A $12 million, 3-MW photo voltaic plus storage microgrid was commissioned on the Aemetis ethanol plant in Keyes, California.
The system can scale back the quantity of grid electrical energy the plant wants throughout peak demand hours. Solar vitality generated throughout the day will likely be saved within the system’s battery storage, giving Aemetis the flexibility to time-shift its use till later within the day when grid costs are greater.
Aemetis, a renewable pure gasoline, renewable gasoline and biochemicals firm primarily based in Cupertino, California, will personal and function the system, which additionally consists of a man-made intelligence vitality administration system.
The microgrid, designed to maximise vitality manufacturing and scale back vitality prices, was funded partially by an $8 million grant from the California Energy Commission.
Decarbonisation of the manufacturing sector
Aemetis produces 65 million gallons of ethanol yearly on the Keyes facility. Byproducts of the ethanol manufacturing course of, resembling moist distillers grains and distillers corn oil, are bought as animal feed to 80 native dairies.
“This giant built-in photo voltaic and battery storage system is a key step within the conversion of the Keyes ethanol plant to renewable electrical energy from petroleum pure gasoline,” mentioned Eric McAfee, chairman and CEO of Aemetis.
The system will assist the corporate obtain its aim of lowering the consumption of pure gasoline and petroleum by 90% by 2025, in accordance with the corporate’s web site.
Eric Potts, vice chairman of TotalEnergies Renewables USA, says that the microgrid is an effective instance of “how the manufacturing sector can play an vital position within the decarbonization of vitality and the discount of greenhouse gasoline emissions in California.”
TotalEnergies develops, builds and commissions the system, and gives the photo voltaic know-how. The electrical storage gear and batteries are supplied by Schneider Electric.
Aemetis can be creating a sustainable aviation gasoline and renewable diesel gasoline biorefinery in California. It plans to make use of renewable hydrogen, hydroelectric energy and renewable oil to supply low carbon renewable jet and diesel gasoline.
