NRG to Add Biomass Component

The Montville NRG plant is planning to shift to biomass, according to documents released recently by the company.

The change means that the plant will be produce 40 megawatts of what the company describes as “clean, renewable power.”

The change also means that the plant will continue to operate, according to documents, will bring in increased property tax revenues, and, in the construction phase, will add roughly 75 jobs.

The fuel will be clean wood biomass, which should improve emissions from the site. The change will also allow NRG to get a top energy certification, the documents say.

Currently, the plant runs on natural gas and oil. The biomass program takes one of the plant’s steam-producing units and renovates it to run on wood.

While the change will reduce the output of the unit while it is operating on the biomass fuel, it will diversify the fuel source, and help contribute to the state’s goal of producing 20 percent of its power by renewable sources.

Dave Gaier of NRG said that the unit will be able to ramp up its output quickly when more power is needed, running on natural gas or oil.

Forty megawatts of power is enough to supply fuel to 30,000 homes, the company says. "By running on ultra-low sulfur liquid fuel or natural gas," the documents say, "the project will still be able to generate its full (megawatts), enough to support over 65,000 homes.”

The Norwich Bulletin has more on the project, and the timing of the change. For that story, click here.