PAKISTAN – Pakistan’s first renewable energy project to use
sugarcane-waste biogas created from the production of ethanol recently
began supporting the national grid.
The plant is powered by eight of GE Energy’s ecomagination TM-certified Jenbacher biogas engines.
The commercial start-up of sugarcane milling company Shakarganj Mills
Ltd.’s new biogas power plant in Jhang, Pakistan comes as the country is
working to overcome its current 3,500-MW energy shortage. The new plant
will generate enough power to support more than 50,000 homes in
Pakistan.
The new biogas plant also is providing a new reliable, on-site source of
power to help the mill and other industrial operations meet production
requirements and remain competitive.
The biogas used to fuel the Jenbacher gas engines is extracted from
spent wash — a residual of Shakarganj Mills’ ethanol production
operation that uses sugarcane molasses as a raw material.
As a renewable energy project, the plant is eligible for carbon credits
because it enhances energy efficiency at the mill and displaces the
national grid’s energy generated from fossil fuels. By using the biogas
instead of fossil fuels for power generation, the plant is expected to
produce approximately 20,000 tons of certified emissions reductions
(CERs) annually under the Kyoto Protocol. The expected income from these
CERs was instrumental in the customer’s financial decision making
process. The project will be registered with the UNFCCC by Carbon
Services Pakistan and First Climate AG.
“The project is Pakistan’s first sugarcane biogas power plant,” said
Mohammad Asghar Qureshi, Managing Director and Kashif Raza Kazmi,
General Manager (Project) of Shakarganj Mills Ltd.
“The plant is seen as a successful demonstration project for the region.
With 225 million litres of ethyl alcohol produced annually in Pakistan,
we expect many other distillery companies to install similar plants to
support the energy needs of the national grid.”
GE supplied Shakarganj Mills Ltd. with eight JGS 320 GS. B/L Jenbacher
units for a cogeneration plant, designed to support the mill’s on-site
power and heating requirements. Electricity from the 8-MW plant also is
being delivered to the national grid through a 22-year power purchase
agreement with the local grid operator. The estimated 8 MW of heat from
the engines’ exhaust gas and jacket water is used to support the
company’s distillery process.
“GE’s Jenbacher gas engines are known for their reliability, durability
and ability to operate on a variety of different fuels, making them a
popular on-site power solution for Pakistan’s industrial sector,” said
Prady Iyyanki, CEO of GE’s Jenbacher gas engine business.
“The Shakarganj Mills project underscores Jenbacher engines’ fuel
flexibility that will be needed to help address the country’s serious
energy challenges.”
The use of the mill’s waste biomass as a “free” and available source of
energy to generate power and heat helps reduce the facility’s overall
operational costs. In addition, the Jenbacher engines’ reliability
further enhances overall plant efficiency to make the project more
profitable for the operator.
In addition to the gas engines, GE also provided the gas train, biogas
compressor and biogas cooler for the gas dehumidification process.
GE’s Jenbacher gas engine local distributor M/s. Orient Energy Systems
provided the remaining auxiliary equipment including the cooling tower,
pumps, ventilation systems (including fans), and hot water-fired chiller
for cooling the biogas. The company also provided heat recovery from
jacket water system, exhaust, local installation, commissioning and
overall project consulting services. Orient Energy Systems also is
providing operation and maintenance support for the plant, while
Shakarganj Mills also installed a hydrogen sulfide (H2S) removal system.