Active Energy Group commissions Utah plant

By Erin Voegele | January 05, 2018

U.K.-based Active Energy Group has announced initial testing of its 5-ton-per-hour CoalSwitch plant in Utah was successfully completed on Dec. 29. According to the company, the initial results met management expectations. Additional testing was expected to continue during the first week of January.

Active Energy Group said the plant is currently undergoing commissioning, which the company expects to be complete during the next several weeks. Once operational, the facility will allow the company to deliver commercial quantities of CoalSwitch, a biobased fuel pellet that can be mixed with coal fines or replace coal in existing coal-fired plants.

The company indicated the Utah plant is modular, allowing for additional scale-up. The facility is also containerized, allowing for the technology to be mobile.

"The first successful test firing of the plant proves the technology and scalability of production,” said Michael Rowan, non-executive chairman of Active Energy. “Our unique biomass fuel technology will contribute hugely to the environment globally due to its unique qualities and ability to be a direct drop in coal replacement fuel, meaning that without the requirement for retrofit, coal plants anywhere can now reduce their usage of coal and decrease emissions without significant investment. 

"We are now entering the next phase of our development as we produce and deliver commercial quantities of production and receive first revenues from CoalSwitch,” he continued. “These are exciting times and we have already received much interest from governments and corporates alike due to CoalSwitch's unique qualities and ability to utilize all types of cellulosic biomass (including the lowest quality forestry waste and residuals, waste wood, and other by-products from the global forestry industry) and to blend with reclaimed coal fines or burn as a standalone coal replacement. The Group is now establishing its environmental credentials and is ready to work with governments and corporations in the near future."