Legacy Plant Converting To ‘Carbon Negative AI Factory’
Specializing in developing smaller carbon footprints for AI operations, New York-based NewYork GreenCloud (NYGC) has acquired the closed Buena Vista Biomass Power facility in Ione, Calif., with plans to convert the facility into a 41-MW “carbon-negative AI factory.”
NYGC is working with biomass-to-pyrolysis engineering firm BucSha Energy to convert the existing 18 MW biomass facility into a 41 MW plant that will supply renewable baseload power directly to on-site AI training and inference operations.
The plant began operating in 1975 as a lignite coal-fired facility but was decommissioned in the mid-1990s. Acquired by green energy developers in the 2000s, the site was repowered in 2009 as an 18 MW biomass facility using agricultural waste, urban wood debris, and forest-thinning material under a 20-year renewable power purchase agreement with the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD).
The project struggled with viability, and was closed by 2016. Reports show plans are to upgrade the infrastructure, then install the biomass pyrolysis equipment. Planners say the site is upgradable to 36 MW if needed. Total capital expenditures are estimated at $156 million.
Latest news
Astec, Bejac Announce Distribution Agreement
Astec has announced Bejac Corp., a heavy equipment dealer with 10 locations, will represent the Peterson line of forestry and environmental recycling equipment in California and Arizona. Bejac, founded in 1953 operated as an underground pipeline contracting business until 1985 when the company pivoted to the heavy, specialty equipment sector…
Valmet To Convert Coal-Fired Boiler In Finland To Pellet-Fired
Valmet will be converting Helen Ltd.’s coal-fired district heat boiler to bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) combustion to enable wood pellet firing at the Salmisaari ‘A’ power plant in Helsinki, Finland. The conversion promotes the company’s goal of phasing out coal, while at the same time strengthening the construction of a sustainable energy system…
Enviva Announces First Quarter Setback
Enviva, the world’s largest producer of industrial wood pellets, released its quarterly report in early May, and it rippled through the wood-to-energy ranks. “The plans and initiatives underway to improve productivity and costs across Enviva’s current asset platform continue to fall behind expectations,” commented John Keppler, Executive Chairman of the board…
Dieffenbacher Names New Energy Unit Director
Wolfgang Lashofer has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Dieffenbacher Energy GmbH, which was formed at the beginning of the year following the acquisition of BERTSCHenergy, based in Bludenz, Western Austria. As Managing Director of Dieffenbacher Energy, Lashofer takes over the management of the newly established Energy Business Unit…
Find Us On Social
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Wood Bioenergy News Online hits the inboxes of subscribers in the wood-to-energy sectors.
Subscribe/Renew
Wood Bioenergy is published and delivered worldwide 6 times per year. Free to qualified readers in the U.S. Subscribers outside the U.S. are asked to pay a small fee.
Advertise
Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative.