SynTech Bioenergy completes pecan waste-to-energy project
In Colorado, SynTech Bioenergy completed the installation of its newest facility which will convert pecan shells into electricity in Texas. Five similar plants are currently operating on walnut shells in California; the first plant dates back to 2008.
BioMax output is scalable from 165kWe to 1MWe and is modular, containerized, easily transportable, remotely operable and powered by a variety of abundant biomass including wood wastes (chips and pellets, etc.), nut shells (walnut, pecan, coconut, pistachio, macadamia, etc.), fruit pits (olive, avocado, prune, date, etc.) and a host of other readily available biomass feedstocks.
From the feedstock entering the system to the electricity produced by the installed generator sets, the BioMax system is carbon negative. Each system sequesters 1.07 ounces of carbon per kWh, amounting to approximately 35 tons of sequestered carbon each year, safely storing this carbon that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. In stark contrast, natural gas power plants release approximately 19 ounces of carbon dioxide per kWh.
Heat created in the Texas process is used to dry the pecan shells and the system creates no waste. The only byproduct of the technologies is organic biochar, a soil amendment (fertilizer) which aids plant growth, reduces the need for irrigation and increases global food supplies. Biochar can be further processed to produce activated carbon for use in air and water filtration as well as graphene, an industrial material that is ultra-light, flexible and 200 times stronger than steel.
SynTech’s closed-loop process eliminates problematic site-produced waste shell by converting it to distributed, continuous and uninterrupted base load electricity. This electricity powers the customer facility and any excess electricity is fed back to the grid.
Category: Fuels
