EQTEC Iberia, part of Spain-based Ebioss Energy, is set to build a biomass-to-energy plant near Stroevo, in Plovdiv province in a bid to cut down Bulgaria's heavy dependence on imported energy.
Powered by GE’s Jenbacher gas engine technology, the five megawatt (MW) Karlovo plant will use one GE J612 and two J620 fuel-flexible Jenbacher engines which run on syngas, a renewable fuel.
Due for completion by 2014-end, the plant said to be the latest development in Ebioss’ strategy to apply its integrated biomass gasification cogeneration power plant (IBGPP) technology throughout Europe.
Ebioss Energy CEO Luis Sanchez said the IBGPP plant developed by the company achieves a higher electrical efficiency compared to the thermal technologies traditionally used in a plant of this size.
"For example, a typical Rankine thermal cycle-based plant offers an electrical efficiency of 18 to 20 percent from converting biomass to electricity compared to using GE’s Jenbacher gas engines that offer approximately 28 percent electrical efficiency and almost 70 percent total combined heat and power efficiency," Sanchez added.
Syngas enables power to be produced economically on-site at the point of use and reduces losses inherent in electrical transmission.
Image: Integrated gasified biomass power plant. Photo: Courtesy of General electric