City's BLP requests grant for biodiesel

Sat, Nov 7, 2009    to del.icio.us

If the Board of Light & Power's wish comes true, they will be receiving an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant that will allow for the trial of a new vegetable-derived oil system at the BLP diesel plant.

The BLP is requesting $66,680 in funding to evaluate and purchase the fuel. The City of Grand Haven is requesting the funding on behalf of the BLP.

"I am very excited the BLP decided to take a crack at it," said City Manager Pat McGinnis.

According to McGinnis, city officials tried to see if they had any projects they could use the grant for, but nothing was identified that the City Council wanted to pursue. Had the city decided not to use the money and also not allow the BLP to apply for funding for their project, the funds would have been redistributed to other communities across the country.

"It sure does make sense to use it locally," McGinnis said.

According to a report submitted for the grant application, switching to the vegetable-derived oil fuel could reduce greenhouse gases and could also be a cost savings for the BLP by making the diesel plant more economical. It is estimated that the refined vegetable oils will bring the operational cost of the facility down to about $30 per megawatt of electricity.

"What we thought would happen was we'd test out the product in one or more engines throughout the year," BLP Production Supervisor Dan Bush said, adding this trial period would allow those at the BLP to see what, if any, benefits could be derived from the vegetable-derived fuel at the power plant.

If approved, BLP officials said the overall vision of the grant program is to determine whether vegetable-derived oil fuel systems and a small distribution network would be set up in the area for the fuel.

"It has got some benefits to it, and right now we're at the very infant stages," Bush said.

The BLP could know as early as the beginning of 2010 whether or not they will receive funding for the grant, Bush said. Prior to the facility being able to handle this alternative fuel, work will be done to allow a temporary pipe-in of the fuel.

During the course of the project, BLP employees will monitor factors such as cost saving information, environmental impacts and job creation impacts and provide a report at the end of the grant period.