Great River Energy hosts microturbine test program
Elk River, MN (April 9, 2001) - Great River Energy has begun testing of a 30-kilowatt (KW) microturbine, a form of distributed generation, on-site at its Elk River Station power plant. The test program is funded by the Cooperative Research Network, The Electric Power Research Institute and the U.S. Department of Energy. The primary purpose of the test is to determine how reliable this type of generating equipment is and how much maintenance it takes to keep it running.
“The testing and evaluation will help answer key questions on microturbines-performance, durability, reliability and maintenance,” said Wayne Hanson who is overseeing the demonstration project for Great River Energy. “We already know that microturbines are reliable electric generators that produce few emissions and require very little maintenance. These tests will provide us with more detailed information.”
Enthusiasts believe that microturbines can one day transform the utility industry. Rather than making large long-term investments in transmission lines, distributed generation systems can be quickly and economically installed at distant customer sites where utility lines are inadequate or non-existent.
“We believe this technology shows promise and may well become a very important part of the services our customers will want,” said Hanson. “That is why we are taking a closer look into microturbines, so we have direct experience with this type of generating equipment, if the need arises.”
The microturbine Great River Energy is testing was manufactured by Capstone Turbine Corporation . Microturbines have evolved from much larger, widely used machines for industrial, automotive and aerospace applications. The current systems have only a couple moving parts and their basic construction differs principally in the type of bearing, either air or oil. Microturbines can run on a variety of fuels including propane, fuel oil and natural gas. Distributed generators can include everything from a 30-KW microturbine at a fast food restaurant to a 1,000 megawatt combined cycle generating facility adjacent to a factory.
The microturbine at Great River Energy is fueled by natural gas and is the size of a large refrigerator. A 30 KW microturbine generates enough electricity to serve six homes. The generator will be on-site for at least two years. Great River Energy will send data regarding the operation of the generator to the Electric Power Research Institute on a monthly basis.
Headquartered in Elk River, Minnesota, Great River Energy (www.greatriverenergy.com) is a consumer-owned generation and transmission cooperative and Minnesota’s second largest utility in terms of generating capacity. Great River Energy provides low-cost electrical energy and related services to its 29 member distribution cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
