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Narrogin Plant Success

Release Date: 19 May 2006

Trials at Verve Energy’s integrated wood processing pilot plant at Narrogin will continue until mid June 2006.

News that extra funding will enable the pilot plant to remain open for several more weeks comes on the heels of a significant milestone this week when activated carbon was produced for the first time.

“This means that the primary objective of the demonstration project – to produce renewable electricity, eucalyptus oil, charcoal and activated carbon from mallee trees  – has been achieved,” says Verve Energy project superintendent Adrian Chegwidden.

“The additional operating time will allow fine tuning of these four processes within this one plant and improve the quality of the four products.”

In addition to this notable achievement of multiple products from a single energy crop source, the demonstration plant has scored significant Australian achievements including:

  • The first biomass gasifier to generate electricity into an electrical grid
  • The first bioenergy generator to use a farm grown energy tree crop
  • The first production of activated carbon from an energy tree crop
  • The first eucalyptus oil still to operate off process waste heat, and
  • The first charcoaling plant to use a super clean fluidised bed.

“The demonstration plant remains a research and development project.   It will not be, and never has been touted as, a commercial operation,” Mr Chegwidden said.

“Nevertheless, the list of achievements does improve its attractiveness for commercial development.

“Within six months, expressions of interest will be sought from parties which may be interested in a commercial application of the technology.”

Mr Chegwidden acknowledged the generous grants provided to the project over the last five years from the Australian Greenhouse Office, the National Action Plan for Salinity Abatement, the Department of Transport and Regional Services, AusIndustry, as well as the Western Australian Sustainable Energy Development Office and the South West Catchment Council.

Any queries from the media are directed to Verve Energy's Corporate Relations branch.

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