Pacific Ethanol to install cogeneration technology

Low carbon renewable fuels producer Pacific Ethanol has made an agreement with Dresser-Rand to install a 3.5MW cogeneration system with gradual oxidiser at its Stockton, California plant for approximately $12 million (€10.2 million).

The cogeneration system will displace purchased electricity by using Ener-Core's gradual oxidiser technology to convert waste gas from ethanol production and natural gas into electricity and steam.

'The Stockton cogeneration system will replace most of the electricity we currently purchase from the grid and will reduce our energy costs by an estimated three to four million dollars per year,' says Neil Koehler, the company's president and CEO. 'Rather than destroying waste gases, we will reuse them as a source of process energy, reducing costs and improving profitability.'

Under the terms of the agreement, Dresser-Rand will supply two 1.75MW gas turbine generators with heat recovery steam generators and two gradual oxidisers, manufactured by Ener-Core. The combined system will replace the current use of thermal oxidisers.

Pacific Ethanol expects the cogeneration system to be operational by Q2 2016.