American Renewables signs supply contract
The contract will see waste recycling firm Wood Resource Recovery supply around 50% of the total biomass fuel needed when operations at the plant commence towards the end of 2013.
According to American Renewables this biomass fuel will consist of urban wood waste such as tree trimmings and debris from land clearing but will not include treated wood or waste wood from construction and demolition activities as urban wood waste contains less moisture, making the Gainesville Renewable Energy Center (GREC) more energy efficient.
The project manager for GREC Josh Levine said: ‘We are expected to help provide a waste disposal solution for these materials, while at the same time using them to generate renewable, baseload power for 70,000 homes in the Gainesville region.’
American Renewables will own and operate the new plant, which will consist of a wood fuel handling system, a bubbling fluidised bed boiler, a condensing steam turbine generator with an evaporative cooling tower and auxiliary support equipment.
All of the electricity produced will be sold to Gainesville Regional Utilities (GRU) under a 30-year contract.