Turboden, a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries company, will supply an Organic Rankine Cycle power system to US-based Maine Woods Pellet Company. The power unit will be installed at Maine Woods Pellet Co.’s facility in Athens, Maine, which produces up to 100 000 tpy of wood pellets for the bulk and bagged fuel markets.
The system will be the world’s largest biomass-based ORC power unit. It will produce 8 MW converting the heat of thermal oil generated by wood residues from de-barking and chipping operations. Maine Woods Pellet Co. has signed a Power Purchase Agreement with Central Maine Power, which will cover the power that will be exported to the grid. The pellet manufacturer will benefit from a tax credit for the project equity investments according to the New Markets Tax Credit Programme.
The biomass power system is due to startup in March 2016.
Adapted from press release by Louise Fordham