Gregory Poole Equipment Co. recently supplied four CAT generator sets to the Black Creek Renewable Energy project, based at the Sampson County Landfill in Roseboro, N.C. The generators convert gas produced from the landfill to generate more than 6,400 kilowatts of power, equaling 153,600 kilowatt hours of energy per day.
“The launch of these generator sets through the Black Creek Renewable Energy Project demonstrates 60 years of our legacy in the making,” said Gregory Poole III, chairman, president and CEO of GPEC. “Throughout the development of the landfill gas-to-energy site, Gregory Poole Equipment Company has worked with Waste Industries USA Inc. every step of the way to design an innovative solution that will help them make history, and we are proud of our ability to offer our partner tailored solutions that help them achieve their renewable goals.”
The facility uses four CAT G3520C LFG engines, supplied by GPEC, to create electricity from the methane gas that is produced by the landfill. GPEC has designed a solution that provides maximum value and reliability, including generator set housings, cooling radiators, gas train components, fire suppression equipment and sophisticated electrical switchgear. Additionally, GPEC developed a long-term maintenance and service program for Black Creek Renewable Energy that was designed to manage risk and ensure maximum financial returns on behalf of WI. As part of the program, factory-trained engine and switchgear technicians are on-site to ensure minimal downtime and maximum operating time for the site.
Initially, the project will generate enough energy to power more than 4,000 homes and represents the largest landfill gas-to-energy site in North Carolina. The electricity produced from the CAT generators will be purchased by Progress Energy and placed on the grid to meet community needs. Each CAT engine consumes 500 cubic feet per minute of the landfill gas and produces 1.6 MW of electrical power for a combined capacity of 6.4 MW of electrical power.
The Black Creek Renewable Energy Project is in its first phase with the addition of one to two generators planned in 2012, based on gas production. Annual environmental benefits in terms of greenhouse gas emission reductions from this project are equivalent to taking more than 104,000 cars off the road, or planting 115,000 trees. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that the project is improving local air quality, creating jobs and developing a renewable source of energy.
Waste Industries USA is a 40-year-old company that provides solid waste services to commercial, industrial, municipal and residential customers throughout the Carolinas, Virgina, Maryland, Tennessee, Delaware, Mississippi and Georgia.
Headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., Gregory Poole Equipment Co. is No. 65 on the RER 100.
