Fallbrook
90 MW Fallbrook Renewable Energy Facility (FREF), Fallbrook California
The Fallbrook Renewable Energy Facility is a multiple purpose energy facility converting biomass materials that would normally go into landfills, into thermal and electrical energy with an ultra low emissions process. The electricity produced will be used to operate the biomass energy facility and all surplus electricity will be available to San Diego Gas and Electric Company. The facility is designed to export to the grid, approximately 70 MW on a continuous basis with only minor down time (96% uptime).
The FREF Facility is planned to have 15 individual combustion systems. Twelve will be active and three will be spares for maintenance rotation and reliability purposes. The combined rating for the twelve boilers and twelve combustion systems is approximately 1,000,000 lbs. per hour of 650 psig steam. These units will generally operate in the range of 60%-100% of capacity, which the Company believes will ensure the low emissions desired for this overall effort. The steam will be used to turn three identical 30MW steam turbine generators.
Artist Rendition
As with any steam/electric generating system there is a considerable amount of thermal energy available that cannot be converted into electricity. This otherwise wasted thermal energy will be captured in a water heating system. This water heating system will provide thermal energy to aid in growing organic crops in an agricultural complex that is to be adjacent to the biomass energy facility.
In addition to the agricultural complex, we propose to have an endangered species breeding program associated with this Project instead of the normal methods of industrial development environmental mitigation. As it has been shown that traditional method for mitigation of endangered species impacts by setting aside raw land doesn't work well, we believe that the only effective way to help endangered species is to breed and release them while managing the areas that have sensitive habitat. That is what is proposed in the permitting documents for this Facility, management of roughly 12 miles of the San Luis Rey River watershed while breeding and releasing up to two dozen species of plants, animals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians native to this watershed.
The fuel for this facility and all subsequent energy production will be from the surrounding community. The fuel will be biomass related materials that are presently going into nearby landfills. All fuel for this facility will be drawn from the greater San Diego County and Riverside County area. There is approximately 1.1 million tons a year of sustainable fuel materials available to this facility within a 40 mile radius.
We like to think the design of FREF is the true picture of sustainability. Permitting is proposed to start in the fourth quarter of 2011, with construction of the extensive facility is anticipated in early 2013.