 |
Pinal Power LLC, a subsidiary of Phoenix based Arbutus Bio-Energy LLC has debuted its proposals for a 30 MW power plant fuelled by a mix of biowaste and biofuel crops in Maricopa, near Phoenix, Arizona.
The plans for the 46 acre (18.6 hectares) facility come after a year of discreet research and planning with City of Maricopa officials, and were met with enthusiasm by the Maricopa town council reported the San Tan Valley Today.
Pinal Power said that the plant will divert some 300,000 tons (272,000 tonnes) of green waste per year from landfill, and will be permitted to burn landscape waste, such as logs and tree trimmings, farm crop waste and untreated wood such as pallets and construction waste, as well as bio-energy crops. However, no garbage, sewage, manure, treated wood or tyres will be combusted.
The company also claims that all fuel for the facility will come from a 50 to 75 mile (80 to 120 km) radius, and that the ash removed from the plant will be used as a composting filler and/or applied to local farm land.
The facility will operated in a similar fashion to a conventional coal fired power station, with the wood-based feedstock burned to produce steam, thus driving a steam turbine attached to a generator. Spent steam will be condensed back to water and recycled in the system.
Speaking about the project, Robert Buckingham, president of Arbutus co-owner Western Bio-Energy, said "We wanted to keep this in the background until we were convinced the project was moving forward and everything was lining up to make it happen."
Maricopa mayor Anthony Smith thanked Pinal Power for doing their homework and was glad to see an ambitious project avoid being hindered by budget woes. "Any time a city in this economy gains a manufacturing job-generating project, it's a huge win."
Construction on the plant will begin in late 2010 and is scheduled to begin commercial operation in 2012.
Buckingham added that while solar and wind power operations are subject to fluctuations in the weather, the Pinal Power plant will generate consistent power, and also pointed out that biofuel is the largest renewable energy industry in the US.
|
Share |
||||
