March-2024 Cooperative Living-NOVEC - NOVEC18

NOVEC | Keeping Current
Halifax Biomass Plant Celebrates
10-YEAR
Anniversary
By Robin Earl
I
n December 2023, NOVEC celebrated the 10-year anniversary
of the opening of the Biomass Electric Generating Facility
in Halifax. Since the facility opened in 2013, it has diverted
approximately 3.6 million tons of wood waste to produce more
than 2.3 million megawatts (MW) of clean renewable energy. The
plant significantly reduces the amount of wood waste that would
otherwise be burned in piles or landfilled, and local farmers use
the residual ash to reduce the soil acidity of more than 25,000
acres of land.
" Providing reliable energy from wood waste that clears the way
for new growth in the forest makes the biomass facility a truly
renewable resource that we can all be proud of, " said Halifax
County Biomass Fuel Procurement and Plant Operations Manager
Mike Davis.
NOVEC does not buy tracts of timber nor does it cut down trees
to fuel the biomass facility. Instead, it relies on wood waste from
local commercial logging and timber operations as they harvest
timber. NOVEC offers landowners an outlet for the resulting limbs
and undergrowth. A local lumber mill also provides fuel for the
biomass plant.
After one generation of trees has been harvested, the land
must be cleared to plant the next generation. Using best forest
management practices, NOVEC's biomass plant helps landowners
to reforest Virginia.
The Halifax plant is a synergistic facility, explained Gil Jaramillo,
vice president of NOVEC's power supply division. " The Halifax
County Biomass Facility traps particulates created when wood
is combusted, " he said. " We also have an ash-reinjection system
that captures larger carbon particles and injects them back into
the combustion chamber to burn. We distribute the resulting
ash to local farmers for them to use as a liming agent. Lime can
improve the availability of essential nutrients in the soil and make
the soil pH more alkaline, which is better for growing plants. "
Conscious of water as a precious resource, Jaramillo said,
" The plant uses water reclaimed from a nearby wastewater
treatment facility for cooling. "
NOVEC's Biomass Plant is located in Halifax, Va.
Community Contributions
Over the past decade, the biomass facility has become a
cornerstone of the South Boston and Halifax communities, and
a valued friend to local businesses. The plant regularly sponsors
youth athletic teams, and 4-H camp participants, festivals, and
parades. NOVEC also established an annual $1,500 college
scholarship for a Halifax High School student.
The plant hosts tours throughout the year for legislators,
community members, and high school and college students as
part of its educational outreach. These tours provide guests with
a firsthand look at operations, allowing students and community
leaders, lawmakers, and civic leaders to ask questions of energy
industry experts. Through this experience, students have
developed an interest in the power industry, and politicians have
gained a deeper understanding of the benefits of the facility.
16 * Cooperative Living * March 2024
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative
March-2024 Cooperative Living-NOVEC

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