next-generation renewable fuel a viable coal alternative

Australian project management software company Aconex is supporting US renewable energy company Zilkha Biomass Energy in the design and building of a black pellet fuel plant.

As a next-generation renewable fuel, it is claimed Zilkha Black Pellet can seamlessly replace coal as the world’s primary source of energy.

The Zilkha Black Pellet is made of woody biomass – compressed green wood that is pre-dried to reduce moisture content.

It has higher energy density than conventional white pellets, without the safety risks, and is waterproof to decrease storage and transportation costs.

With an output capacity of 275,000 tons per year, the commercial black pellet production facility in Alabama, US, would be the first of its kind in the world.

The plant is expected to be completed and fully operational by early 2015.

Zilkha will use the Aconex Online Collaboration Platform to manage project information and processes across a multi-company team of contractors, consultants, subcontractors, and vendors involved in construction of the new plant.

The Aconex platform provides a secure, neutral collaboration system for managing workflows and processing RFIs, documents, drawings, and correspondence.

Version control ensures users always have up-to-date project information and all decisions and actions are maintained in a permanent audit trail for transparency and accountability.

Zilkha opened its first commercial production facility, with a capacity of 40,000 tons per year, in Texas, US,
in 2010.

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