« Pellet News Test burn of stover pellets Maine torrefied pellet plant gets loan guarantee planned in Missouri The Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) The plant will employ a unique torrefacColumbia (Mo.) Water and Light has gained approval from its advisory board to purchase biomass pellets for trial burns at its municipal power plant this winter. CWL has been cofiring waste wood chips and coal since 2008, and is exploring the use of other biomass fuels. In January, CWL plans to test burn engineered pellets developed in a collaborative effort between Missouri Corn Growers Association and Enginuity Worldwide LLC. Enginuity’s bid was to deliver 700 tons of the experimental fuel made from corn stover or a mixture of stover and grass for testing at a cost of $500 per ton. In October 2012, CWL conducted a test firing using miscanthus pellets. Results were mixed. While the pellets mixed well with the coal and were handled easily by the system, the fuel handling system created dust and degraded the pellets. There were also issues with water damage during storage. In its bid to CWL to test its new stover pellets, Enginuity addressed many of the issues uncovered by the miscanthus pellet test burn.
board recently approved a $25 million loan guarantee to support a proposed torrefied wood pellet project under development by Thermogen Industries, an entity of Cate Street Capital, in Millinocket, Maine. The plant will initially have the capacity to produce 100,000 tons of torrefied wood pellets per year, with production expected to expand to 500,000 tons at a later date. Construction is currently expected to start this winter, with production commencing before the end of this year.
tion technology developed by Scotland-based Rotawave. The process uses microwave technology coupled with traditional thermal technology to more effectively “cook” the pellet from the inside out, resulting in a more uniform product. In addition to the loan guarantee, the project is funded by $26 million in private equity investment and $19 million in financing from the New Market Tax Credit Program. Thermogen Industries plans to construct a similar 300,000-ton-per-year plant in Eastport, Maine.
Moving Forward Thermogen expects to break ground its Millinocket plant soon. The proposed facility is shown here in a rendering. PHOTO: THERMOGEN INDUSTRIES
POWER TO THE PELLETS Bring us on board for your next pelleting facility project. Meeting your goals is our burning desire. Burns & McDonnell can offer integrated project delivery, with a single point of responsibility on design-build projects. Our experience ranges from engineering to environmental challenges, from front-end planning to startup and more. Together we can find sustainable solutions to make you successful. Let’s talk about how we can help: Ron Jones 314-682-1571 ronjones@burnsmcd.com
Engineering, Architecture, Construction, Environmental and Consulting Solutions 16 PELLET MILL MAGAZINE | Q1 2014