Monday, October 10, 2011

Northern NH biomass plant begins construction

By James M. Connolly

State and local officials were on hand for a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of a $275 million, 75 megawatt biomass power plant in the northern New Hampshire city of Berlin.

Burgess BioPower, formerly known as Berlin Station, is scheduled to begin generating electricity in 2013, and is contracted to sell power to New Hampshire Public Service under a 20-year agreement.

Among the 250 people in attendance were New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, state Department of Resources and Economic Development Commissioner George Bald and Berlin mayor Paul Grenier.

Grenier said in a press release, “This biomass plant is a huge benefit to all the people of northern New Hampshire, not just those here and now, but for future generations as well. Use of biofuels can reduce dependence on out-of-state and foreign energy sources, keeping energy dollars invested in New Hampshire’s economy.”

The project is being developed by Cate Street Capital. The facility will be alongside the Androscoggin River on the former site of the Fraser Papers pulp mill, which closed in 2006. The biomass plant will burn approximately 750,000 tons of low-grade wood per year, according to developers.

Construction moved forward after an August agreement among Cate Street Capital, PSNH and six other New Hampshire biomass projects relating to purchase power agreement proposals.