USDA Grant Going to Schmack September 26, 2009 The Daily Record Article by: Brian Schaaf, Staff Writer WOOSTER -- The first new facility in the BioHio Research Park on Secrest Road will receive one-third of its total financing through two large grants.
After already obtaining a $500,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Development for the construction of an anaerobic digestion facility, Schmack BioEnergy leadership learned on Friday it would be receiving another $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist with the $3 million venture.
"We've very thankful about this," said Clemens Halene, Schmack's vice president of engineering. "We're basically gearing up and making sure we can have this commissioned by the end of the year. We have all the local approvals for everything. It looks very promising."
Pending site plan approval from The Ohio State University, the facility will be located in eastern portion of the research park, and will take manure, feed stocks and other crops and turn them into electricity through a treatment process that produces methane gas for burning.
The announcement came from Congressman John Boccieri, who said the grant is intended to support the development of renewable energy systems.
"It's about energy," said Boccieri. "Energy efficiency and energy independence. I support projects like those at OARDC and Mohican Gardens because, like me, the people behind these projects know that the cheapest energy is the energy we never use."
Caroline Henry, marketing manager for Schmack, said she was relieved to hear the news.
"We were hoping for it, but things like this are very competitive," Henry said. "I'd say we're ready to move forward."
The anaerobic digestion facility will process 36.3 wet tons of organic biomass per day and will generate 31,430 million Btus per year or an equivalent 3,200,000 kilowatt hours per year.
Halene said Schmack will send the electricity to the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, which will provide the organization with about one-third of the power needed for its daily use in addition to heating some buildings.
"Congressman Boccieri has been a strong supporter of Schmack and the growing Ohio renewable energy industry," said Mel Kurtz, president of Schmack. "This USDA grant and guaranteed loan award will allow Schmack to build our flagship waste-to-energy system on The Ohio State University's OARDC campus in Wooster to create renewable electricity and thermal heat."
Halene said a ground breaking is still to be determined.
Reporter Bryan Schaaf can be reached at 330-287-1645 or bschaaf@the-daily-record.com.
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