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RWE to build cogen in Sicily
POULTRY POWER: A proposed 30-megawatt biomass power plant in Northern Ireland will defer thousands of tons of poultry litter.
Northern Ireland poultry litter biomass plant approved BY LISA GIBSON A 30-megawatt biomass power plant proposed for County Antrim in Northern Ireland is much closer to fruition, having gained approval from Northern Ireland Environment Minister Edwin Poots. The £100 million ($158 million) plant will run on 220,000 metric tons (242,500 tons) per year of poultry litter, along with 40,000 metric tons of meat and bone meal (MBM), according to developer Rose Energy Ltd. The electricity it produces, enough to power 25,000 homes, will be sold to the national grid, according to Chief Executive Osvaldo Mauro-Hun. “The decision by the Northern Ireland environment minister to approve the plans represents a major step forward for the country’s capacity to produce renewable energy,” Mauro-Hun said. “Rose Energy will generate a third of the nonwind portion of Northern Ireland’s renewable energy obligations and allow it to utilize valuable biomass fuel sources locally, thereby contributing to a more secure energy future for the region.” The location, about 20 miles from Northern Ireland’s capital city of Belfast, was chosen partially because of its close proximity to the MBM source, situated next to the plant site, Mauro-Hun said. MBM is currently exported from Northern Ireland for use as a green fuel in biomass plants and cement kilns, but Rose Energy’s plant will allow it to be used locally instead. The poultry litter feedstock, composed of wood shavings and poultry droppings, will come from farmers who supply Moy Park Ltd., which sells its own label and customer-branded chicken products to lead-
ing retail food service customers across Europe. Other reasons for selecting the site include its close proximity to a water source, and its ability to strengthen the electricity infrastructure in an area that is currently deficient. The poultry industry is Northern Ireland’s second largest and accounts for about 7,000 jobs, Mauro-Hun said. This biomass power project will help protect those jobs and will also defer thousands of tons of poultry litter destined for landfill spread, according to the company. The construction industry in the region will also benefit from the project, which will ensure about £15 million worth of civil works packages and about £10 million of mechanical and electrical money through locally based companies, Mauro-Hun said. Between June 2008 and August 2010, the Northern Ireland Planning Authorities carried out a detailed and extensive review of Rose Energy’s proposal, and gave it the go ahead, Mauro-Hun said. “In doing so, the planning authorities also recognized the robustness of the proposal and have shown that they are fully confident that all aspects of the proposal—technology, location, fuel availability, health, traffic—have been properly addressed by Rose Energy,” he added. The company has applied and is waiting to find out if it is qualified to receive government funding. The remaining portion of the expenses will be privately funded by the consortium, Mauro-Hun said. Rose Energy will begin construction as soon as possible and expects it to last about 2½ years.
18 BIOMASS POWER & THERMAL | NOVEMBER 2010
RWE Innogy Italia has signed an agreement for the construction of the first biomass cogeneration plant in Sicily. The 18.7-megawatt plant will produce 128,000 megawatt hours of power, enough to supply about 30,000 homes per year, according to the company. The feedstock will primarily come from a eucalyptus tree plantation that covers more than 20,000 hectares (49,000 acres). Construction on the €61 million ($83 million) plant is set to begin before the end of the year and commissioning is due in late 2012, according to the company.
Gainesville signs supply contract The Gainesville, Fla., Renewable Energy Center has signed a long-term biomass supply contract with local wood waste recycler Wood Resource Recovery, fulfilling almost half of the fuel supply needs for the 100-megawatt power plant. Developer American Renewables said the biomass feedstock will be clean urban wood waste including tree trimmings, rightof-way clearing and debris from land contractors and tree surgeons. Electricity produced at the GREC will be sold to Gainesville Regional Utilities under a 30-year power purchase agreement and used to power 700,000 homes, according to American Renewables. The GREC will also use local logging residues and thinning material as feedstock.