McNeil Generating Station Carbon, Wood Pyrolysis, and Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC)

The Burlington Electric Department (BED), a 50% owner of the McNeil Generating Station, is soliciting expressions of interest through this RFI from entities capable of designing and/or implementing systems to reduce stack CO2 emissions and/or improve efficiency and reduce fuel consumption at the facility. McNeil is a 50-megawatt net electrical output biomass power plant that has operated since 1984 utilizing locally sourced wood chips and waste wood products, and is Vermont's largest energy-producing plant. The plant includes an RSCR installed in 2008 for NOx emission reductions. This RFI follows a third-party Velerity report responsive to Burlington City Council Resolution 7.6 from November 20, 2023, which outlined measures to reduce stack CO2 emissions and improve efficiency at McNeil.

BED seeks detailed information from qualified parties on estimated capital costs, operating costs, potential offsetting revenues, stack emissions reductions, and efficiency gains or fuel consumption reductions from potential installation of carbon capture systems, wood pyrolysis energy generation systems, and/or Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) turbine systems. RFI responses demonstrating any proposed technologies at existing operating plants will be viewed favorably, though BED will not reject prototype or initial deployments solely on the lack of operational demonstration.

RFI responses should include sufficient information to evaluate the business case at a high level and must address: general description of efficiency or stack emission reduction technologies; operating parameters and any safety, risk, health, or environmental considerations; commercial terms including initial capital costs, periodic capital costs for replacements, operating costs, benefits, and characterization of new revenue streams (such as liquified carbon markets, carbon credits, biochar, or other); and experience in similar applications or development team background for new technologies. The maximum submission length is 10 pages, not including resumes and appendices.

Key evaluation components include detailed technology descriptions with schematics, high-level sequence of operations, design and service life details, anticipated project construction time and milestone schedules, expected costs (initial, ongoing, and periodic capital and operating), any available outside funding, expected efficiency or stack emissions reduction impacts against baseline plant operations, company and project team descriptions with relevant experience, and description of environmental, risk, safety, and health issues including safety concerns, equipment housing and physical dimensions, noise generation, water and energy consumption, and risks to environment, safety, or health.