FirstEnergy to convert coal-fired plant into biomass

April 3 -- FirstEnergy Corp. plans to convert one of its Ohio coal-fired power plants into one of the largest biomass facilities in the United States.

The Akron, Ohio-based utility will retrofit units 4 and 5 at its R.E. Burger Plant in Shadyside, Ohio, to generate electricity by burning biomass. It expects the project to cost $200 million. The units will be capable of producing 312 megawatts of electricity, which will boost FirstEnergy´s renewable energy portfolio to 1,100 megawatts.

RenewaFuel LLC, a subsidiary of Cliffs Natural Resources Inc., will design, build and operate a facility that will produce biomass cubes for the Burger Plant. The plant burns some 800,000 tons of coal annually. The biomass project could eliminate 1.3 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, the equivalent of removing 270,000 cars from the road.

Contact Waste & Recycling News reporter Joe Truini at 330-865-6166 or jtruini@crain.com