According to 2G CENERGY Power Systems Technologies Inc., the $8 million (USD) biogas project will be the world's largest waste-to-energy recycling facility when completed.
Beyond the modular energy conversion system, 2G CENERGY is also supplying the gas treatment technology package, as well as an advanced combustion management system. The automation and control technology enables the operator to monitor their energy efficiency and lower the environmental impact, reducing CO2 and NOx emissions to low, insignificant levels.
On this project, 2G CENERGY will be working closely with Team Gemini, a sustainable project design and development company based in Orlando, Florida. Under an agreement reached with the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, or "SWACO," Team Gemini will build both a waste receiving facility and a waste stream recovery plant which includes anaerobic digesters. (These have been dubbed the ‘Center for Resource Recovery and Recycling’ or COR3.) Both buildings will have a combined area of over 185,000 square feet.
What originally began under the project designation “Cardinal” was later assigned the name “Gemini Synergy Center." The project is divided into Phase 1 and 2. Initially, the plant will be able to process up to 2,000 tons per day -- about 30% of the current waste stream -- with plans to process the entire waste stream in the future. In essence, achieving nearly 100 per cent recycling of all the waste received. After recyclable materials are recovered, which include metals and plastics, the balance of the organic waste will be preprocessed for use in anaerobic digesters.
2G CENERGY'S modular 2G® biogas cogeneration system --rated 5,550 kWh, consisting of three fully integrated 2G® avus® series CHP -- will be installed for Phase 1. The cogeneration system comes with ultra-low NOx and CO emissions control technology. Delivery of phase one is expected in late 2014, with Phase 2 set to follow in 2015.
During Phase 1, landfill gas (LFG) from the adjacent SWACO landfill site will be utilized to fuel the 2G® avus® cogeneration modules. Enco2 from Germany was commissioned to engineer and construct the 8.4 MW biogas / biomass plant, applying their patented UDR Technology. It will be built by its US contractor partner Manhattan Construction.
In addition to the waste receiving facility and COR3 project, Team Gemini has signed a lease with SWACO to develop a 343-acre tract of land north of S.R. 665 to create an industrial and research park that will serve as a sustainable business cluster powered by the waste stream located within a Community Reinvestment Area (CRA). An integral benefit for tenants of the sustainable industrial park will include access to recyclable by-products recovered from the waste processing, which can be used to create new products from recycled materials.
“Historically, we always considered trash something that costs money to get rid of, a cost center," said Ronald J. Mills, executive director of SWACO. "We will be turning trash management from a cost center to a true profit center by extracting the value that is intrinsically contained within that trash stream. This allows us to get closer to our vision of finding a viable alternative to landfilling."
Michael Turwitt, president & CEO of 2G CENERGY Power Systems Technologies Inc., commented on Team Gemini's selection of its biogas systems for the project. “When you invest millions of dollars in a CHP plant, you don’t want to take chances," he said. "This order shows again that 2G is a first choice manufacturer and supplier of modular CHP systems in the US, providing the most proven, reliable and cost-effective solution."
This latest deal marks a streak for 2G CENERGY. During the second half of 2013, the company secured several large contracts. 2G CENERGY’s order books also include a wide range of other new major, midsize and smaller contracts in addition to this remarkably larger project. As of January 2014, 2G CENERGY reached a market share of more than 40%, according to Turwitt, strengthening its position as a leading supplier of advanced biogas energy conversion systems and cogeneration technologies for the North American market.