Brewery Flips Switch on Methane-to-Energy Plant

October 13, 2009

Brewery Flips Switch on Methane-to-Energy Plant

A heat and power project that takes methane gas created at a brewery and converts it into clean energy to run a nearby hospital has entered production.

The project, which takes methane from City Brewery in LaCrosse, Wisc., and converts it into clean energy to run Gundersen Lutheran hospital, was touted earlier this year as a unique way for a hospital to become more on local renewable energy. Gundersen Lutheran, in the long term, aims to produce 100 percent of its own electricity.

Methane from the brewery process is captured to run a biogas Jenbacher engine, which feeds electricity into the grid, which is credited to the hospital by Xcel Energy. As for the brewery, heat from the co-gen engine can be used in the brewing process.

The project should create about 3 million kilowatt hours of energy a year, or enough electricity to heat nearly 300 homes, according to an article at WKBT.com.

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