Industry
News
Biomass Plant Proposed
for Vail
According to a July 31 article in The
Colorado Independent, paper products
manufacturer Hayden Cary & King Co. has
proposed building a 28 MW combined heat
and power plant in Vail, Colo. The Darien,
Conn.-based company estimated that 6
MW would be sold to the local rural power
co-op, Holy Cross Energy, in Glenwood
Springs. The Vail Valley Medical Center, Vail
Resorts, which operates the ski area and
several large hotels, and the town of Vail
would likely purchase the thermal energy to
heat buildings and provide street snow melt.
To be constructed on 3 acres of town-owned land, the plant would burn chipped
wood waste from thousands of surrounding
acres of lodgepole pine trees killed by a bark
beetle infestation. Vail has spent more than
$600,000 in tree removal to establish a
defensible space around the town where
firefighters will be able to combat wildfires;
but currently there is no local market for
the waste wood and the trees must be
transported by truck at great expense to
lumber mills or wood pellet plants hundreds
of miles away.
Hayden Cary & King is seeking $30
million in federal U.S. Department of
Energy funding for the project. The plant
would help the resort community lower its
carbon emissions and energy use to 20
percent below 2006 levels by 2020 despite
rapid development.
The nearby town of Avon, at the base
of Beaver Creek ski area, has also been
considering biomass power.
Aspen Explores Geothermal
District Energy
An Aug. 31 Aspen Times article reported
that Aspen, Colo., is looking into the possibility of tapping geothermal energy for a
district energy system. The system, which
would supply heating and cooling to buildings and snowmelt sidewalks, would reduce
carbon dioxide emissions by 13,500 tons
annually.
The Aspen city council is applying for a
U.S. Department of Energy grant to help
pay for the $3.5 million project. If the grant
is awarded, the city could begin test drilling
early next year. The goal would be to find
enough geothermal energy to heat 1 million
sq ft – the equivalent of 10 large hotels,
which would cut Aspen’s natural gas use
by about 15 percent.
The council also awarded a contract
to a consultant to prepare a report for the
state water court, which has the authority
to allow the city to move forward with test
drilling and be granted water rights to tap
into the geothermal heat. The city’s water
rights application makes Aspen the first
municipality to apply under the new
Colorado Geothermal Act. A ruling on
Aspen’s water rights is expected Jan. 15.
Calgary Cogeneration
Plant Under Way
Enmax Energy Corp. has announced
plans to build and operate a 165 MW
cogeneration facility in southeast Calgary,
Alberta. The proposed Bonnybrook Energy
Centre will produce electricity and capture
waste heat for use by Canada Malting Co.
Ltd. and potentially other local businesses.
Canada Malting will use the waste heat in
its steeping, germination and drying processes. Future plans also include connecting the
Bonnybrook facility to the Downtown District
Energy Centre, providing more heat for
downtown Calgary.
The proposed project will be completed
in two phases. Phase I will consist of the
installation of two 40 MW General Electric
LM6000 combined-cycle natural gas-fired
turbines, two heat recovery steam generators
and one steam turbine. In Phase II, one
additional 40 MW turbine and a complementary heat recovery steam generator will
be installed.
Preliminary engineering and design of
the project is under way. Pending regulatory
approvals, construction of the facility will start
in fourth quarter 2010 with commercial operation beginning in fourth quarter 2011.
Danfoss Expands Control
Valve Line
Danfoss has expanded its AB-QM line
of pressure-independent control valves (PICVs)
with new 1-1/2-inch and 2-inch valves
offering maximum flows of 35 gpm and 55
gpm, respectively. The company will soon
announce an additional expansion of the
line to include 6-inch valves.
Danfoss AB-QM PICVs combine a
control valve with a differential-pressure
controller. The latter compensates or balances
differential pressures in the circuit, so that
the required volumetric flow always reaches
the heat exchanger. This keeps the ambient
temperature stable and the comfort level
high, ensuring that there is neither oversupply
nor waste of energy and that operating
costs are reduced.
With a wide range of actuators available, the Danfoss AB-QM valve can be used
in all hydronic cooling and heating applications. The valve is an ideal choice for controlling terminal units such as fan coils,
water-source heat pumps, chilled ceilings
and air-handling units. For more information,
visit www.ABQM.us.
AB-QM PICV
District Heating for UK
Residential Development
The Press and Journal reported Aug.
11 that developer Bancon Homes will use
district heating to heat homes at its Forestside
development in Banchory, Scotland. This
new system, in conjunction with Hill of
Banchory Energy Services Co. Ltd., will pro-
