Georgia Recieves Biomass Cogen Project Approval

The Georgia Public Service Commission voted 4-1 to approve a proposal to add almost 80 MW of body biomass power generation to its portfolio. The bulk of the power added through the agreement comes from a 70 MW plant that’s being built by Altamaha Green Energy LLC in Wayne County in southeast Georgia. The plant, built on a former Rayonier pulp mill site, will fill a 30-year power purchasing agreement (PPA) with Georgia Power. The proposal also included two 10-year PPAs with International Paper that will draw power from existing cogen operations at IP plants in Port Wentwortth and the Flint River plant in Macon County, Ga. Upgrades to both facilities will power generation by 3.6 MW and 4.3 MW, respectively, that will be made available to the grid.

The project gained approval despite interest groups claiming air quality issues and overall costs, as the biomass power costs more than traditional power production, such as coal and natural gas. Project supporters claim that despite lower BTU values than fossil fuels, biomass is truly sustainable. The project will provide a key market for the forest industry to utilize small diameter timber and woody biomass material, although the new plant is projected to burn mostly wood pellets.