Fibrowatt Takes Step Forward in Development of North Carolina Biomass Power Plants

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Fibrowatt LLC (Langhorne, Pennsylvania), a member of Homeland Renewable Energy Group (Bedford, New Hampshire) is moving ahead with three projects totaling 150 megawatts (MW) in North Carolina. Fibrowatt selected Fagen Incorporated (Granite Falls, Minnesota) as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the first project, with options for the other two plants.

Fibrowatt considered eight sites, but settled on sites in Montgomery, Sampson and Surry counties for the projects, which have a combined estimated total investment value of more than $500 million.

Fibrowatt has been in talks with government entities, electric utilities and the poultry industry in North Carolina about installing the three power plants, which will run from poultry litter produced by the local poultry industry. North Carolina has shown the most interest of any state in the projects, which include two 55MW power plants, one in Montgomery County near Biscoe, and a second in Sampson County near Faison. The third project is a 40MW plant in Surry County, near Elkin. Construction of the first plant is expected to commence in late 2010, with completion and commissioning in late 2012.

According to Terry Walmsley, Fibrowatt's Environmental Affairs Manager, the company has proven the business development plan for the plant configuration through completion of the company's plant in Benson, Minnesota. This basic plant concept allows Fibrowatt to develop, permit, finance and construct more than one project at any given time.

The order in which the projects will be constructed has not yet been determined. The three things that must be at the forefront of all projects before construction begins are: having power sales agreements in place, the ability to have adequate supplies of biomass (poultry waste and wood), and the appropriate permitting to facilitate the financing of the projects. The second and third projects will probably be staggered to allow for each construction phase to move subsequently to the next plant.

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