Ameresco’s biomass cogeneration facility located at the US Department of Energy Savannah River Site in Aiken, SC, is using storm-damaged timber as a result of the major ice storm in the region during February.
Ameresco has been working with local officials and collectors to utilize the damaged wood for renewable energy in lieu of it being sent to landfills. The biomass cogeneration facility at the Savannah River Site provides half the necessary steam to power the DOE facility.
Since the storm, nearly 21,000 tons of storm-related fuel wood has been purchased for the biomass plant, which represents more than 55 percent of total purchases during the period.
Ameresco expects to continue purchasing woody debris from the region through the summer. Ameresco estimates that it will convert over 30,000 tons of storm-damaged wood into renewable power at SRS this year.