RPC Power Biomass Project Comes Online

VEPP Inc. is pleased to announce the commissioning of the SPEED Standard Offer Program’s first biomass project.  The RPC Power project was developed by the Rutland Plywood Corporation and is sited at Rutland Plywood’s manufacturing facility in Rutland where they have been manufacturing specialty hardwood composites since 1957. 

Rutland Plywood has used process steam at its Rutland facility for years.  In 2011, Rutland Plywood undertook a number of repairs and upgrades to the boilers and steam management system at the Rutland facility.  As part of these upgrades, a steam turbine and generator were installed in the existing steam boiler system.   Fuel for the boilers is provided by wood waste from the manufacturing process.  

A steam turbine and induction generator designed to match the process steam load and produce about 300 kW of electricity were installed.  In addition to the electric output of the facility, the high pressure steam exits the turbine as low pressure steam and is used to heat various components of the manufacturing process such as vats, condensate tanks, etc.   The design thermal efficiency of the thermal output and the electrical output divided by the heat input of the wood fuel is calculated to be 53%.

RPC Power is one of two biomass facilities to qualify for the SPEED Standard Offer Program. 

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