Where Gridley stands on a 26 acre Ethanol power project, was explained last Wednesday night, during a study session that was called by Gridley City Council members.
Notice of the study session was not received by The Gridley Herald until the day before, Tuesday, after press time. The agenda stated that the notice had been posted at City Hall Friday, October 10, 2008 at 4 p.m.
Dennis Schuetzle, President of Renewable Energy Institute International (REII) gave an informational presentation and was joined by Greg Tamblyn, Executive Director or REII.
Schuetzle congratulated the City of Gridley on supporting this project, which he stated is a well-know project, all over.
He stated the project is a very clean, closed system with no escaping emissions.
The Department of Energy is the Governing project lead and phase two funding is being done by Private Industry, Department of Energy and DOD.
Collaborators for the project are: Northern California Power Agency (NCPA), Butte County AQMD, Department of Energy, California Energy Commission, Red Lion Bio-energy; Thermo Associates; UC-Davis; Wiley Engineering; Pacific Renewable Fuels; Renewable Energy Testing Center (RETC); Desert Research Institute (DRI).
A Fuel production unit is currently being tested at McClellan Park in Sacramento, one of the foremost analytical programs on the west coast.
REII provides a renewable energy consulting service for public and private clients and is a non-profit organization with over 150 years of collective energy, engineering and project development expertise. This company is the lead technical consultant on the Gridley Biofuels Project.
Syngas production unit testing is currently underway in Toledo, Ohio with rice hulls. Rice straw will be tested there in the spring of 2009.
Schuetzle said, "The nice thing about syngas, is you can make Ethanol or gasoline, but you have to have the right process, the right catalyst. There are a number of retired people from Ford Motor Company working on the catalyst. I like diesel fuel better than ethanol, being an engine guy. It's readily usable."
He continued, "When you make fuel, you have leftover components. We make power out of leftover syngas, which generates a lot of steam.
The City of Gridley purchased 26 acres behind Rio Pluma on Highway 99 at a cost of $686,000
The City of Gridley provided The Gridley Herald with a list of expenses incurred for professional services for the biofuels plant dated August 18, that totaled $378,340.99.
Steam can be sent to Rio Pluma very inexpensively from the biofuel plant. All of the water for the biofuel plant will be recycled, which means dirty water will not be added to the Gridley sewer plant.ut into the system, the wet solution is preferred. Some steam comes from heating rice straw. A small amount of water is added per day.
There will be no solid waste, as rice straw has silica, which has ash and they are coming up with many different uses of ash, including high quality ceramic filters for fishponds.
Renewable energy produced can be used locally or sold.
Rice straw has been tested in Toledo, Ohio. During the last couple of years, 50 tons of rice hulls have gone through testing. The plant will do more rice straw than that, according to Schuetzle.
Gridley Energy Consultant Tom Sanford explained, "You don't get financing, if you don't have ten years of contracts of rice straw to use. The difference is growers need diesel."
The plan would be to enable it to run both ethanol and diesel, not two separate projects. It would just be necessary to change the catalyst, almost like changing a cartridge.
Schuetzle said, "The fuel production system will be able to accept approximately a ton a day, dry tons without water and ash."
The City of Gridley will pay for time spent so far and the major investment is the land the plant will sit on.
When asked by a member of the audience why not use solar, Schuetzle stated that solar is four times more expensive than ethanol or diesel.
Another question was raised, could diesel fuel from the plant be used by local gas stations.
Schuetzle answered, "Synthetic diesel is much more like traditional diesel fuel. It doesn't have the issues of compatibility. Local gas stations would not have to use new tanks. Ethanol would require new tanks.
A list of benefits of having a biofuels plant included: creating new jobs and increasing Gridley's tax revenue (55 jobs minimum); reducing cost for Gridley electricity rate payers, providing the Lodi plant with the opportunity to reduce carbon footprint; helping to insure Rio Pluma viability and attracting other businesses, reduce pressure on city water treatment plant; provide a local clean fuel source for the community, reducing dependence on foreign oil and create a market for local agricultural wastes.
Other benefits listed on the power point presentation included: satisfaction of renewable electricity mandates, elimination of transmission charges; baseload power with no need to firm electricity with other renewables provided; getting out of uncertain power market; possible access to green credits; virtually zero carbon footprint and a new substation would be paid by the project.
