Abengoa (Seville, Spain; www.abengoa.com) has received Notice to Proceed on what will be the first plant that will produce biofuels from Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in the United States with gasification technology. Prior to this, Fulcrum BioEnergy Inc., who Abengoa is constructing the plant for, successfully reached financial closure for the project, this being a prerequisite for the commencement of works.
Abengoa will be responsible for the engineering, design, construction and commissioning of the project. The plant will be located in Nevada and will have the capacity to produce 10 million gallons of biofuels per year, to be used in the aviation sector.
This also affords the company an important opportunity to strengthen its position in a market where aviation fuel demand continues to grow, and which also sees renewable alternatives taking on a more important role. This initiative provides a sustainable alternative for the large amount of MSW that is produced in the area each year, and which otherwise would be disposed of at a landfill site.
Abengoa has spent over a year working on the preliminary engineering and procurement works in order to minimize possible risks during construction. The engineering, procurement and construction works are expected to begin immediately and are expected to take over two years.
This project will strengthen Abengoa’s position both in North America, where it has been present for over a decade, and also in the sector of Waste-to-Energy projects.