A Nutty Idea for On-site Power Generation
By Staff -- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 12/1/2003
A new power plant in Gympie, Australia, is proving that on-site generation is a shell game—using macadamia nutshells, to be precise. Located adjacent to Suncoast Gold Macadamias' plant, the facility burns through 1,680 kilograms of macadamia shell waste per hour to reach its 1.5-MW generating capacity.
The effort is a joint venture between the nut processor and Ergon Energy, which is owned by the Australian state of Queensland. A 350-ton silo stores fuel for the plant's high-pressure boiler. The plant is expected to double its output in the next two years, requiring up to 10,000 tons of waste shells a year.
