Evergreen BioFuels USA Announces Agreement with Show Me Energy Cooperative to Engineer and Manage Largest Agro-Biomass Pellet Fuel Plant in North America
Operational in Early 2008, 100,000 ton Pellet Fuel Production Will
be Co-Fired With Coal to Reduce Carbon Emissions and Meet the Heating
Needs of Over 20,000 Homes and Businesses
MONTREAL--(Business Wire)--Evergreen BioFuels USA, world leader in developing available,
sustainable and carbon-negative bioenergy fuels for powering
utilities, businesses and homes around the globe, announced today an
agreement with Centerview, Missouri-based Show Me Energy Cooperative,
which is comprised of 400 farm businesses, to engineer, build and
manage one of the largest biomass pellet fuel production plants in
North America. When completed in early 2008, the $6.5 million plant
will produce enough biomass to not only be used in coal utility energy
production, but also meet the heating needs of about 20,000 homes.
The agreement between EBF and SMEC will see the annual production
of 100,000 tons of biomass pellet fuels, the energy equivalent of
300,000 barrels of crude oil, which EBF will market into the local
energy market to replace coal. This agreement is being closely watched
by policy makers in Washington D.C., as well as by many other
cooperatives who have expressed an interest in developing similar
production facilities.
"Our goal is to produce millions of tons of renewable energy
pellets to displace coal use. If adopted on a global scale, this has
the potential to displace billions of tons of greenhouse gases, which
are responsible for today's climate change crisis," said Mark
Drisdelle, CEO of Evergreen BioFuels USA. "While others are relying on
food crops to create energy, SMEC is demonstrating a sustainable,
environmentally friendly way that doesn't threaten the food supply or
skew the market."
At least half of Show Me Energy's production of Power Pellets is
destined to be co-fired with coal, as an immediate means of addressing
the issue of reducing carbon emissions, with a percentage of carbon
negative renewable energy. EBF's pellet fuel is engineered to work
with existing utility plant infrastructure without the need for
replacement or retrofit of existing technology and equipment.
According to the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) this
approach of co-firing renewable energy with coal is a near term
solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions which are responsible
for climate change.
"Since our inception in 2003, our commitment is to be a leading
model for other energy co-ops in biomass production and we also strive
to benefit the local agricultural marketplace," said Steve Flick,
board of directors president of SMEC. "Our partnership with EBF will
allow farm communities and businesses to diversify farm income, keep
energy production in state, and effect change globally by replacing
coal with clean renewable, locally grown energy crops."
The production of pellets can use any type of cellulose-based
fibers including, wood and crop residues, dedicated energy crops like
switchgrass and industrial fibers. These are then formed by extruding
them into dense cylindrical pellets with predictable combustion
characteristics, to serve as a cleaner-burning alternative to
carbon-emitting fuels currently in use by power plants and utilities.
The amount of energy generated by solid fuel pellets is similar to
that of coal, but can be burned at significantly lower costs due to
the fact that they are carbon neutral while reducing other polluting
emissions like sulfur and nitrogen oxides.
About Evergreen BioFuels
Evergreen BioFuels stands at the forefront in the development and
manufacturing of clean renewable forms of energy for power plants,
enabling them to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
contribute to a cleaner future. Through the use of clean, renewable
bioenergy solutions, Evergreen BioFuels is creating a future where the
global economical growth doesn't have a negative impact on the
environment.
Headquartered in Montreal, Evergreen BioFuels and Delaware the
company develops, manufactures and distributes the highest quality
biomass pellets that release clean, renewable energy with proven
efficiency. Led by renewable energy visionaries and utilizing
patent-pending technology innovations, Evergreen BioFuels is the
leading company to offer sustainable green energy solutions to prevent
global warming in a carbon-constrained future. Visit
evergreenbioenergy.com for more information.
About Show Me Energy Cooperative
Show Me Energy Cooperative is a non-profit, producer owned,
cooperative founded to support the development of renewable biomass
energy sources in West Central Missouri through the establishment of
suitable conditions in the field of energy development which
incorporate the efforts, products, and goals of local agricultural
biomass producers. SMEC provides additional revenue streams for
farmers and producers for their products by utilization in biomass
energy production and support and reinforce local economy and
community through employment and development of renewable,
sustainable, technologies
SMEC seeks to keep its member-owners informed about their co-op
business, economic, political, charitable, and social environments as
well as help to improve the quality of life, both now and in the
foreseeable future, in the areas where Show Me Energy Cooperative has
a business, purchasing, or distributing presence. Visit
goshowmeenergy.com for more information
Media:
For Evergreen BioFuels USA
Justin Finnegan, 212-651-4214
Account Executive, Fusion PR
M: 917-952-4752
Justin.Finnegan@FusionPR.com
Copyright Business Wire 2007
