/PRNewswire/ -- With the uncertainty of how future U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations might affect industrial boiler emissions, Georgia Power has decided to delay the conversion of coal-fueled Plant Mitchell in Albany, Ga., to biomass until the EPA rules are better defined in April 2010.
The anticipated industrial boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology rule, or "IB MACT," would regulate emissions of hazardous air pollutants, such as certain acid gases, organics, metals, and possibly other pollutants, from industrial boilers and would likely affect biomass boilers like the one planned for Plant Mitchell.
"Georgia Power is committed to furthering the development of renewable energy in Georgia," said Jeff Burleson, Georgia Power's director of Resource Policy and Planning. "We're disappointed to have to delay this large biomass project and the benefits it can deliver. However, by delaying capital spending on the project we're significantly reducing the cost risk to customers."
Georgia Power had originally planned to begin retrofit construction at Plant Mitchell in April 2011 with the unit becoming operational in June 2012. A new project schedule has yet to be determined.
Once the new EPA rules are better defined, Georgia Power will evaluate the potential impact they might have on the conversion project at Plant Mitchell. The company plans to study other boiler technologies in the event the rules significantly impact the cost of the biomass boiler conversion currently planned for the plant.
Upon conversion, Plant Mitchell will have lower emissions and will be one of the largest wood biomass plants in the United States. It will also have lower fuel and operating costs when compared to continued operation using coal, thereby making the plant more cost-effective for customers.
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Showing posts with label biomass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label biomass. Show all posts
Friday, January 8, 2010
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
American energy security could come from trees
(ARA) - You don't have to be an energy expert to realize the challenge ahead if the country is to reach President Obama's goal of reducing 50 percent of America's fossil fuel emissions by 2050. To do that will require several innovative approaches to generating fuel and electricity.
One alternative is to use plant or tree materials, also known as biomass, as an energy source. Biomass trees could be specifically planted for use as bioenergy in regions where available land is well-suited to tree growth and harvest. Although many different types of crops can be used as biomass, trees have particular advantages, including the ability to be harvested year-round. In the Southeast, where the infrastructure to harvest and transport trees to the mill already exists, biomass production could help reinvigorate rural economies.
In addition to poplar, pine and cottonwood, another variety of tree being evaluated for its amazing growth potential is the eucalyptus. One of the fastest growing hardwood trees in the world, eucalyptus is cultivated in more than 90 countries and represents 8 percent of all planted forests. In 2003, global eucalyptus pulp demand was 8 million tons and it represented 40 percent of the world's hardwood pulp market.
"In order to slow climate change, reduce our country's dependence on foreign oil and slash fossil fuel emissions in half by 2050, we must learn how to use regional, purpose-grown resources for bioenergy in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way," says Barbara Wells, CEO of ArborGen, a leading tree research and development company. "Purpose-grown resources, including trees, are the most ideal feedstock for biomass. A purpose-grown tree is specifically planted to be harvested for wood, fiber and energy production, thereby taking the pressure off our natural resources and forests."
For more than 50 years, U.S. pulp and paper companies and government organizations have invested resources and devoted research to identifying the most economically and environmentally sustainable hardwood species. South Carolina-based ArborGen develops seedlings, both through conventional breeding and selection as well as through biotechnology, that improve the productivity and sustainability of well managed, working forests to help meet the needs for wood, fiber and energy. ArborGen's research supports eucalyptus as a top choice for wood, fiber and energy for numerous reasons. Eucalpytus:
* ... is the world's most widely planted hardwood species.
* ... is prized globally for excellence in paper and energy production
* ... grows faster than other hardwood species.
* ... will grow on upland landscapes, reducing pressure on environmentally sensitive areas.
* ... grows commercially with similar management inputs needed for pine.
* ... produces feedstock for fiber and energy in short rotations.
* ... can be well-contained in a managed plantation environment.
The United States contributes a disproportionate amount, 22 percent, of the world's carbon emissions, even though the country houses just 5 percent of the world's population. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, bioenergy provides the country with a major opportunity to generate power from both renewable and sustainable sources like plants and trees, reducing the amount of carbon emissions. The energy department has specifically identified eucalyptus as a potentially viable option for biomass because of "its implications for helping wean the nation's dependence on fossil fuel."
As such, the federal government is currently spending millions of dollars to map the DNA sequence of the eucalyptus - bringing in expert partners on eucalyptus and biotechnology such as ArborGen to help fulfill this mission.
"We want to help create a viable solution to the increasing energy demands at a time when our traditional supply is being depleted," says Wells. "The time for this solution is now, and we continue to examine and test the effectiveness of trees, including the eucalyptus, as a purpose grown source for energy biomass."
