The STRAIGHT Poop

One of the arguments that is heard over and over from opponents of Fibrowatt’s biomass power plants is that these plants are “dirtier than coal.” I’m intrigued as to why they make such a comparison, or for that matter, why people seem to buy this argument, as it’s hard to understand how you can compare a biomass power plant like Fibrowatt’s with emissions from large-scale coal plant. Coal plants are 10 – 15 times larger than a Fibrowatt plant.

While it doesn’t make much sense to make this comparison, this is not to say that the tag line “dirtier than coal” is soon to go away. These people know that a coal plant is not a “favored” source of energy in the court of public opinion, conjuring up plenty of negative emotions, so it’s an easy point to rally around – even if inaccurate. Read more »

As little as possible.

As was mentioned in the post So – They have Tried to Convince You to Be Concerned about Fibrowatt’s Water Usage…, the Fibrominn plant typically uses about 100 – 125 gallons per minute (gpm) of water, most of which is used to reduce air emissions from the plant.

Is this a lot of water? No.

To put it this in perspective – go to your local hardware store or home improvement center, buy five – ¾” diameter garden hoses, take them home, hook one up at your house and at four neighbor’s houses, and if your local water pressure is normal, together you would be using as much water as the entire 55 megawatt (MW) Fibrominn Biomass Power Plant. Read more »

Like most people, you have probably noticed that power plants are often located next to a river, lake or the ocean. This location is not a surprise as power plants typically have required significant water resources for cooling purposes.

When Fibrowatt began development of it projects in North Carolina, local opposition would often try to convince people that a Fibrowatt plant would be a huge water user. This concern sometimes resonated with local residents as it was built on the above perception that – if it’s a power plant, it is a “gigantic” facility, and therefore must have a “gigantic” appetite for water.

Is this a valid concern about a Fibrowatt plant? Not Even Close

The Fibrominn plant in Minnesota requires very little water – as it was designed with an air-cooled condenser for cooling (as opposed to the use of a wet cooling tower as is often seen at power plants). The plant design and operations also include significant steps to recycle or reuse water. In North Carolina, Fibrowatt plants will use this same low water-use technology and efforts are being taken to further reduce external process water use associated with the air emissions control systems. Fibrowatt recognizes the importance of water resources in these agricultural communities and seeks to minimize its use. Fibrowatt plants are not major water users – a fact that is often purposefully ignored by local opposition. Read more »

As you can see on our website, Fibrowatt has an interest in developing projects in a number of states, including Georgia. Interest in Georgia should not be a surprise as Georgia is the largest agricultural producer of broiler chickens in the U.S., with an annual value of greater than $4 billion. Poultry production is the largest segment of the Georgia agricultural economy by far.

While Fibrowatt has long been interested in Georgia, to develop a project in a particular area requires that a number of key factors fall in place – mainly the interest in power companies to purchase the renewable energy generated from such a plant, the interest of area growers in such a solution, and of course the interest of a local community to host such a plant. Read more »

On July 11, 2010 the Wall Street Journal published an article “Looking to Litter” that highlights Fibrowatt and how the company has developed a distinctive approach to renewable energy. By utilizing a resource like poultry litter, Fibrowatt has not only developed a unique niche in the U.S. renewable energy marketplace but it has done so to the benefit of the poultry industry – providing a sustainable solution for what poultry growers generate in large quantities – poultry litter.

By highlighting Fibrowatt’s unusual fuel, the Journal also suggests what Fibrowatt has been emphasizing for quite some time – that it is increasingly important that the U.S. embrace a whole host of materials as valuable renewable resources.