Greentech Lead America: Nexterra Systems, the US
Department of Energy and Johnson Controls dedicated a biomass gasification
energy plant at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory
(ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This is the sixth Nexterra system to enter
commercial operation.
Before the opening, the plant has gone through a 30 day
endurance trial, third party emissions tests and an exhaustive readiness
review. The plant was built as part of a $94 million Energy Savings Performance
Contract (ESPC) for Johnson Controls to undertake a wide range of building
management and energy conservation measures at ORNL.
The Johnson Controls contract for ORNL was among the
first contracts awarded under the Department of Energy’s Transformational
Energy Action Management (TEAM) Initiative. TEAM aims to reduce energy waste
and greenhouse gases at DOE facilities nationwide by 30 percent and have those
facilities acquire at least 7.5 percent of all energy from renewable sources by
2015.
“Johnson Controls and Nexterra combined expertise
and leading technology to create a winning solution for ORNL. The results of
this teamwork will have a positive impact on the campus, the local community
and the environment,” said Iain Campbell, vice president and general manager,
Johnson Controls.
Nexterra biomass
gasification system converts low-cost waste biomass into a clean
burning syngas to produce 60,000 lbs/hr of saturated steam, reducing fossil
fuel consumption by 80 per cent. The system will reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by over 20,000 tons per year.
“We are very proud to have been part of this
project. It is another great demonstration that our energy-from-renewable-waste
systems are of the highest quality and can meet the most demanding customer
requirements while delivering world-class emissions performance. Our systems
now have over 100,000 hours of operation in a range of institutional and
industrial settings,” said Mike Scott, president and CEO of Nexterra.