News
Marubeni Sustainable Energy, Inc., A Leader in Renewable Energy, Acquires Biomass-Fueled Plant in Springfield, NH
November 29, 2007
Marubeni Sustainable Energy, Inc. (MSEI), headquartered in San Diego, California, announced today the purchase of a 16 MW biomass renewable energy plant located in Springfield, New Hampshire.
The purchase of the 16 megawatt (MW) plant again confirms Marubeni’s value-focused acquisition strategy to acquire and develop clean, renewable power in its growing North American portfolio. This portfolio today tops 80 MW, with a staff of over 80 employees coast-to-coast.
“MSEI is pleased to complete this acquisition, our second such purchase within the fine state of New Hampshire. We are immediately beginning a significant spending plan to both renew this 20 year-old operating plant’s reliability, and to make investments in new and improved emissions equipment to ensure that the Springfield Power facility is among the cleanest and most efficient in the area. We are committed to continued growth in the renewable energy arena, and to the valuable job retention and economic development that renewable energy revitalization projects like this provide.” said John Wood, Sr. Vice President of MSEI.
By installing new equipment at the Springfield facility, MSEI will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 70% annually, which will also qualify MSEI’s Springfield Power, LLC as one of the cleanest biomass facilities in New England.
MSEI also operates in Whitefield, NH one of the most advanced emission control systems for biomass plants throughout New England. In October, 2004, a multi-million dollar Pollution Control Unit was there installed to ensure long-term, continuous reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions. Subsequent investments by MSEI have also improved plant operating efficiency, including superior control of Carbon Monoxide emissions.
The Springfield biomass plant secures woody forest waste materials to produce more than 100,000 MWHr per year of renewable electricity. This material is supplied from area timber mills and forest residue which is shipped to the plant to be burned in its environmentally-controlled boiler. This renewable energy process is doubly beneficial to the environment because it both displaces electricity produced from gas or oil-fired power stations, and it simultaneously reduces green house gas (GHG) emissions that would have been produced if the waste woody biomass were left to burn or decay in the forest.
Marubeni Sustainable Energy, Inc. is one of the nation’s leading integrated energy companies, operating a diverse portfolio of its owned industrial cogeneration, central plant, biomass and district energy systems throughout North America. The company is headquartered in San Diego, CA, with offices in Medford, New Jersey.
Marubeni Sustainable Energy, Inc. is a subsidiary of Marubeni Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Marubeni Corporation is one of the world’s largest companies and is involved in wide-ranging business fields. Marubeni is located in 71 countries with more than 5,000 employees worldwide and annual trading transaction volume in excess of $80 billion. Worldwide, Marubeni owns over 900 MW of renewable power facilities.
For Further Information, Contact:
Melissa Moehrke,
Marubeni Sustainable Energy, Inc.
San Diego Office 619-232-6564 x 160
Email Moehrke-m@na.marubeni.com
www.MSEI-Marubeni.com
Marubeni acquired Wood Chip Biomass Power Plant in US
Apr 12, 2007
Marubeni today announced that through DG Investors, LLC(100% subsidiary of Marubeni) it has purchased 16MW wood chip biomass power plant located in Whitefield, NH from Whitefield Power & Light Company. By this acquisition, the electric generating capacity of biomass power plants owned by Marubeni has become approx. 34 megawatts (MW).
At Whitefield power plant, one of the most advanced emission control systems, Regenerative Selective Catalytic Reduction (RSCR) unit, was installed in 2004 to ensure long-term, continuous reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 70% annually. In US, RPS legislation is put in effect in 24 states to promote renewable energy. Organic materials such as wood waste and forest residue are gathered and burned in boilers for biomass power generation. This renewable energy process is environmentally friendly to reduce greenhouse gases, producing fewer emissions per unit of fuel burned than produced if the materials were incinerated or left to burn or decay in the forest.
Marubeni already owns and operates a 18MW wood chip biomass power plant located in Fairhaven, CA. Marubeni believes its experience and expertise in biomass power generation enables it to achieve the operation with high efficiency. Marubeni aims to increase its renewable energy portfolio and expand energy supply business with distributed generation facilities to more than 120 MW in North America by 2010.
Marubeni acquired Distributed Generation Facilities and Biomass Renewable Power Plant in US; Aiming to aggressively invest in Distributed Generation based Energy Service BusinessAug 11, 2006
Marubeni today announced that it has purchased distributed generation facilities which provide energy services to end users at commercial buildings and industrial plants, and a biomass renewable energy power plant, from a US private equity fund and DG Energy Solutions, LLC (a US energy project developer). The facilities are located in California, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Oregon. The equivalent electric generating capacity of these facilities is approx. 45 megawatts (MW).
The acquired facilities include a power, steam, and chilled water supply facility for a large shopping mall (Kings Plaza Project), a district chilled water supply facility (Portland District Cooling Project), a co-generation facility for a Japanese chemical company, and chilled water and central plant facilities for a university and movie studio (Kingston Project), and a biomass power plant providing renewable energy to a large California electric utility (Fairhaven Project).
Marubeni is the first Japanese company to enter this type of energy supply business with distributed generation facilities, and it is aiming to expand the business in North America to more than 100 MW within less than three years. Marubeni plans to increase its renewable energy portfolio from its current 900 MW, among its total power generation assets of 8,000 MW. Marubeni believes its experience and expertise in global power business enables it to achieve the target expansion.
Since the last California energy crisis, the US power sector is facing serious problem of tight capacity reserve margin, particularly in the West Coast and Northeast area. This, together with the escalating crude oil and natural gas market prices, make energy efficiency and conservation the most important agenda of the energy policy for states in these regions. An energy supply business based on distributed generation facilities can contribute to energy efficiency and conservation through supplying energy to end users in an efficient manner, matching actual consumption patterns and avoiding transmission losses.
Renewable energy contributes to lower fossil fuel dependency and facilitates US energy independence. Renewable Energy is also important to help alleviate global warming and to promote sustainable economic growth.
Marubeni has established the New Technology & Renewable Energy Department, aiming to explore and pursue energy efficiency and renewable energy business opportunities worldwide. It recognizes this present acquisition as an important opportunity to expand its business in the US and eventually in Japan and China as targeted regional markets. In the US, Marubeni plans to promote energy service to Japanese manufacturers having its facilities in the US.
