In partnership with Florida State University, OUC will participate in a 5-megawatt solar/biomass hybrid power plant to be located in Harmony’s Florida Sustainable Energy Research Parkin Osceola County. The project will use biomass (wood chips and sawdust) gasifiers to generate electricity. Harmony would build, own and operate the project,and OUC would purchase renewable energy and receive the environmental attributes.
The project consists of a power plant-fueled by biomass that will produce syngas to fire a conventional boiler. Thirty acres of solar troughs will be installed to use the sun’s energy to increase the efficiency of the project. Harmony plans to apply for project funding from a Department of Energy (DOE) Stimulus Grant. The FSU Energy and Sustainability Center will conduct research at the plant and providing an educational component.
OUC and other local partners have applied for $29 million in funding for a joint DOE demonstration project to study the use of algae for carbon capture, water treatment, and as a renewable fuel. As part of the proposal, a one-acre test site would be established at Stanton to grow algae and determine its viabilityas a method of capturing and “consuming” carbon, which would be extracted from the CO2 in the flue gas emitted from Stanton’s coal-fired generating units. The algae would be sent to a bio-refinery where it will be converted tobio-fuel, pelletized and sent back to SEC as a renewable energy source.
OUC’s plans to participate in a $29 million U.S. Department of Energy joint demonstration project to study the use of algae for carbon capture, water treatment and as a renewable fuel. In addition to OUC and DOE, the joint effort includes five other companies, including SAIC, MSCW and Orlando’s own Aqua Fiber Technologies Corporation. Under the proposal, DOE would provide about 80percent of the funding and OUC would provide about $360,000, mostly for in‐kind services. As part of the multi‐tiered proposal, a one‐acre algae test site would be established at the Stanton Energy Center to test the viability of algae as a method of capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide gas from the coal‐fired generation units. “This is a great opportunity for a very nominal investment and utilizes a local company,” said City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.
Partnering with Gainesville Regional Utility and others,OUC is considering investing in the biomass-fueled 100 MW Gainesville Renewable Energy Center. Slated to be complete by 2014, this power plant will offset the use of coal by generating electricity from logging residue, forest thinning sand other urban waste vegetation.
Biomass is ideal as a renewable resource in north central Florida, as forestry for paper pulp, chip and saw timber is the principal agricultural industry. The biomass burned in the plant will come from the leftover waste wood of timber harvesting operations and other indirect sources such as urban vegetation management.
The proposed facility will be constructed on GRU’s existing Deer haven Generating Station site, which already includes 421 megawatts (net) of coal and gas-fired steam and combustion turbine units. Nacogdoches will be responsible for fuel acquisition as well as all other operating functions, and GRU will purchase the unit’s output under a long-term purchased power agreement. The new plant is expected to provide economical power as well as environmental and regulatory benefits.