For more information on the benefits of Eucalyptus visit www.eucalyptusfacts.org.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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One alternative is to use plant or tree materials, also known as biomass, as an energy source. Biomass trees could be specifically planted for use as bioenergy in regions where available land is well-suited to tree growth and harvest. Although many different types of crops can be used as biomass, trees have particular advantages, including the ability to be harvested year-round. In the Southeast, where the infrastructure to harvest and transport trees to the mill already exists, biomass production could help reinvigorate rural economies.
In addition to poplar, pine and cottonwood, another variety of tree being evaluated for its amazing growth potential is the eucalyptus. One of the fastest growing hardwood trees in the world, eucalyptus is cultivated in more than 90 countries and represents 8 percent of all planted forests. In 2003, global eucalyptus pulp demand was 8 million tons and it represented 40 percent of the world's hardwood pulp market.
"In order to slow climate change, reduce our country's dependence on foreign oil and slash fossil fuel emissions in half by 2050, we must learn how to use regional, purpose-grown resources for bioenergy in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way," says Barbara Wells, CEO of ArborGen, a leading tree research and development company. "Purpose-grown resources, including trees, are the most ideal feedstock for biomass. A purpose-grown tree is specifically planted to be harvested for wood, fiber and energy production, thereby taking the pressure off our natural resources and forests."
For more than 50 years, U.S. pulp and paper companies and government organizations have invested resources and devoted research to identifying the most economically and environmentally sustainable hardwood species. South Carolina-based ArborGen develops seedlings, both through conventional breeding and selection as well as through biotechnology, that improve the productivity and sustainability of well managed, working forests to help meet the needs for wood, fiber and energy. ArborGen's research supports eucalyptus as a top choice for wood, fiber and energy for numerous reasons. Eucalpytus:
* ... is the world's most widely planted hardwood species.
* ... is prized globally for excellence in paper and energy production
* ... grows faster than other hardwood species.
* ... will grow on upland landscapes, reducing pressure on environmentally sensitive areas.
* ... grows commercially with similar management inputs needed for pine.
* ... produces feedstock for fiber and energy in short rotations.
* ... can be well-contained in a managed plantation environment.
The United States contributes a disproportionate amount, 22 percent, of the world's carbon emissions, even though the country houses just 5 percent of the world's population. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, bioenergy provides the country with a major opportunity to generate power from both renewable and sustainable sources like plants and trees, reducing the amount of carbon emissions. The energy department has specifically identified eucalyptus as a potentially viable option for biomass because of "its implications for helping wean the nation's dependence on fossil fuel."
As such, the federal government is currently spending millions of dollars to map the DNA sequence of the eucalyptus - bringing in expert partners on eucalyptus and biotechnology such as ArborGen to help fulfill this mission.
"We want to help create a viable solution to the increasing energy demands at a time when our traditional supply is being depleted," says Wells. "The time for this solution is now, and we continue to examine and test the effectiveness of trees, including the eucalyptus, as a purpose grown source for energy biomass."
For more information on the benefits of Eucalyptus visit www.eucalyptusfacts.org.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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Friday, December 4, 2009
Energy Grasses Lead the Way in Lessening U.S. Dependency on Foreign Oil
(BUSINESS WIRE)--The first guaranteed, university-backed strain of giant miscanthus grass is now available and is being commercialized by SunBelt Biofuels LLC, a leader in biofuel innovation, which has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Mississippi State University (MSU).
MSU has been studying Freedom Giant Miscanthus grass for 12 years. Results of that dedicated research indicate that Freedom Giant Miscanthus is a viable alternative to other biofuel sources, like corn, switchgrass and timber.
The implications of today's announcement are significant. Finding innovative, yet immediately workable, solutions in biofuels lessens U.S. dependence on foreign oil and gas. Freedom Giant Miscanthus is a product that begins immediately to move the U.S. away from foreign energy dependence. Freedom Giant Miscanthus takes only one year to replace, as opposed to timber, which takes 20 years to replace due to the growing cycle.
Freedom Giant Miscanthus also promises to stimulate rural economies, as it takes less land, costs less to grow, and is very profitable for farmers. For example, in the state of Georgia farms that grow Freedom Giant Miscanthus will see income rise more than $2 billion above crops that are grown currently. Freedom Giant Miscanthus produces over 3,000 gallons of ethanol per acre.
According to Phillip Jennings, CEO of SunBelt Biofuels, the state of Georgia needs to plant 2.4 million acres of Freedom Giant Miscanthus to become energy independent.
"In Georgia, we can take 10 percent of our commercial timber land or 24 percent of our crop land, and we would be where we need to be to sustain just this one state," said Mr. Jennings. "With 10 million acres of Freedom Giant Miscanthus, Georgia would become the number 7 OPEC fuel producer in the world."
Facts about Freedom Giant Miscanthus:
1. Grasses are king in the race to solve the U.S.' reliance on foreign oil. Freedom Giant Miscanthus yields three times more than switchgrass, five times than corn, and six times what timber does, meaning that a farmer can get a 25 ton yield from Freedom Giant Miscanthus per acre.
