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Renewable energy; in an old power plant
Topic Started: Apr 2 2009, 06:13 AM (221 Views)
big al
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Bull-Carp
An interesting press release yesterday...

Quote:
 
FIRSTENERGY TO REPOWER R.E. BURGER PLANT WITH BIOMASS
Project Will Result in One of the Largest Biomass Facilities in the Country

AKRON, OH – FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) announced today that it plans to
repower units 4 and 5 at its R.E. Burger Plant in Shadyside, Ohio, to generate electricity
principally with biomass. When the retrofit is complete, the Burger Plant is expected to
be one of the largest biomass facilities in the United States. The announcement was
made by FirstEnergy President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony J. Alexander and
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland at the plant.

“Retrofitting the Burger Plant for biomass will expand our diverse generation
portfolio even further and continue our support of state and federal efforts to increase
reliance on renewable energy sources,” said Alexander. “And, the project will provide a
new and exciting future for the plant and continued economic support in Belmont
County.”

“This project will help jump-start the biomass renewable energy industry here in
Ohio and also serve as a model for projects throughout the U.S.,” said Governor
Strickland. “In addition to retaining jobs at the Burger Plant, this project has the potential
to create additional jobs and investments, particularly as biomass fuel suppliers work to
meet the needs of this operation and as other renewable energy projects are developed in
Ohio. The Burger project advances Ohio's advanced energy portfolio standard, which
requires that 25 percent of Ohio's energy come from advanced and renewable energy
sources by 2025.”

The company was facing a March 31, 2009, deadline to determine the future of
the plant under the terms of a Consent Decree related to the company’s 2005 New Source
Review settlement.

“We deeply appreciate the support we received from state and federal officials,
union leadership and plant employees, and our friends in Belmont County in our efforts
to keep the Burger Plant open,” said Alexander.

Ultimately, the company expects the project to feature a closed-loop system,
meaning it would use biomass derived from an energy crop grown specifically for use as
a fuel source. This energy crop would act as a carbon sink, removing as much carbon
dioxide from the environment when it is growing as it releases when it is burned. In
addition, burning principally with biomass at the plant would produce lower emissions
overall than if it was retrofitted with a scrubber.

The capital cost for retrofitting the Burger Plant to burn biomass is estimated to be
approximately $200 million. Once the project is completed, units 4 and 5 of the Burger
Plant could be capable of producing up to 312 megawatts (MW) of electricity – its
current capacity. This is enough electricity to power approximately 190,000 homes,
making it one of the largest biomass facilities in the U.S. based on generating capacity.
And, biomass plants can operate continuously, providing power whenever it is needed.
With the completion of the project, FirstEnergy’s portfolio of renewable energy
could total more than 1,100 MW, including 451 MW of pumped-storage hydro and
376 MW of wind power.

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Its
subsidiaries and affiliates are involved in the generation, transmission and distribution of
electricity, as well as energy management and other energy-related services. Its seven
electric utility operating companies comprise the nation’s fifth largest investor-owned
electric system, based on 4.5 million customers served, within a 36,100-square-mile area
of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey; and its generation subsidiaries control more than
14,000 megawatts of capacity.


This kills two birds with one stone for the power company. It avoids fitting the units with post-combustion pollution controls and enlarges their renewables fleet, better positioning them for any future cap-and-trade or carbon tax situation.

I'm curious as to further details on the energy crop they mention; existing biomass plants I know have used byproducts such as wood or papermill waste or crop residues.

Big Al
Location: Western PA

"jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen."
-bachophile
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Frank_W
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Excellent. Plus, it puts more people back to work. :thumb:
Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin."
Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!"
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VPG
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Pisa-Carp
Quick think of a new tax to hit them with!!!!!
I'M NOT YELLING.........I'M ITALIAN...........THAT'S HOW WE TALK!


"People say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look."
Ronald Reagan, Inaugural, 1971

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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
What exactly do they plan to burn, how much, and where and by whom will it be grown?
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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JBryan
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I am the grey one
You will be forced to save your grass clippings for pickup.
"Any man who would make an X rated movie should be forced to take his daughter to see it". - John Wayne


There is a line we cross when we go from "I will believe it when I see it" to "I will see it when I believe it".


Henry II: I marvel at you after all these years. Still like a democratic drawbridge: going down for everybody.

