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.

Are you surprised?

5 Garden Hoses = 1 Biomass Power Plant

We’re not.

Since Fibrowatt plants are built in agricultural areas where the value of water is at a premium, we have strived to reduce water use, an effort that continues for future Fibrowatt plants. As we improve the design and performance of our air emissions control systems, we also should be able to significantly reduce water requirements for these new plants as well.

Picture this, during start-up of the FibroCoast Biomass Power Plant, in Sampson County North Carolina, word comes down from the control room that the plant won’t start. After a little head scratching, the contractor realizes that he forgot to hook up the garden hose and turn on the spigot. Presto, from one garden hose springs the operation of an entire renewable energy plant.