PHOTO: REENERGY
POWER¦
PHOTO: REENERGY
SECURE, RENEWABLE AND BASELOAD: ReEnergy’s Black River Project is the largest asset in its power portfolio and the first on a military base.
FUEL CHANGE, INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGE: Originally designed to receive its coal via rail, ReEnergy made significant investments in wood-receiving infrastructure at the Black River Project, including these two truck dumpers.
since the plant had never delivered electricity to Drum in the past. It was a significant consideration in our investment decision and the alignment with the Department of Defense and the Department of the Army’s initiatives related to secure energy and renewable energy. We felt the alignment was great and timing was right to make this happen,” says Richardson.
Regardless of the Department of the Army’s final decision, the Black River project fits well into the growing power and fuel processing portfolio amassed and operated by ReEnergy. Operating predominantly in the Northeast, ReEnergy owns or operates 13 different facilities in six states with a total output of 325 MW, directly employing over 300 people.
Making environmental performance a core element of its operating philosophy, ReEnergy recently achieved certification from the Sustainable Forest Initiative, which verifies that its biomass procurement practices adheres to stringent, responsible forestry practices. Additionally, among the investments that ReEnergy made at the Black River Project was a new cooling tower. Before ReEnergy’s retrofit, water was simply taken from the Black River, a mile south of the facility, and process water was discharged back into the same river, resulting in a significant thermal plume. Richardson points out the significant advantage the cooling towers bring to the facility noting that it “allowed [ReEnergy] to reduce both the withdrawal of water from the Black River and the thermal discharge back into the Black River by about 90 percent.” Rounding out the facility’s forward-thinking operating strategies is a unique feedstock program being developed with assistance from the Biomass Crop Assistance Program. Hoping to leverage the marginal land in the vicinity of the Black River station, farmers are being recruited to establish shrub willow. Nearly 1,100 acres of marginal land in a three-county area will be planted with shrub willow and will eventually contribute to the facility’s fuel needs. The Black River project in many ways represents a series of firsts for ReEnergy. The facility is ReEnergy’s largest asset when measured by output, its first coal-to-biomass conversion, and the first company-owned asset that sits on a military base. Richardson is hopeful it won’t be ReEnergy’s last. “We definitely see an opportunity to replicate this business model at other military bases around the country,” he adds. “There is no question that the success here should be a differentiator for us as we pursue other opportunities around the country. That is why we are hopeful we will be awarded a contract here and really be a part of one the early success stories in the Army’s renewable initiatives.” Author: Tim Portz Executive Editor, Biomass Magazine tportz@bbiinternational.com 701-738-4969
NOVEMBER 2013 | BIOMASS MAGAZINE 13