Biomass generates business opportunities in the country

posted on: Dec 6 2011 8:30 by RDugey. Viewed 24 times.

Costs operating in the industry have increased dramatically as a direct result of the increase in price in oil derivatives. Alternative methods of producing energy seem to be more viable.

In Dominican Republic has started to create opportunities in the midst of the crisis with an ambitious project to manufacture and export of a machine gasificadora, capable of converting organic solid waste (biomass) into usable in generation plants fuel electric.

The initiative emerged two years ago with the founding of the company Biogen, once a group of foreign businessmen found fertile ground domestically for the project maintained at levels for a decade, since the Italian engineer Giovanni Cappello conceived of the invention. On that occasion his intension was to reduce the costs of irrigation in the large agricultural estates of Argentina.

The idea has been u000amaterialized in the Park Industrial zones zones the Americas, with an initial investment of $5 million estimated will increase to $10 million over five years. There the machine is constructed piece to piece and then assembled by purely Creole hands, in a complex process of high-tech.

The operation and development of design and manufacturing work are directed by Brad Godfrey, President and founder of Biogen, who has been immersed in the industry in Dominican Republic during twenty-three years.

gasification
System transforms into clean gas agricultural waste such as husks or stalks of rice, sugarcane bagasse, coconut shell, cultivation of sorghum, as well as wood sawmills, African Palm and other forest residues or agribusiness.

"In the market there are teams that work with simple materials such as wood, but how difficult it is to work with agricultural waste" u000a"tropical and this equipment is designed to work with all these materials", explained the sales manager and sustainability of the enterprise, Alfonso Rodríguez

The Executive highlights the great potential of Dominican Republic for the generation of energy from biomass by the favourable conditions offered by the grounds of the country for the cultivation of agricultural products usable in the plants.

However, stresses that one of the main advantages of this type of grid is that you can work with waste, representing multiple savings for the companies that handle large amounts of organic material, both in cost of operation and processing of solid waste. Similarly, biomass can generate power 24 hours, which can not be achieved with random sources or estatocásticas such as solar and wind power.

In the first stage of operation the team turns biomass into hot gas that u000aIt still contains a bit of dirt. In a second phase cooled and clean fuel, which can be used in any boiler or engine

Gasification process is an old mechanism that became very popular in Europe during the first world war, because of the difficulties for the commercialization of the derivatives of oil, and worked mainly with coal and wood chips. The challenge of Cappello has been reinventing the technological system to adapt it to the current engines and optimize outcomes with the use of other materials.

Strengthening
the experience of Brad Geofrey working in the industrial sector in EPZs Dominican, for more than two decade, has expanded its vision with regard to the potential of the country for the development of projects of expotación.

The employer argues that the idea of Cappello is built on firm ground and coincides with the expert in renewable energy and the environment, Alfonso u000aRodriguez, in which Dominican Republic is one of the countries with better law of incentive to self-generation.

the inventor of the machine said that the country offers important advantages for marketing by the free trade agreement which holds with Europe, United States and Central America, which so far are the main destination of the product. He stressed also the additional benefit that generates the closeness of the industrial park Las Americas to major ports maritime and air in the country

Cappello also reiterated the importance of the local market for the use of the technology of gasification plant, by the potential of the country for the production of biomass and the prevalence of the energy deficit.

Export
Godfrey noted that the company operates almost in its entirety with Dominican staff and that of 5,500 pieces that make up each plant, 91 per cent is manufactured in the industrial park of u000aZones the Americas.

Once completed the manufacturing process, the team is exported completely assembled and has a lifespan of approximately 35 years.

This week was sent to Italy the first machine and it is estimated that by 2012 there will be 45 units, approximately one per week, which together amount to 15 megawatts electric. This production will be around $18 million.

Rodríguez said that the aim of the company is producing 150 megawatts per year and increase exports by 20% annually in the next three years.

Initially the company focused its product to the markets of Europe and the United States, but around thirteen Dominican companies they have taken an interest in acquiring the machine gasificadora.

Alfonso Rodriguez pointed out that currently the plants have capacity to generate 350 kilowatts electrical and next year is stipulated manufacturing equipment capable of producing half megawatt. u000aHe explains that the machine produces gas at a cost that varies between five and seven cents BTW and between five and eight million cents per kilowatt hour, using local biomass. The plant sells for US$ 900 per kilowatt electric or US$ 300 per kilowatt thermal, and companies have the options of using their waste, buy or cultivate the biomass. A kW/h of electricity and three energy is generated with each kilogram of material thermal.

65% Of the garbage produced in Dominican Republic are organic, waste so Rodriguez argues that with the implementation of a proper screening process could develop a scheme of recycling, in coordination with local councils, to provide the companies obtain biomass at low cost and generate benefits for the cabildos.

Biogen relies on local talent
Biogen has opened its doors to local talent, especially for technicians u000aand engineers in technological areas and college students of different races who are trained by the company to participate in business processes.

Jhonny Cabrera works in the company in the manufacturing process. He is an expert in Mechatronics and studied marketing at the Dominican University of O & amp;(M); like its companion of work Brinilda Disla, who studied Industrial Psychology in the Center and serves for a year as a worker and in charge of the part of finish of the parts.

Josuel Martinez, a young twenty-one graduated from the technological Institute of the Americas, is responsible for stages of Court of the pieces.

"Operating the machine is simple, becomes a design in Autocadcad, you select the plate to be cut and parameters, depending on the size and the thickness required and the figure that runs on the programme," explains.

The majority of workers are technical, but more than one u000aHe claims that most of the knowledge required to work at Biogen have been acquired in the same enterprise during the performance of the work and received training through.

Eriberto Ferrera is electronic engineer, with a specialty in industrial engineering and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Quebec and Montreal (UQAM), in Canada. It is the manufacture of Biogen senior manager and is responsible for the part of production, planning, materials management of electrical cabinets and electrical connections.

Ferrera account which started in the industrial area with a technical degree in electronics and made the race while working in the area, which has remained for 16 years. The young Dominican form part of the team of only four people with whom the company began operations in the country, under the direction of Brad Godfrey.

Signature community phase u000aEngineering of the project in 2009 and started the operations of manufacturing a half year ago.

currently works with 47 employees. It is estimated that next year that number will increase to 150 and will continue to grow at a rate of 20% per year during the next five years. the requirements of the company's staff are mainly of technicians and engineers in electrical, chemical and mechanical areas.