Sep 30 2010
A new wood waste-burning facility for the production of biomass fuel towards facilitating the renewable energy program of Santee Cooper is all set for construction by 2012 end in Dorchester County.
Fifty million dollars will be spent in developing this facility. Southeast Renewable Energy is planning to construct three 15-MW facilities across the state while Santee Cooper will be buying the generated power from Southeast Renewable Energy.
The other facilities will be constructed in Kershaw County while a third location is yet to be finalized. Each of the $50-million facilities would be creating jobs while also supporting the trucking, logging and associated industries.
The contract for Southeast Renewable Energy with Santee Cooper will be for a period of 30 years. Moreover, Santee Cooper also has a renewable energy purchase power agreement (PPA) with Domtar Paper Co. meant for 50 MW capacity. The two contracts will be providing Santee Cooper with additional 95 MW of biomass energy, thus boosting its renewable energy program. Already, Santee Cooper is producing 22 MW of renewable power from landfill methane gas which again is a biomass type.
Source: Santee Cooper