Eleanor: At my age there's not much traffic anymore.

From The Lion in Winter.
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Larry
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Mmmmmmm, pie!
I heard something yesterday about how scientists had finally figured out cold fusion, and that they had been building a power facility the size of 3 football fields for the last ten years, were about a year away from bringing it online, and that a small amount of matter about the size of a pencil eraser is all that's needed to power it up (just rattling off some of the key points). The news story mentioned something about this technology being able to power the entire nation for extremely low cost, and virtually unlimited resources.

Anyone else hear about this? I only caught the tail end of it, and could have misunderstood some of it..
Of the Pokatwat Tribe

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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
I don't think I would want to live within 50 miles of such a facility.
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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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Frank_W
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Resident Misanthrope
JBryan
Apr 2 2009, 07:52 AM
You will be forced to save your grass clippings for pickup.
"Bring out your dead!" we use 'em for fuel!
Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin."
Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!"
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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
They won't allow it until they can figure out a way to tax it as VPG pointed out.
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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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Frank_W
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Resident Misanthrope
There already IS a death tax. (as ironic as that is...) LOL
Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin."
Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!"
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
Larry
Apr 2 2009, 07:57 AM
I heard something yesterday about how scientists had finally figured out cold fusion, and that they had been building a power facility the size of 3 football fields for the last ten years, were about a year away from bringing it online, and that a small amount of matter about the size of a pencil eraser is all that's needed to power it up (just rattling off some of the key points). The news story mentioned something about this technology being able to power the entire nation for extremely low cost, and virtually unlimited resources.

Anyone else hear about this? I only caught the tail end of it, and could have misunderstood some of it..
That would rather put us in the catbird seat economically, eh?
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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Frank_W
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Resident Misanthrope
Worldwide.
Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin."
Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!"
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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
Frank_W
Apr 2 2009, 08:05 AM
There already IS a death tax. (as ironic as that is...) LOL
Hah!

I'm not paying that one!

What are they going to do to me? :lol:

Seriously, I am planning on dying with nothing! Nothing I tell ya! Muwhahahahaha!!!!!
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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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Mikhailoh
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
Screw OPEC and the nuclear. We'd have SOOOOOO much power to just generate it ourselves and sell it.
Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball
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big al
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Bull-Carp
Here's a link to the company that's going to provide the fuel: Renewafuel. They say the following about the fuel...
Quote:
 
Renewafuel’s products are a proprietary blend of sustainably collected renewable feedstock from local farms and businesses including wood, sawdust, corn stover, straw, paper, grasses, grains, and grain and seed hulls and screenings.

Densified cubes allow immediate use in most existing solid fuel systems with no or minimal capital modifications or improvements. Processing and compaction results in products that are consistent in size, heat value, moisture content, ash content and other key fuel characteristics. Products are more easily transported, stored and used than raw biofuels.


Big Al
Location: Western PA

"jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen."
-bachophile
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Mark
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HOLY CARP!!!
It actually sounds like a smelly good idea.
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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
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Luke's Dad
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Emperor Pengin
VPG
Apr 2 2009, 06:26 AM
Quick think of a new tax to hit them with!!!!!
No need. If they make too much money, we'll just tax it retroactively.
The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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Luke's Dad
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Larry
Apr 2 2009, 07:57 AM
I heard something yesterday about how scientists had finally figured out cold fusion, and that they had been building a power facility the size of 3 football fields for the last ten years, were about a year away from bringing it online, and that a small amount of matter about the size of a pencil eraser is all that's needed to power it up (just rattling off some of the key points). The news story mentioned something about this technology being able to power the entire nation for extremely low cost, and virtually unlimited resources.

Anyone else hear about this? I only caught the tail end of it, and could have misunderstood some of it..
Big Al just posted an article on cold fusion this past week. I'll see if I can find it.
The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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Kincaid
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HOLY CARP!!!
I dunno. Reading the article makes it sound as if it is nothing more than a biomass-powered power plant. They are just burning sh!t, right? They are saying that carbon gets locked up in the growing biomass and is released again when burned. Then it gets locked up again as they grow new biomass. And this is their argument as to why they don't need expensive air scrubbers? Sounds like a way to pump a bunch of low-level particulates into the air - the kind of stuff that doesn't really turn back into biomass but that hangs around and makes for beautiful sunsets. On second thought, I'm all for it!
Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006.
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