BRUNSWICK
An innovative, bacteria-driven power plant proposed for Brunswick Landing will make its latest appearance before Planning Board members tonight.
Village Green Ventures LLC, a New York-based company, plans to build the state’s third anaerobic digester on about four acres of land near the south end of Brunswick Executive Airport’s runways.
Board members are scheduled to consider the project’s combined sketch and final plan application tonight.
The digester is one example of “green” industry Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority officials hope to attract to the former Navy air base.
Using bacteria to break down organic and septic waste matter, the digester is designed to capture the resulting gases — including methane — and process the resultant heat energy to generate up to 2 megawatts of electricity.
Ideally, according to Village Green Ventures founder Dave Weyburn, the power and by-product heat would be distributed to neighboring businesses and tenants.
Wright-Pierce Environmental Engineering in Topsham and Quasar Energy Group in Cleveland, Ohio, are working with Weyburn to design the systems and physical plant.
The series of pipes, tanks, filtration and fluid lifting structures are estimated to occupy about 7,373 square feet of new structure on 11,000 square feet of new pavement.
Its design power output of 2 megawatts — if realized — is enough to power about 200 average American households for a year.
An anaerobic digester currently operates at a farm in Exeter, about halfway between Bangor and Dover- Foxcroft, and generates up to 22,000 kilowatt hours daily.
A second is under construction in Lewiston to aid the Lewiston-Auburn Water District’s treatment facility.
¦ WHAT: Brunswick Planning
Board
WHEN: 7 p.m. tonight
WHERE: Second-floor municipal
meeting room, Brunswick Station, 16
Station Ave.
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