FCE reduces energy costs for onion processing plant, jail
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 2006
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 76 KB
- Volume
- 2006
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1464-2859
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✦ Synopsis
FCE reduces energy costs for onion processing plant, jail
I n the US, FuelCell Energy power plants are being used by both a fresh produce company and a jail to decrease energy costs. Gills Onions, a grower and processor of fresh-cut onions in California, has purchased two Direct FuelCell DFC 300MA power plants from Connecticut-based FCE, and will reduce its energy costs by using biogas to generate electricity. Meanwhile, a 1 MW plant from FCE is being used to generate electricity for Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County, California, making it the 'greenest' county facility in the US.
David and Steven Gill, owners of Gills Onions and fourth-generation farmers, say they have achieved tremendous efficiencies by using technology to streamline the process of cleaning, cutting, packaging and selling fresh produce. The latter has focused his attention on boosting the company's energy reliability and efficiency while reducing energy costs by installing two 250 kW DFC units, which are expected to be operational in mid-2007.
By using renewable biogas, generated by digesting onion peel and other fresh produce waste, Gills Onions will reduce its fuel and waste disposal costs, resulting in significant annual savings. Currently the company disposes of its solid onion waste in composting fields -an expensive use of the company's valuable land. Other onion refuse historically has been disposed of as sewage, and required Gills Onions to pay for the volume of its total dissolvable solids.
Southern Gas Edison, administrator for the California Public Utilities Commission's (CPUC) Self Generation Program for the Oxnard area of California, issued a reservation letter that will provide incentive funding of up to $2.25m of eligible project costs. Gills Onions will also be able to depreciate the capital cost of the fuel cell on an accelerated five-year schedule, and take advantage of an Investment Tax Credit -a provision of Energy Policy Act of 2005 that provides up to $1000 for each kilowatt -for the purchase of fuel cell power plants.
The Santa Rita Jail project, engineered and installed by Chevron Energy Solutions, will provide half of the facility's annual power needs, save county taxpayers more than $260 000 a year, and also benefit the environment.
The installation of the quiet plant is Alameda County's latest accomplishment in its Climate Change Leadership Strategy to reduce greenhouse