2. Freedom Giant Miscanthus needs no government subsidy to be profitable.
3. It is branded as "Freedom Giant Miscanthus" to denote its ability to free the U.S. from dependency on foreign oil.
4. Freedom Giant Miscanthus is a non-food biomass.
SunBelt Biofuels LLC, headquartered in Soperton, Georgia, is an innovator in the quest to bring workable solutions for alternative fuels to market and leading the Southeast U.S. into the American consumer fuel market. It was founded three years ago to participate in the research and commercialization of viable non-food biomass solutions that will increase ethanol production, thus decreasing the U.S.' dependency on foreign countries for oil. SunBelt Biofuels has the exclusive license to commercialize Freedom Giant Miscanthus, a biomass source from which ethanol and electricity can be produced effectively, efficiently, and profitably.
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MSU has been studying Freedom Giant Miscanthus grass for 12 years. Results of that dedicated research indicate that Freedom Giant Miscanthus is a viable alternative to other biofuel sources, like corn, switchgrass and timber.
The implications of today's announcement are significant. Finding innovative, yet immediately workable, solutions in biofuels lessens U.S. dependence on foreign oil and gas. Freedom Giant Miscanthus is a product that begins immediately to move the U.S. away from foreign energy dependence. Freedom Giant Miscanthus takes only one year to replace, as opposed to timber, which takes 20 years to replace due to the growing cycle.
Freedom Giant Miscanthus also promises to stimulate rural economies, as it takes less land, costs less to grow, and is very profitable for farmers. For example, in the state of Georgia farms that grow Freedom Giant Miscanthus will see income rise more than $2 billion above crops that are grown currently. Freedom Giant Miscanthus produces over 3,000 gallons of ethanol per acre.
According to Phillip Jennings, CEO of SunBelt Biofuels, the state of Georgia needs to plant 2.4 million acres of Freedom Giant Miscanthus to become energy independent.
"In Georgia, we can take 10 percent of our commercial timber land or 24 percent of our crop land, and we would be where we need to be to sustain just this one state," said Mr. Jennings. "With 10 million acres of Freedom Giant Miscanthus, Georgia would become the number 7 OPEC fuel producer in the world."
Facts about Freedom Giant Miscanthus:
1. Grasses are king in the race to solve the U.S.' reliance on foreign oil. Freedom Giant Miscanthus yields three times more than switchgrass, five times than corn, and six times what timber does, meaning that a farmer can get a 25 ton yield from Freedom Giant Miscanthus per acre.
2. Freedom Giant Miscanthus needs no government subsidy to be profitable.
3. It is branded as "Freedom Giant Miscanthus" to denote its ability to free the U.S. from dependency on foreign oil.
4. Freedom Giant Miscanthus is a non-food biomass.
SunBelt Biofuels LLC, headquartered in Soperton, Georgia, is an innovator in the quest to bring workable solutions for alternative fuels to market and leading the Southeast U.S. into the American consumer fuel market. It was founded three years ago to participate in the research and commercialization of viable non-food biomass solutions that will increase ethanol production, thus decreasing the U.S.' dependency on foreign countries for oil. SunBelt Biofuels has the exclusive license to commercialize Freedom Giant Miscanthus, a biomass source from which ethanol and electricity can be produced effectively, efficiently, and profitably.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Southern Company Breaks Ground on Biomass Plant
/PRNewswire/ -- Southern Power, the Southern Company subsidiary that acquires, builds, manages and owns wholesale generation assets, today took a major step in building one of the nation's largest biomass-fueled projects with a groundbreaking ceremony in Sacul, Texas.
"Southern Company continues to develop and deploy smarter and cleaner energy technologies, including increased energy efficiency, nuclear power, clean coal and renewables," said David Ratcliffe, Southern Company chairman, president and CEO. "This project represents another step in developing a diverse portfolio to meet the nation's growing energy demands."
"This is an exciting time for Southern Power as we expand our presence in the wholesale market and diversify our fuel mix with a renewable resource," said Southern Power President Ronnie Bates. "Southern Power has a reputation of helping its customers meet their energy needs in cost-effective, reliable and environmentally responsible manner and we're pleased to be a partner with Austin Energy on a project that supports their environmental goals."
Southern Power acquired the 100-megawatt project -- the Nacogdoches Generating Facility -- from American Renewables, LLC on Oct. 9, noting at the time that it would move ahead with construction and bring the plant on line in the summer of 2012. The plant's output is committed to Austin Energy in a 20-year agreement that will help the city of Austin, Texas, meet a 30-percent renewable energy goal.
