Transporting & Storing Switchgrass
Switchgrass bales loaded on flatbed (Click to Enla
Stacking bales for storage (Click to Enlarge)
Large rectangular bales (3’ x 4’ x 8’) of switchgrass, each weighing between 900 to 1,100 pounds, are delivered on flatbed trailers to the processing facility. Large round bales are considered to be more costly to transport and more difficult to process and are not acceptable for use at the process facility. The bales are loaded on the trailer in the field and are transported to a storage facility to minimize dry matter losses and maintain bale quality until the bales are needed at the processing facility.
- Four wheel drive makes baling possible on difficult terrain of the CRP land
- More fuel efficient
- Lower maintenance
- Bale uniformity
- Longer baler life
- Able to bale other herbaceous feedstocks
- Higher annual baling capacity
To view other steps in the Chariton Valley Biomass Project’s “cofiring cycle,” click on one of the links below: