Duke Energy announced it will buy swine and poultry waste output from a facility planned for eastern North Carolina to generate renewable electricity at four power stations.
The technology will use captured methane gas to generate electricity.
Carbon Cycle Energy will build and own the facility.
The captured methane will be treated, injected into the pipeline system and used at four Duke Energy plants, namely, Buck Steam Station in Rowan County, Dan River Steam Station in Rockingham County, H.F. Lee Station Combined Cycle Plant in Wayne County and Sutton Combined Cycle Plant in New Hanover County.
Under North Carolina’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (REPS), Duke Energy companies must meet specific compliance targets for swine and poultry waste.
Duke Energy is already buying electricity generated from other facilities in the state.
The gas from this project will generate carbon neutral electricity compared to the emissions that would result if the waste was left to decay naturally, the company said.
Under a 15-year term, Carbon Cycle Energy is expected to produce more than 1 million MMBtus of pipeline-quality captured methane a year. Duke Energy should yield about 125,000 megawatt-hours of renewable energy a year – enough to power about 10,000 homes for a year.
The renewable energy credits (RECs) generated annually by the effort will help satisfy state mandates.
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