Nitrogen source could become as close as the nearest wind turbine
Carol Stender
Date Modified: 12/01/2009 11:34 AM
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Agri News staff writer
MORRIS, Minn. -- In the near future, anhydrous ammonia production could be as close as the nearest wind turbine.
West Central Research and Outreach Center's wind power to nitrogen fertilizer pilot project is nearing fruition. A design and royalty agreement is being finalized with successful project bidder Fagen, Inc.
Once the agreements are complete, project engineering will begin. Construction could start this spring and production begin in the fall.
"It's been a slow process," said WCROC renewable energy director Mike Reese. But he's pleased to see the recent progress made by the $3.75 million project.
Part of the research will include the feasibility of such systems and impacts to the local area.
Anhydrous ammonia could be produced in the Midwest at a lower cost than the nitrogen fertilizer that is now shipped from the Gulf of Mexico and Canada, he said. It's a way to add value to wind power that may be captured from turbines on farmers' land. And it can be sold through local cooperatives.
The project got it's start when WCROC constructed its 1.65 megawatt wind turbine in 2005. Researchers looked at all aspects of wind power. Transmission capacity is limited. There's an intermittence of wind. And, when power is generated, there may not be a market for it. Making the nitrogen fertilizer as part of the process is one way to add value to the local resource.
Anhydrous produced at WCROC will be used on the center's 300-plus acres of crops. Excess will be sold to Morris and Hancock cooperatives initially, he said.
It's a process that farmers won't necessarily be implementing on their own farm scale wind turbines, Reese said. Currently, the process needs 24-7 supervision.
"(WCROC's) project is still a small plant to what's out there now," Reese said. "Many steam methane plants put out 5,000 tons per day of anhydrous."
The center's renewable energy project is broad. It's part of a collaborative biomass gasification project on the University of Minnesota-Morris campus. The Morris-based ARS Soils Lab is also part of the research project with WCROC.
WCROC is also generating electricity from the wind turbine sending some power to the UMM campus and is installing solar panels on the WCROC headquarters. The WCROC remodeling project should be complete next month.
The center is collaborating with Honeywell on a proposal with the Department of Energy for a smart grid demonstration project. The smart grid will use the matrix of WCROC's renewable energy program using biomass, solar and wind, to evaluate the electrical energy markets and formulate a real-time plan for power generation and utilization.
"We don't really see this as using 100 percent wind energy, but it should enable more cooperation with energy producers and better manage the grid system," he said.
Reese says it's nice to know that companies recognize the efforts of UMM and WCROC to use renewable energy and research its possibilities for greater application.
There are growing pains, he said. But knowledge is gained from going through the process. The knowledge can help companies that consider renewable energy better understand the barriers, benefits and process.
The actual wind-to-hydrogen-to-ammonia facility will be built near the turbine located south of WCROC's headquarters. It will include a 50-gallon reactor vessel plus two modular-type buildings that will house equipment needed for the process. There will also be storage and load-out facilities.