As a Southern Company subsidiary, Southern Power supports the parent company's commitments to corporate responsibility, which include generating affordable and reliable electricity and reducing environmental impact. Southern Company has invested about $6.3 billion in environmental controls and plans to spend an additional $3.1 billion through 2011 to further reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and mercury.
The company is committed to finding solutions to environmental issues that make technological, environmental, and economic sense.
The Nacogdoches plant is one of two Southern Company biomass projects. The Georgia Public Service Commission in March approved Georgia Power's application to convert its 96 megawatt Plant Mitchell near Albany, Ga., to biomass. Georgia Power is the Atlanta-based Southern Company subsidiary serving 2.25 million customers in 155 of Georgia's 159 counties.
Southern Company is evaluating the feasibility of converting five additional coal plants to biomass as well.
Construction of the Nacogdoches facility will take about 32 months and will generate about 300 construction jobs. Approximately 40 permanent jobs will be created to operate the plant.
Total cost of the project will be between $475 million and $500 million. The plant, which will be built on 165 acres, will be fueled with biomass materials, including forest residue from the surrounding areas, wood processing residues and clean municipal wood waste. The project will require approximately 1 million tons of fuel annually, which is planned to be procured within a 75-mile radius of the project site.
Southern Power is among the largest wholesale energy providers in the Southeast, meeting the electricity needs of municipalities, electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities. The company owns and operates more than 7,500 megawatts with facilities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina and has an additional 820 megawatts committed to construction in North Carolina and Texas.
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"Southern Company continues to develop and deploy smarter and cleaner energy technologies, including increased energy efficiency, nuclear power, clean coal and renewables," said David Ratcliffe, Southern Company chairman, president and CEO. "This project represents another step in developing a diverse portfolio to meet the nation's growing energy demands."
"This is an exciting time for Southern Power as we expand our presence in the wholesale market and diversify our fuel mix with a renewable resource," said Southern Power President Ronnie Bates. "Southern Power has a reputation of helping its customers meet their energy needs in cost-effective, reliable and environmentally responsible manner and we're pleased to be a partner with Austin Energy on a project that supports their environmental goals."
Southern Power acquired the 100-megawatt project -- the Nacogdoches Generating Facility -- from American Renewables, LLC on Oct. 9, noting at the time that it would move ahead with construction and bring the plant on line in the summer of 2012. The plant's output is committed to Austin Energy in a 20-year agreement that will help the city of Austin, Texas, meet a 30-percent renewable energy goal.
As a Southern Company subsidiary, Southern Power supports the parent company's commitments to corporate responsibility, which include generating affordable and reliable electricity and reducing environmental impact. Southern Company has invested about $6.3 billion in environmental controls and plans to spend an additional $3.1 billion through 2011 to further reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and mercury.
The company is committed to finding solutions to environmental issues that make technological, environmental, and economic sense.
The Nacogdoches plant is one of two Southern Company biomass projects. The Georgia Public Service Commission in March approved Georgia Power's application to convert its 96 megawatt Plant Mitchell near Albany, Ga., to biomass. Georgia Power is the Atlanta-based Southern Company subsidiary serving 2.25 million customers in 155 of Georgia's 159 counties.
Southern Company is evaluating the feasibility of converting five additional coal plants to biomass as well.
Construction of the Nacogdoches facility will take about 32 months and will generate about 300 construction jobs. Approximately 40 permanent jobs will be created to operate the plant.
Total cost of the project will be between $475 million and $500 million. The plant, which will be built on 165 acres, will be fueled with biomass materials, including forest residue from the surrounding areas, wood processing residues and clean municipal wood waste. The project will require approximately 1 million tons of fuel annually, which is planned to be procured within a 75-mile radius of the project site.
Southern Power is among the largest wholesale energy providers in the Southeast, meeting the electricity needs of municipalities, electric cooperatives and investor-owned utilities. The company owns and operates more than 7,500 megawatts with facilities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina and has an additional 820 megawatts committed to construction in North Carolina and Texas.
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Wednesday, September 16, 2009
UGA licenses technology to make fuel from dead forests and agricultural waste
An innovative process for turning waste biomass—such as dead trees, agricultural waste and lumber byproducts—into a liquid fuel to power conventional engines has been licensed by the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc. to Tolero Energy, LLC, a private biofuels company based in Sacramento, Calif. The technology represents a leap forward for the biofuels industry: the ultra-low-sulfur biofuel does not require additional refinement or processing before blending with biodiesel and petroleum diesel.
The exclusive license provides Tolero Energy global rights to the technology, including the right to grant sublicenses.
Tolero CEO Chris Churchill said the company will focus on the transportation fuels market as it completes development of the UGARF bio-oil technology. He expects to make product based on the technology available in the first half of 2010.
Lead inventor of the technology is Tom Adams, a retired member of the University of Georgia Faculty of Engineering. Co-inventors are John Goodrum, Manuel Garcia-Perez, Dan Geller and Joshua Pendergrass—all presently or previously associated with the UGA Faculty of Engineering.
