EQTEC Italia MDC srl, Italy
Size
1.1 MWe
Project Status
Operational
Category
Agricultural (Biomass-to-energy)
Feedstock
Agricultural and forestry waste
Applications
Electrical power, biochar
Background
EQTEC Italia MDC srl (Italia MDC) is a company registered in Italy for the purpose of transforming agricultural and forestry waste into electrical power and biochar in a relatively remote and heavily agrarian community. EQTEC currently owns 19.99% of Italia MDC, with an option to acquire further equity in future.
Italia MDC owns and operates a 1.1 MWe plant in Gallina, a village near Castiglione d’Orcia in Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia, an area considered to be the region’s most scenic. It is on a site owned by Toscana Cereali Societá Cooperativa Agricola, from whom Italia MDC is leasing. With EQTEC technology at its core, the Plant is capable of converting multiple types of biomass feedstock into electrical power and thermal energy for thousands of homes.
Plant information
Initially, the Plant is converting higher-density wood waste into electrical power for export to the national grid, for which a connection has been secured with a preferential tariff. In addition to the electricity, the Plant is producing biochar for purchase by two European wholesalers of the product. Thermal energy produced through the continuous EQTEC thermochemical conversion process is being recycled to dry the feedstock, improving the Plant’s waste-to-energy conversion efficiency.
EQTEC's role
In addition to being a profitable, commercial-scale facility with an important role in the local agricultural community, the Plant is a Market Development Centre (MDC) for EQTEC, providing a showcase of EQTEC technology for prospective clients.
MDCs are reference plants that demonstrate EQTEC technology in live, commercial environments, with application of EQTEC’s versatile syngas to one of four, target solution models: Industrial; Utility; Municipal; or Agricultural. The Italia MDC is focused on the Agricultural solution model, which demonstrates the potential for smaller-scale, autonomous plants in remote areas to convert agricultural and forestry biomass into value for the local community.
EQTEC has a number of prospective clients scheduling time to visit Italia MDC.
Latest news
EQTEC announced on 14 March 2023 that the plant had become operational. EQTEC’s technical commissioning team commenced handover protocols for transferring plant operations to EQTEC Italia MDC srl, the MDC’s operating company. The Plant is the first of EQTEC’s MDCs to become operational.
The 1.1 MWe plant, located in Gallina, near Castiglione d’Orcia, Tuscany, Italy had already commissioned gasification and biochar production capabilities in January 2023. On 8th March 2023, following commissioning of the Jenbacher 612 engine, the Plant exported its first electricity to the national power grid.
EQTEC is now working to complete its work and hand over full operations of Italia MDC to the operations team.
Italia MDC is pursuing refinance of the plant asset by an Italian bank. The technical advisor to the bank visited the plant in March to complete a technical survey. EQTEC expects that a funding agreement with the bank will be completed during Q2 2023.