The Dayton Power and Light Company tests biofuel as alternative fuel source

Enstreet News Bureau
2/2/2010

The Dayton Power and Light Company (DP&L; Dayton, OH), a regional energy company, has initiated a program to test alternative fuels at its power plants. Recently, DP&L has been testing the use of biofuels at its Killen Electric Generating Station on the Ohio River in Manchester, Ohio.

Biofuels can reduce emissions and provide new renewable energy from existing coal-burning power plants while creating potential new markets for local farmers and other biofuel producers.

The first biofuel tested by DP&L was a pellet composed of scrap wood and switch grass. DP&L blended the pellets with coal and conducted EPA-approved test burns in the Killen boiler. Different ratios of biofuel to coal, and biofuels with differing composition, are being tested to determine the best blend for use in the existing boiler.

Midwestern Biofuels in South Shore, Ky., supplied the pellets, which were made from waste wood and grasses harvested in Ohio and Kentucky. DP&L is evaluating incorporating biofuels into its generation fuel mix as one option to meet the renewable energy requirements outlined in recently passed legislation, which calls for the use of 12.5% renewable resources by 2025.

These biofuel tests are part of DP&L's commitment to the environment. Other recent and ongoing initiatives include the company's prairie grass project and the installation of a solar array.

Source: Dayton Power & Light