Potawatomi opens plant in Milw. designed to turn food into fuel
Potawatomi unveils new plant designed to turn food into fuel
Potawatomi unveils new plant designed to turn food into fuel
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Forest County Potawatomi has stepped up its efforts in trying to protect the environment. On Monday, October 28th, it opened a new facility that will produce green and renewable energy. The $20 million plant turns food into fuel.
"We want to basically produce all the energy we use," Jeffrey Crawford, Attorney General for Forest County Potawatomi said.
Crawford says the Forest County Potawatomi are excited to unveil the new FCPC Renewable Generation Digester.
The plant, which sits a block away from the tribe's Menomonee Valley casino is designed to produce green energy using the natural process of breaking down organic materials.
"We`re here because the food industry is here. They need to get rid of stuff they can`t use and that is our feedstock," Charles Opferman with Greenfire Management Services said.
Greenfire Management Services, LLC is a Construction Management, Owner’s Representative and Property Management firm located in Milwaukee. Founded in 2010, Greenfire is a wholly-owned company of the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation, the investment arm of the Forest County Potawatomi Community, and as such, maintains minority contractor status.
Crawford explained to FOX6 News how the plant will work to produce energy.
"We will be bringing liquid organic waste from trucks into a negative pressure garage that will unload the liquid into a screening, filtering process. It`ll then be moved into a series of tanks and ultimately be deposited in one of our two 1.3 million gallon tanks. That is where the fermentation takes place and the methane gas is produced. We will capture that gas and burn it in the engines and use it for vehicles and other uses -- but for our purposes," Crawford said.
The new plant is part of the Forest County Potawatomi's environmental goal to reduce the negative impacts on the environment. The facility will create a fuel source that will produce two megawatts of power -- equivalent to heating about 1,500 homes.
"It`s the largest plant where people are generating electricity off-grid and putting it back into the grid," Opferman said.
Also, Mayor Tom Barrett says the plant is beneficial to the city, as it is part of a broader $200 million investment in the city.
"We have a had a partnership with Potawatomi that focuses on the creation of jobs. They employ over 3,500 people in the state of Wisconsin," Mayor Barrett said.
This plant helps the tribe as it aims to protect and enhance environmental resources.
The power generated by the plant will also be sold to We Energies.