Peregrine Turbine Technologies (PTT) in Wiscasset, KMW Energy Group (KMW) and Our Katahdin (OK) announced Monday, May 6 their intent to collaborate on the location, installation and operation of PTT’s highly efficient, 1 MWe super critical carbon dioxide (sCO2) energy conversion system, integrated with KMW’s proprietary reciprocating grate and modular biomass gasification and combustion system, to provide combined heat and power (CHP) to multiple buildings on Our Katahdin’s Innovation Hub campus in Millinocket. The combined system will also produce biochar for agricultural and other high value applications.

PTT’s proprietary sCO2 turbine technology, which operates with a high pressure, high temperature, closed loop cycle, offers efficiencies 1.7x better than best-available conventional biomass fired steam turbine installations, and 2.7x better than biomass fired Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) systems.

The systems are modular and can be configured to optimize specific application requirements. Projected costs and efficiencies are expected to make sustainable biomass energy competitive with other mainstream energy sources.

In addition to producing thermal energy and 1MW of electricity, the scalable system will also be capable of producing biochar on a continuous basis. With capacity of 1,500 tons/year of biochar, the equivalent of 4,200 tons/year of CO2 will be permanently sequestered as biochar, which will be used locally in forestry and agricultural applications.

The Bio-Based Research Campus will repurpose existing buildings and encourage new development around forest biomaterials and biomass.

The advanced system is expected to be particularly important to remote and mining, and energy disadvantaged areas and emerging communities with limited energy infrastructure.

PTT’s advanced super critical carbon dioxide (sCO2) conversion system has been developed in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories’ (SNL) Brayton Laboratory team. At the center of the company’s breakthrough technology is a “heat engine” that can operate on all air combustible fuels including biomass, bio-gas, refuse derived fuels (RDF), hydrogen, and high-grade heat sources including advanced nuclear and concentrated solar (CSP). No matter the energy source, PTT’s sCO2 enabled conversion system uses less of it.