Florida Innovates with Its Eucalyptus and Citrus for Biomass Production

By Bruce Dorminey, Correspondent
January 11, 2013

 

By taking full advantage of both its natural subtropical climate and its own citrus resources, Florida's fledgling biomass energy sector looks to be finally coming into its own.

Two recent initiatives tackle biomass conversion from very different angles, however.  The one that is arguably further along in its financing will convert biomass from Eucalyptus trees into electricity for input onto Florida’s power grid, while a second project aims to produce commercial ethanol from citrus waste.

U.S. EcoGen (Ecogen), a Florida- and Maryland-based bioenergy company, has signed an agreement with Florida Power and Light (FPL) to provide 180 MW of electricity created from the conversion of Eucalyptus biomass via synchronous steam turbine generators. 

FPL says such woody biomass should provide enough power for as many as 50,000 of its residential customers beginning in 2019.

Pending approval by the Florida Public Service Commission, U.S. EcoGen (Ecogen) plans on building three power plants at a cost of $900 million, which will be located in the Florida counties of Martin, Okeechobee and Clay.  A fourth $300 million Ecogen plant, which the commission has already approved, is set for Polk County, Florida and will deliver as much as 64 MW to Progress Energy Florida, Inc.

FPL projects its own agreement with the three Ecogen plants should, over three decades, save its customers as much as $167 million. 

“This will be the first time FPL has purchased biomass feedstock specifically grown for electricity power production,” said FPL spokesperson Sarah Gatewood.  “The majority of our energy comes from natural gas and nuclear power.”