MCKISSIK, SC – The D/3® Process Automation System will provide monitoring and control for a Biomass Gasification Cogeneration plant being built at the University of South Carolina (USC) by NovaTech partners Johnson Controls (JCI) and Nexterra. The system will displace some of the University’s natural gas fuel requirements with a renewable, locally produced fuel source at a significant reduction in fuel costs resulting in a simple payback of under eight years.
USC sought a way to reduce one of their largest annual budget items: energy costs. The skyrocketing prices of natural gas ($8.48 per million BTUs and subject to world oil fluctuations) were taking a high toll. An on-campus biomass co-generation facility (local, stable and renewable at $2.29/mmbtu) presented economic, environmental and educational benefits. The gasification process reduces emissions (typically <50 mg/m3) and the USC Engineering department will have a “Living Lab” for alternative fuel technologies.
After a detailed audit, JCI proposed a performance contract that would allow USC to cover the costs of their new facility with energy savings in less than eight years. The innovative gasification technologies of Nexterra and the powerful process optimization abilities of the D/3® will provide a comprehensive and efficient energy solution.
NovaTech chairman Volker Oakey noted, “as the prices of oil and gas continue to increase, the energy cost component of a continuous process provides a real incentive to look for new alternatives. By partnering with Johnson Controls and Nexterra, NovaTech is able to provide our customers with these and other innovative energy solutions that have positive economic and environmental benefits”
Image courtesy Nexterra. All logos ® their respective owners.