Capstone Green Energy Corp. has announced two orders for its microturbine systems in California and Italy.
In California, the microturbines will be installed for customers in agriculture, oil and gas and the hospitality industries and will be delivered in early 2023. The order for the 16 C65 units was secured by Cal Microturbine, the Van Nuys manufacturer’s distributor for California and other western states.
In Italy, the order for three C65 microturbines was brought in by IBT Connecting Energies GmbH, the company’s distributor for the European country. The microturbines will be deployed in December at two waste-to-energy projects on the island of Sardinia.
Once commissioned, the microturbines will operate on the biogas, or “green waste” produced on-site from municipal waste. In addition, the new co-generation plants will incorporate a customized heat recovery module, advanced gas treatment, compressors and control panels. Together, the configuration will allow plant operators to harness the waste fuel for on-site power production, according to a Capstone release.
Ilario Vigani, chief executive of IBT Connecting Energies, said that the two projects are proof that the market is heading in the direction of renewable energy.
“This confirms once again that Capstone technology is the number one for this type of application, which uses the biogas produced by wastewater treatment plants,” Vigani said in a statement.
The microturbines will be utilized in a combined heat and power application and produce electricity and hot water for the customer’s wastewater treatment facilities. The projects are the first of their kind in the Sardinia region, according to the company’s release.
Darren Jamison, chief executive of Capstone, said that the company was pleased to see continued order flow from Europe given the unprecedented macroeconomic conditions in their energy markets.
“This is a perfect example of how customers are reducing their dependence on fossil fuel sources for power generation through sustainable biogas to energy projects,” Jamison said in a statement.
For the California projects, the microturbines will be fueled by natural gas but are capable of running on a 30% hydrogen blend, when customers have access to such fuel in the future. For the hospitality application, the systems will be configured for combined heat and power, allowing the site to capture waste heat from the units to provide cost-effective heating for various on-site applications, according to a release from Capstone.
Cal Microturbine Chief Executive Ryan Brown said that his company’s business model is based on providing clean, reliable and low-cost power to its clients.
“We believe that Capstone microturbines have the perfect anatomical structure to protect companies from the increased cost of power, from grid unreliability, and to help propel businesses forward in their pursuit to operate greener,” Brown said in a statement. “This basket of projects in various industries underscores that California’s energy market agrees.”
Jamison added in a statement: “We continue to draw on our long history of advanced engineering to be a cutting-edge provider of clean energy solutions and technology through our multiple product lines, each helping different types of customers in California and around the world to meet their energy needs while boosting the reliability of their energy supply, improving predictability of energy costs and lowering their carbon footprint.”