Constellation to Develop a Biomass Cogeneration Plant

Constellation Energy, a unit of Chicago-based Exelon  Corp., has inked a contract with Proctor & Gamble Co. (P&G) to develop a $200 million, 50 MW biomass cogeneration plant to replace an older, smaller cogen facility at the company’s Albany, GA, paper manufacturing facility.

The energy facility would provide all of the steam and 60-70% of the paper plant’s energy needs. It plans to sell 42 MW of excess electricity to the local power utility Georgia Power Co. Constellation would build, own and operate the cogeneraion plant. For more than 30 years the P&G plant in Albany has used a smaller onsite biomass boiler to convert wood scraps into renewable steam, providing about 30% of the plant’s overall energy needs.