“Fuel produced through this efficient technology, which uses dead biomass as the starting material, holds the promise of being highly economical, carbon-negative and environmentally acceptable,” said Adams, now an engineering consultant.
Tolero will use this low-cost, on-site process to turn non-food, waste biomass into sustainable and renewable forms of energy and industrial products. The biomass is heated at carefully controlled high temperatures in the absence of oxygen, a process known as fast pyrolysis. The vapors produced during pyrolysis rapidly condense into a bio-oil that can be added to biodiesel or petroleum diesel. Other pyrolysis by-products are gas and bio-char, which can be used as a soil amendment.
Dead trees are one of the major sources of waste biomass for Tolero, said Churchill. He explained, “Infestations of the mountain pine beetle have devastated forests in the western United States and Canada, killing over 40 million acres of pine trees. As the trees decompose and decay, they release millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, and the devastation has created a significant and dangerous fire hazard in the western forests.
“Harvesting dead trees and forest residue and converting them to renewable fuel and soil amendment products will help reduce the CO2 released into the atmosphere and reduce the fire danger. The recent fire in the Los Angeles foothills, which was fueled by years of highly flammable dead biomass build-up, is a prime example of a situation where this technology can be put to use. Tolero has the capability to establish pyrolysis facilities to process the dead underbrush and convert it to a renewable fuel that is easy to transport,” Churchill said.
Tolero also will convert other types of cellulosic biomass, such as agricultural waste and waste wood pallets, into renewable transportation fuels, heating fuels, soil amendments and industrial products.
“We are glad that our new business partner, Tolero, will be using biomass waste as starting material for the production of biodiesel,” said Gennaro Gama, senior technology manager at UGARF charged with the management of UGA’s bioenergy technologies. “Not only is this approach socially responsible, since it does not employ food crops as the source of biofuels, it also is ecologically sound, as it will open areas to reforestation and at the same time lead to the production of cost-efficient, sulfur-free fuels,” he said.
“This commercialization approach perfectly reflects the social and ecological concerns of UGA’s bioenergy researchers and the research partnership formed with Tolero,” Gama concluded.
UGARF performs the technology transfer function for the University of Georgia, taking assignment of patents and licensing such patents to the private sector in return for royalty income to support the research mission of the university. To learn more about technology commercialization at the University of Georgia, see http://www.ovpr.uga.edu/tco/industry/.
Tolero Energy LLC focuses on renewable transportation fuel from waste biomass. More information is available at www.toleroenergy.com.
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The exclusive license provides Tolero Energy global rights to the technology, including the right to grant sublicenses.
Tolero CEO Chris Churchill said the company will focus on the transportation fuels market as it completes development of the UGARF bio-oil technology. He expects to make product based on the technology available in the first half of 2010.
Lead inventor of the technology is Tom Adams, a retired member of the University of Georgia Faculty of Engineering. Co-inventors are John Goodrum, Manuel Garcia-Perez, Dan Geller and Joshua Pendergrass—all presently or previously associated with the UGA Faculty of Engineering.
“Fuel produced through this efficient technology, which uses dead biomass as the starting material, holds the promise of being highly economical, carbon-negative and environmentally acceptable,” said Adams, now an engineering consultant.
Tolero will use this low-cost, on-site process to turn non-food, waste biomass into sustainable and renewable forms of energy and industrial products. The biomass is heated at carefully controlled high temperatures in the absence of oxygen, a process known as fast pyrolysis. The vapors produced during pyrolysis rapidly condense into a bio-oil that can be added to biodiesel or petroleum diesel. Other pyrolysis by-products are gas and bio-char, which can be used as a soil amendment.
Dead trees are one of the major sources of waste biomass for Tolero, said Churchill. He explained, “Infestations of the mountain pine beetle have devastated forests in the western United States and Canada, killing over 40 million acres of pine trees. As the trees decompose and decay, they release millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, and the devastation has created a significant and dangerous fire hazard in the western forests.
“Harvesting dead trees and forest residue and converting them to renewable fuel and soil amendment products will help reduce the CO2 released into the atmosphere and reduce the fire danger. The recent fire in the Los Angeles foothills, which was fueled by years of highly flammable dead biomass build-up, is a prime example of a situation where this technology can be put to use. Tolero has the capability to establish pyrolysis facilities to process the dead underbrush and convert it to a renewable fuel that is easy to transport,” Churchill said.
Tolero also will convert other types of cellulosic biomass, such as agricultural waste and waste wood pallets, into renewable transportation fuels, heating fuels, soil amendments and industrial products.
“We are glad that our new business partner, Tolero, will be using biomass waste as starting material for the production of biodiesel,” said Gennaro Gama, senior technology manager at UGARF charged with the management of UGA’s bioenergy technologies. “Not only is this approach socially responsible, since it does not employ food crops as the source of biofuels, it also is ecologically sound, as it will open areas to reforestation and at the same time lead to the production of cost-efficient, sulfur-free fuels,” he said.
“This commercialization approach perfectly reflects the social and ecological concerns of UGA’s bioenergy researchers and the research partnership formed with Tolero,” Gama concluded.
UGARF performs the technology transfer function for the University of Georgia, taking assignment of patents and licensing such patents to the private sector in return for royalty income to support the research mission of the university. To learn more about technology commercialization at the University of Georgia, see http://www.ovpr.uga.edu/tco/industry/.
Tolero Energy LLC focuses on renewable transportation fuel from waste biomass. More information is available at www.toleroenergy.com.
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Thursday, December 18, 2008
Green Power EMC's Renewable Energy Agreement Generates Jobs and Electricity
/PRNewswire/ -- Green Power EMC (GPEMC), a partnership of 38 electric membership corporations (EMCs) in Georgia, today announced plans to purchase 17 MW of biomass energy from Multitrade Rabun Gap (MRG), LLC.
The Rabun Gap project will use woody waste as the primary fuel in a conventional boiler for the generation of steam to power a steam turbine electric generator.
The power purchase agreement is part of Green Power EMC's mission to research and deliver renewable energy options from Georgia resources such as biomass, solar, wind and low-impact hydro.
This project is unusual in that it involves several "renewable" resources. The biomass facility will be sited in an already existing power plant in an idled Fruit of the Loom manufacturing facility located in Rabun Gap, Ga. The textile company closed in 2006 resulting in the loss of 900 jobs and a dramatic effect on the economy of the small mountain town, located near the North Carolina border. Putting the power plant back into service creates approximately 20 jobs for people to operate the plant and an additional 75 jobs for people needed to gather and transport biomass to the facility.
"The Rabun Gap project is an example of what we can accomplish when we take a fresh look at our renewable resources and ask 'what are the possibilities?'" says Michael Whiteside, president/CEO of GPEMC. "We will be generating 17 MW of cleaner, greener energy, which on its own has tremendous merit. But when you add the refurbishing of an abandoned plant into a useful facility and the revitalization of a small town economy, the value of this project becomes untold."
MRG, an affiliate of Multitrade Biomass Holdings in Ridgeway, Va., is a special purpose entity formed to construct and operate the 17 MW capacity wood-fueled biomass facility. Multitrade has been active since 1982 in developing alternate energy projects including one of the largest wood-fueled facilities in the world located near Hurt, Va.
The Rabun Gap facility has a significant amount of existing equipment on site, including the boiler, which was previously used to supply steam and electricity to the Fruit of the Loom manufacturing operation. MRG will use native renewable fuel from the local forest industry. When complete, the $21.5 million facility will generate enough energy to meet the needs of approximately 10,000 homes. The plant is expected to become operational by August 2009.
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The Rabun Gap project will use woody waste as the primary fuel in a conventional boiler for the generation of steam to power a steam turbine electric generator.
The power purchase agreement is part of Green Power EMC's mission to research and deliver renewable energy options from Georgia resources such as biomass, solar, wind and low-impact hydro.
This project is unusual in that it involves several "renewable" resources. The biomass facility will be sited in an already existing power plant in an idled Fruit of the Loom manufacturing facility located in Rabun Gap, Ga. The textile company closed in 2006 resulting in the loss of 900 jobs and a dramatic effect on the economy of the small mountain town, located near the North Carolina border. Putting the power plant back into service creates approximately 20 jobs for people to operate the plant and an additional 75 jobs for people needed to gather and transport biomass to the facility.
"The Rabun Gap project is an example of what we can accomplish when we take a fresh look at our renewable resources and ask 'what are the possibilities?'" says Michael Whiteside, president/CEO of GPEMC. "We will be generating 17 MW of cleaner, greener energy, which on its own has tremendous merit. But when you add the refurbishing of an abandoned plant into a useful facility and the revitalization of a small town economy, the value of this project becomes untold."
MRG, an affiliate of Multitrade Biomass Holdings in Ridgeway, Va., is a special purpose entity formed to construct and operate the 17 MW capacity wood-fueled biomass facility. Multitrade has been active since 1982 in developing alternate energy projects including one of the largest wood-fueled facilities in the world located near Hurt, Va.
The Rabun Gap facility has a significant amount of existing equipment on site, including the boiler, which was previously used to supply steam and electricity to the Fruit of the Loom manufacturing operation. MRG will use native renewable fuel from the local forest industry. When complete, the $21.5 million facility will generate enough energy to meet the needs of approximately 10,000 homes. The plant is expected to become operational by August 2009.
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Tuesday, September 30, 2008
ExxonMobil's Methanol to Gasoline (MTG) Technology Selected for Synthesis Energy Systems’ Coal to Liquids Projects
BUSINESS WIRE --ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (EMRE) today (September 29, 2008) announced that it has entered into an agreement with Synthesis Energy Systems (SES) that provides SES the option to execute up to fifteen Methanol to Gasoline technology licenses in their global operations. SES has chosen to assign the first license to a project near Benwood, West Virginia.
This approximate 7,000 barrel per calendar day unit will be based on commercially proven MTG technology which incorporates improvements since the technology was originally commercialized by ExxonMobil 20 years ago in New Zealand.
MTG converts crude methanol directly to low sulfur, low benzene gasoline that can be sold directly or blended with conventional refinery gasoline. Although the original application of the MTG technology processed methanol from natural gas, the same technology can be used for methanol from other sources such as coal, petcoke or biomass. The SES projects will gasify the coal, convert the synthetic gas to methanol, and then convert the methanol to gasoline via the MTG process. Conversion of coal to gasoline through gasification and methanol conversion is one way to significantly reduce the potential pollutants from coal, including the reduction of SOx emissions and the capture of CO2.
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Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
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Arts Across Georgia
This approximate 7,000 barrel per calendar day unit will be based on commercially proven MTG technology which incorporates improvements since the technology was originally commercialized by ExxonMobil 20 years ago in New Zealand.
MTG converts crude methanol directly to low sulfur, low benzene gasoline that can be sold directly or blended with conventional refinery gasoline. Although the original application of the MTG technology processed methanol from natural gas, the same technology can be used for methanol from other sources such as coal, petcoke or biomass. The SES projects will gasify the coal, convert the synthetic gas to methanol, and then convert the methanol to gasoline via the MTG process. Conversion of coal to gasoline through gasification and methanol conversion is one way to significantly reduce the potential pollutants from coal, including the reduction of SOx emissions and the capture of CO2.
-----
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.artsacrossgeorgia.com
Arts Across Georgia
Friday, August 22, 2008
Georgia Power Seeks Approval for Coal Plant Conversion to Biomass
PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power today asked the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) for approval to convert coal-fueled Plant Mitchell to renewable wood biomass.
Upon conversion, Plant Mitchell - near Albany - would be capable of producing 96 megawatts of renewable energy - or enough electricity to power 60,000 homes. The plant would have lower emissions, and would be one of the largest wood biomass plants in the United States. It would also have lower fuel and operating costs when compared to continued operation using coal, thereby making the plant more cost-effective for customers.
Surplus wood fuel for Plant Mitchell would come from suppliers operating within an approximately 100-mile radius of the plant.
"Georgia Power is taking an important step toward continued diversification of its fuel sources and making renewable energy more affordable for customers," said Mike Garrett, Georgia Power president and CEO. "By converting Plant Mitchell to biomass, we hope to not only help grow the renewable resource base in Georgia but also to expand the market for renewable energy credits, which ultimately will foster additional renewable energy development."
Renewable energy credits are created when a renewable energy facility generates electricity or uses renewable fuel. The PSC is expected to rule on the proposal to convert Plant Mitchell to biomass by spring of 2009. Retrofit construction would begin by spring of 2011 and the biomass plant would likely begin operations in June 2012.
Monday, July 28, 2008
New UGA Biomass Technology Dramatically Increases Ethanol Yield from Grasses and Yard Waste
University of Georgia researchers have developed a new technology that promises to dramatically increase the yield of ethanol from readily available non-food crops, such as Bermudagrass, switchgrass, Napiergrass—and even yard waste.
“Producing ethanol from renewable biomass sources such as grasses is desirable because they are potentially available in large quantities,” said Joy Peterson, professor of microbiology and chair of UGA’s Bioenergy Task Force. “Optimizing the breakdown of the plant fibers is critical to production of liquid transportation fuel via fermentation.” Peterson developed the new technology with former UGA microbiology student Sarah Kate Brandon, and Mark Eiteman, professor of biological and agricultural engineering.
The new technology features a fast, mild, acid-free pretreatment process that increases by at least 10 times the amount of simple sugars released from inexpensive biomass for conversion to ethanol. The technology effectively eliminates the use of expensive and environmentally unsafe chemicals currently used to pretreat biomass.
The technology is available for licensing from the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., which has filed a patent application.
Inexpensive waste products—including corn stover or bagasse, the waste from corn and sugar cane harvests, fast-growing weeds—and non-food crops grown for biofuel, such as switchgrass, Napiergrass and Bermudagrass, are widely viewed as the best sustainable resources for ethanol made from biofuels.
“Using non-food crops that can be grown on marginal lands, like grasses, and fibrous waste streams like corn stover, is important because of the ongoing food-versus-fuel debate,” said Peterson. “When agricultural crops, such as corn or potatoes, are grown for biofuels production, the cost of the starting material may fluctuate greatly because of competing demands for food and feed. The trade-off with using a biomass like grasses is that grasses are harder to break apart than corn or potatoes, and the cost of making the same fuel, like ethanol, rises.”
Developing an efficient, cost-effective process to convert the fibrous stalks, leaves, and blades of plant wastes into simple sugars is the biggest challenge to bio-based ethanol production. Thick, complex plant cell walls are highly resistant to efforts to break them down.
Currently, woody biomass requires soaking under high pressure and temperatures in expensive, environmentally aggressive bases or acids before it is subjected to enzymes that digest it, producing simple sugars. The harsh pretreatment solutions subsequently must be removed and disposed of safely. They also cause formation of side products that can slow down the conversion of the sugars into ethanol.
In contrast, the environmentally friendly UGA technology eliminates the expense of harsh pretreatment chemicals and their disposal, and the formation of side products is minimal.
“The new technology has commercial application for the biomass industry, including producers of sugar cane, corn, switchgrass, Napiergrass and other woody biomass crops,” said Gennaro Gama, UGARF technology manager responsible for licensing this technology. “It may also help renewable energy and biofermentation companies—and local governments.
“By allowing for the use of myriad raw materials, this technology allows more options for ethanol facilities trying to meet nearby demand by using locally available, inexpensive starting materials,” he added. “This would greatly reduce the costs and carbon footprint associated with the delivery of raw materials to fermentation facilities and the subsequent delivery of ethanol to points of sale. Local production of ethanol may also protect specific areas against speculative fluctuations in fuel prices.
“It’s easy to imagine that this easy-to-use, inexpensive technology could be used by local governments, alone or in partnership with entrepreneurs, to meet local demand for ethanol, possibly using yard waste as a substrate,” he said.
“Producing ethanol from renewable biomass sources such as grasses is desirable because they are potentially available in large quantities,” said Joy Peterson, professor of microbiology and chair of UGA’s Bioenergy Task Force. “Optimizing the breakdown of the plant fibers is critical to production of liquid transportation fuel via fermentation.” Peterson developed the new technology with former UGA microbiology student Sarah Kate Brandon, and Mark Eiteman, professor of biological and agricultural engineering.
The new technology features a fast, mild, acid-free pretreatment process that increases by at least 10 times the amount of simple sugars released from inexpensive biomass for conversion to ethanol. The technology effectively eliminates the use of expensive and environmentally unsafe chemicals currently used to pretreat biomass.
The technology is available for licensing from the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., which has filed a patent application.
Inexpensive waste products—including corn stover or bagasse, the waste from corn and sugar cane harvests, fast-growing weeds—and non-food crops grown for biofuel, such as switchgrass, Napiergrass and Bermudagrass, are widely viewed as the best sustainable resources for ethanol made from biofuels.
“Using non-food crops that can be grown on marginal lands, like grasses, and fibrous waste streams like corn stover, is important because of the ongoing food-versus-fuel debate,” said Peterson. “When agricultural crops, such as corn or potatoes, are grown for biofuels production, the cost of the starting material may fluctuate greatly because of competing demands for food and feed. The trade-off with using a biomass like grasses is that grasses are harder to break apart than corn or potatoes, and the cost of making the same fuel, like ethanol, rises.”
Developing an efficient, cost-effective process to convert the fibrous stalks, leaves, and blades of plant wastes into simple sugars is the biggest challenge to bio-based ethanol production. Thick, complex plant cell walls are highly resistant to efforts to break them down.
Currently, woody biomass requires soaking under high pressure and temperatures in expensive, environmentally aggressive bases or acids before it is subjected to enzymes that digest it, producing simple sugars. The harsh pretreatment solutions subsequently must be removed and disposed of safely. They also cause formation of side products that can slow down the conversion of the sugars into ethanol.
In contrast, the environmentally friendly UGA technology eliminates the expense of harsh pretreatment chemicals and their disposal, and the formation of side products is minimal.
“The new technology has commercial application for the biomass industry, including producers of sugar cane, corn, switchgrass, Napiergrass and other woody biomass crops,” said Gennaro Gama, UGARF technology manager responsible for licensing this technology. “It may also help renewable energy and biofermentation companies—and local governments.
“By allowing for the use of myriad raw materials, this technology allows more options for ethanol facilities trying to meet nearby demand by using locally available, inexpensive starting materials,” he added. “This would greatly reduce the costs and carbon footprint associated with the delivery of raw materials to fermentation facilities and the subsequent delivery of ethanol to points of sale. Local production of ethanol may also protect specific areas against speculative fluctuations in fuel prices.
“It’s easy to imagine that this easy-to-use, inexpensive technology could be used by local governments, alone or in partnership with entrepreneurs, to meet local demand for ethanol, possibly using yard waste as a substrate,” he said.
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