Anaerobic Digestion Facility Will Bring Clean Energy, Jobs to Westover, MD
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Somerset County Planning Commission unanimously approved the final site plan for CleanBay Renewables’ (CleanBay) first anaerobic digestion facility at its July 1 meeting. The Westover, Md., facility can now move forward with final engineering and construction. This is the first CleanBay facility to reach final approval, marking an important landmark in the company’s history.
“We could not be more excited to kick off our environmental efforts in our home state of Maryland,” said Tom Spangler, Executive Chairman of CleanBay Renewables. “Throughout this process, we have modified our plans to address the input of county officials and communities surrounding our planned facilities, and to maximize the environmental benefits that result from our operations.”
The Westover facility will use CleanBay’s proprietary anaerobic digestion process to convert Delmarva’s abundance of chicken litter (which, if left uncontrolled, is harmful to soil, air and water quality) into two products: a renewable fuel and a high-quality organic fertilizer. The company’s patent pending method utilizes a fully enclosed, zero-liquid discharge approach.
“Each of our facilities will create 100,000 tons of fertilizer annually, naturally addressing overall soil health and relieving nitrate and phosphorus runoff that harms local waterways like the Chesapeake Bay,” said Donal Buckley, CEO of CleanBay. “Our fertilizer will enhance the sustainability efforts of local farmers by providing a circular option for poultry litter and a realistic course of action for meeting local emissions goals and regulations.”
The facility will create 750,000 mmbtu of renewable natural gas, abate 550,000 tons of CO2 equivalents each year and increase local and state tax base through CleanBay’s $450 million capital investment. The facility will also generate 26 new high-paying full-time jobs in the area, in addition to hundreds of indirect jobs during construction and related to supply-chain needs.
Following this approval, CleanBay will continue working with the county and state agencies to become a customer of the sanitary district’s stranded water asset and make improvements to Benson Road. The company expects to have a formal groundbreaking ceremony in August and full construction underway by the end of the year.
About CleanBay Renewables Inc.
Founded in 2013, CleanBay Renewables Inc. is an enviro-tech company that harnesses science, technology and economics to tilt the balance back in favor of nature, while protecting the agricultural sector that provides a vital service to humanity. For more information, visit cleanbayrenewables.com.
For more information, contact:
Andy Hallmark
Outreach Director
CleanBay Renewables Inc.
[email protected]