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    1. Energy Efficiency

    Clarke Energy to supply Gas-fired CHP and Gen-set to Biogas development in Maine

    Sept. 1, 2022
    The CHP system will deliver 280 kW of electricity and approximately 1.5 MMBtu of thermal energy, which will be used to process hot water at a biogas plant in Maine
    Image credit Kohler Power
    K Ohler 500kw Gen 6310d7adb749f

    Biogas producer Peaks Renewables has contracted Clarke Energy USA  to supply a natural gas fired combined heat and power (CHP) system and a 500-kW Kohler Power backup gas generator.

    The CHP system will deliver 280 kW of electricity and approximately 1.5 MMBtu of thermal energy, which will be used to process hot water at a biogas plant in Maine, where Peaks Renewables has partnered with the dairy industry to produce renewable natural gas at an anaerobic digestion facility using cow manure. The high efficiency of the system will help reduce carbon emissions and save fuel costs.

    “Our anaerobic digestion facility will enable us to treat farm waste sustainably and in parallel generate renewable natural gas which will help to reduce carbon emissions,” Ryan Morris, Peaks Renewables said. “We selected Clarke Energy to supply both our CHP plant and back up gas generator to deliver fuel efficiency and resilience to our operations.”

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    In the digester, owned and operated by Peaks, the manure will be heated and decomposed to create biogas. This gas will be refined to pipeline quality and the renewable energy credits will be sold to third parties. The natural gas will be purchased by Summit Natural Gas of Maine.

    The CHP system will also have a black start capability, enabling restoration of electric power without the need to rely on an external electric power transmission network. The CHP system, together with the KOHLER generator will ensure energy efficiency and resilience for the project.

    Clarke Energy, which is owned by Kohler Power, has completed several projects bringing gas-fired power to biogas and biomass facilities. Recently, Clarke worked with LMS Energy to supply it with a 1.1-MW Jenbacher biogas engine installed at a landfill site in Brisbane, Australia.

    About the Author

    EnergyTech Staff

    Rod Walton is senior editor for EnergyTech.com. He has spent 14 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist.

    Walton formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    He can be reached at [email protected]. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids.

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.