US-based renewable energy company ElectraTherm and an unnamed oil and gas company have teamed up to commission a Power+ Generator at a oil well located in North Dakota, US.
The Power+ Generator heat-to-power generating system featuring Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) and other technology will capture waste heat to generate up to 110kWe of fuel-free, emission-free electricity.
Waste heat will be tapped from natural gas that would have been wasted due to flaring.
As part of the agreement, Power+ generator will be installed at the oil well where natural gas is produced simultaneously. This gas will be used to fuel an industrial boiler, which in turn powers the Power+ Generator to generate clean energy as low as 9ppm NOx.
The produced NOx is used for onsite processes while reducing electricity cost from the grid.
ElectraTherm CEO John Fox said: "We’re capturing a wasted fuel source that was being flared to the atmosphere, and putting that fuel to use in the oil fields.
"The emissions profile of the site is greatly improved, the power is consumed on site and the equipment is easy to install and maintain.
"Beyond oil and gas, ElectraTherm sees potential for other applications where flaring is a major concern, such as at landfills and waste water treatment plants."
The deployment is a part of the oil and gas company’s effort to meet the North Dakota state regulations to reduce the amount of natural gas flaring.
As per the law, the companies which are violating the flaring law will be imposed steep penalties and face oil production cut.
In addition to capturing the waste heat, the Power+ provides clean methane eliminating the use of capital intensive gas clean-up, engine or micro turbine capital costs, and heavy maintenance associated.
Image: A Power+ generator designed by ElectraTherm. Photo: courtesy of ElectraTherm