Another Renewable Energy Renaissance Zone Established

 by Bruce Goodman

The State of Michigan has now designated twenty six acres in Holland Township as a new fifteen year Renewable Energy Renaissance Zone. Energetx Composites will built its new composites manufacturing plant at the site to produce utility-scale wind turbine blades. The company is also considering expanding into the electric vehicle sector. A Renaissance Zone allows a company within the zone to operate free of virtually all state and local taxes over the life of the designation. Michigan’s Renaissance Zone Act provides for up to 15 tax-free zones statewide to grow renewable energy companies.

Midland is Site of New Renewable Energy Renaissance Zone

by Bruce Goodman

Dow Chemical’s $165 million Powerhouse™ solar-shingle manufacturing site in Midland has been designated a 155 acre Renewable Energy Renaissance Zone for 15 years. Other state assistance for this site includes brownfield tax credits, a photovoltaic tax credit, and job creation tax credits. Hiring has started, with full-scale production and market introduction expected in 2011. The building-integrated photovoltaic shingle is part of Dow’s development of building-related solar generating products. Meanwhile, another division of Dow Chemical has made a minority equity investment in Blade Dynamics, a wind turbine blade technology design company in the United Kingdom utilizing composite materials. The company has developed a nanotechnology blade surface material that extends the lifetime and lowers the lifecycle cost for wind turbine blades. Blade Dynamics is working on the development of wind-turbine blades that are 90 meters in length.

Renaissance Zone for Turbine Blade Manufacturer

by Bruce Goodman

Holland Township has approved a 26 acre site in Ottawa County as a Renewable Energy Renaissance Zone for Energetx Composites to build a new plant for manufacturing wind turbine blades, other wind energy components, aerospace parts, and alternative energy transportation bodies. Once approved by the state this designation will lower or eliminate property taxes on the plant for a set period. Meanwhile, the company has contracted with Grand Rapids Community College to train new employees at the job site in its composite materials course.

Forest Products Processing Renaissance Zone Created

 by Bruce Goodman

Verso Paper’s U.P. Quinnesec Mill in Breitung Township has been designated a Forest Products Processing Renaissance Zone by the state.  It is expected to double its capacity to turn wood products into electricity through a $43 million renewable energy project.  This will allow the mill to meet 95 percent of its energy needs using biomass.  The project will include a new Siemens turbine generator, and is expected to start up by December 2011.  As a Renaissance Zone, the company will operate free of virtually all state and local taxes for fifteen years.

Biomass Gasification Entity Gains Momentum

by Bruce Goodman

A few months ago I wrote about the potential for Michigan to become a leader in converting biomass to energy.  We now are reading a lot about the occupant of the new Renewable Energy Renaissance Zone in the City of Kentwood which has various projects underway to convert biomass to energy. Heat Transfer International, Inc. specializes in biomass gasification/electric power generation systems that convert solid and semisolid biomass, such as animal waste, municipal solid waste, and forestry residues, into a combustible gas that can be used to power generators, dryers, heating and cooling equipment.

One of its Michigan projects, converting turkey litter to steam and electricity, is set for commercial operation in mid-October.  An energy developer is negotiating to install the HTI technology at a Michigan landfill site to process municipal solid waste. 

A key element of the patented processes is powering a jet turbine engine with hot air to produce electricity. The MPSC has awarded HTI $2.3 Million in grants to establish testing operations to facilitate the gasification technology and measure emissions from various biomass feedstocks.  It can therefore provide all the information needed for air quality permitting prior to installation taking place.  It will simply run samples of the fuel to be used through its testing facilities and get a printout of the air emissions.  It is thinking and planning like that which will make this Michigan based engineering group a success in the already crowded biomass to energy field.