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Sunnyside official says plans have changed for facility
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
By Dianne Byers Staff Writer
CURWENSVILLE - Although it has revised its course of operation, Sunnyside Ethanol LLC is still working on a plan to open in Curwensville.
Eric Wallace, CEO for Sunnyside, said in a phone interview yesterday that the company has abandoned a plan to build a waste coal burning generator and is now considering a facility that burns natural gas. Wallace said his company could not obtain a firm cost for construction of the waste coal plant. An estimate of $145 million to $245 million was given by an engineering firm and Wallace said his company would need to spend another $10 million in engineering fees in an effort to determine a more solid cost but was told there were no guarantees it would receive a firm price.
Wallace said without definite information, Sunnyside is unable to get the final piece of funding it needs for the project. He also said it makes sense at this time for his company to build a natural gas fired burner because the price for natural gas is affordable and coupled with the current interest in Marcellus Shale gas drilling, it "just makes sense to go in that direction," he explained.
The permits the company received for waste coal burning are set to expire within five months and Sunnyside officials have held discussions with officials from the state Department of Environmental Protection to revise and renew the permits, he said.
Because of the change in direction, the company is currently considering two phases of construction at the Curwensville site depending on the amount of funding it is able to acquire. Wallace said the company may build the natural gas fired generator first and then the ethanol manufacturing facility later.
In late 2008, with the permission of Curwensville Borough Council, Sunnyside began limited construction at the site and poured several footers for cooling towers. The work was done in order for Sunnyside to comply with specifications in its air quality permit issued by DEP on May 17, 2007.
The company was required to begin work at the site within 18 months of the permit's issuance or the document would expire.
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