Ryegate Associates operates a 20 MW wood-fired electrical power (biomass) generation facility in East Ryegate. Notably, it features a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) emissions control system, which effectively reduces the plant’s emissions. The SCR device consists of a stack bypass that directs the combustion gases through 477 2 foot-by-2-foot ceramic plates that contain the titanium catalyst (similar to a car’s catalytic converter). The result is that the NOx is reduced from about 1.5 lbs/mmBTU to about 0.75 lbs/mmBTU: a 50% reduction. The facility is operated as a baseload electrical generation plant at or near 100% capacity at all times, excluding downtime for maintenance.
Ryegate employs 21 people, many of whom live locally. A regulatory forester is on site, who manages the Vermont Harvesting Regulations. Approximately 250 people are employed in the production and delivery of 250,000 tons of whole tree chips. Ryegate distributes more than 4,000 tons of wood ash per year that is used in many beneficial recycling programs, such as organic fertilizer for farmers. Ryegate qualifies for Renewable Energy Certificates in the New Hampshire and Connecticut renewable energy trading markets. The electricity generated at the Ryegate power generation facility is sold under the terms of a long-term power purchase agreement with VEPP Inc.