Toray called ‘leader’ in cogeneration

A $22.7 million investment in a second cogeneration power facility at Toray Plastics (America) Inc. is an important development in the Ocean State’s efforts to help manufacturers use energy more efficiently, save money for ratepayers and reduce emission of greenhouse gases, according to R.I. Energy Commissioner Marion Gold.
“This development at Toray makes it a leader because there’s been a concern in Rhode Island, and in New England, about the high cost of energy,” said Gold. “It’s important because across the nation, there’s a concern about finding ways to help manufacturers use energy more efficiently.”
Cogeneration, or generating power for multiple purposes, has enabled Toray Plastics to take advantage of a pilot program, as well as two existing programs, to obtain more than $15 million in funding initiatives for the project, National Grid spokesman David Graves said last week.
Generally, cogeneration for the project means burning natural gas to heat water, which creates steam, which in turn powers electric generators, but can also be used to heat or to power cooling equipment, said Graves.
“The project is unique in that it enabled Toray to combine three programs to help get the job done,” said Graves.
The three programs include the Combined Heat and Power Program, a pilot program that directly benefits cogeneration projects; the Advanced Gas Technology Program, which will provide funding to help Toray install the most efficient gas-burning technology; and the performance Payment Program, which allows a company to set a target for reduced energy usage and get credit if it meets the goal.
The more than $15 million in funding initiatives comes from industrial and commercial ratepayers, said Graves.
Of the total, Toray will get $13.5 million through the state energy-efficiency plan and $1.8 million from the performance program, which sets the energy-reduction goals, said Gold. Toray Plastics, the only U.S. manufacturer of certain types of specialized polyester films for packaging, optical, industrial and electronic applications, expected to begin construction of the new cogeneration facility at its 70-acre North Kingstown campus this month.
“Our taking action to reduce further our energy consumption and carbon footprint is good for business, people and the environment,” Toray Plastics America President and CEO Rick Schloesser said in an Aug. 20 press release. “Toray has a legacy of innovation and commitment to sustainability.”
Although neither Gold nor Graves could detail the number of cogeneration projects in the state, a May 2013 report by Tom Bourgeois for the U.S. Department of Energy Northeast Clean Energy Application Center said Rhode Island has combined heat and power facilities producing 114 megawatts of power, as compared to 22 megawatts produced in Vermont and more than 1,500 megawatts produced in Massachusetts.
The report said Rhode Island had four new combined heat and power installations from 2007 through 2011, compared to three in Vermont and 44 in Massachusetts.
While cogeneration, or combined heat and power, is not new, it is gaining attention across the nation as energy issues become an increasing concern.
“We’re looking at how combined heat and power helps businesses and communities save money, reduce emissions and improve energy security and resilience,” said Executive Director of the Environmental and Energy Study Institute Carol Werner at a May 22 seminar on the topic in Washington, D.C.
The criteria to qualify for the funding incentives includes: “economic-development benefits in Rhode Island, including direct and indirect job creation and retention from investments in combined heat and power systems, energy and cost savings for customers, energy-supply costs, greenhouse gas emissions standards and air-quality benefits, and system-reliability benefits.” •

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