate a biomass energy generation project at the installation.
The proposed project includes two parcels of land at Columbus: a relatively flat 65-acre site near Highway 45 surrounded by wetlands; and a heavily-vegetated 55-acre site approximately 1 mile east of the Tombigbee River.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is interested in obtaining power from the project through the Renewable Standard Offer program, but the Air Force does not currently anticipate purchasing power from the facility.

The Air Force will consider other approaches to this business opportunity and respondents are encouraged to submit alternative business models to improve the return to the Air Force. The RFI is available at www.fbo.gov and on the AFRPA web page at www.afrpa.hq.af.mil.

As the Air Force Real Property Center of Excellence, AFRPA acquires, manages, and disposes of all Air Force-controlled real property worldwide.