Zachry Engineering Designs Gainesville Renewable Energy Center

Zachry Engineering Corporation, a subsidiary of Zachry Holdings, Inc., has been selected to provide design engineering and procurement services as part of the EPC team for the Gainesville Renewable Energy Center, a 100-MW biomass power plant located in Gainesville, Fla. "Zachry Engineering has a lengthy history and a good resume in the biomass industry, and we are delighted to be providing design services to another renewable energy resource," said Mike Morris, vice president for Zachry Engineering. "With more than 30 years of experience in a variety of renewable energy technologies, we are able to bring expertise to the application of biomass projects to support the renewable energy effort in the United States." This is the second largest biomass project Zachry has designed for the same customer, and it is the third large-scale waste wood power plant Zachry is currently designing. Preliminary engineering of the power plant has been underway for several months and construction began in March 2011. Commercial operation is expected to commence in late 2013. The 100-MW biomass plant will be fueled by wood waste from urban wood refuse, harvested trees, power line and roadway clearance, and lumber mill waste. At completion, the plant is expected to create enough electricity to power 70,000 homes. Several organizations have endorsed the project including the Florida Municipal Electric Association, Florida Wildlife Federation, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Florida Forestry Association, Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, Florida Farm Bureau and the Alachua County legislative delegation.