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Keystone Foods, LLC - West Conshohocken, PA
Keystone Foods, LLC is recognized worldwide as a pioneering and innovative leader in the food industry. Over the years, the Company has responded to numerous technical challenges and market opportunities such as adopting cryogenics for producing frozen foods, commercializing “total distribution” concepts and developing new products in serving over 30,000 restaurants throughout the globe.
Keystone Foods has also responded to challenging local and global environmental issues, and has created a strong track record for protecting the environment, and the health and welfare of its employees. In addition, Keystone Foods is at the forefront in incorporating renewable and clean technologies and practices to reduce its environmental and carbon footprint.
To ensure a sustainable world for future generations, Keystone Foods recognized that more needed to be done. The Company turned to its long-term environmental and engineering partner, O’Brien & Gere, to facilitate the development of a worldwide sustainability plan, known as KeySTAR™, to ensure that Keystone Foods continues to draw upon its leadership and pioneering spirit to create sustainability for future generations.
O’Brien & Gere not only worked closely with Keystone Foods’ global leadership team to develop KeySTAR™, but O’Brien & Gere also assisted the development of Key Performance Indicators, analyze Keystone Foods carbon footprint and engineered solutions to reduce its carbon footprint. Many of the implementing sustainability programs managed by O’Brien & Gere on behalf of Keystone Foods includes water and energy infrastructure, and environmental performance.
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Riverview Business Park - Fulton, NY
In 2007, O'Brien & Gere was awarded the opportunity to develop a progressive sustainability project under contract with Operation Oswego County, an economic development corporation dedicated to stimulating growth in the upstate New York county. With funds provided by National Grid and the New York Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), O'Brien & Gere has created the conceptual model and site design for a fully integrated renewable energy business park located in the space formerly occupied by Miller Brewing Company in Fulton, NY.
When Miller, Oswego County’s largest employer, vacated the premises in 1994, the region lost a significant source of revenue and jobs. Now, more than a decade later, new industry is breathing life into this plant once again. Northeast Biofuels (NEB) began construction of their facilities on the 420-acre site in 2006, and began producing ethanol in early 2008. Utilizing much of the original fermenting equipment, NEB is an ideal occupant for the site, and will function as a central component of the proposed energy park.
The guiding principles of the Riverside Business Park project are the use of renewable resources, a marriage of ecology and agriculture with industry, high efficiency output, and the formation of a closed loop system with natural feedback. The end goal is to produce an entity which capitalizes on the natural resources of the region, and which will achieve a balance with its surroundings while providing an important boost for the local economy and a source of distinction for the region.
According to the site design, the park will incorporate a biomass supply from local agriculture in the production of ethanol at NEB. The unused portion will comprise feedstock for local cattle, whose manure and methane byproducts will, in turn, provide energy for the ethanol production facility and fertilizer for the crops. This system will also benefit from the incorporation of local municipal waste and an integrated fish farm. Over time, the park will be augmented by onsite energy generation potential. Gasification of biomass, photovoltaic technology, and wind turbines will translate into megawatts of green electricity.
All of this was not possible even a short time ago. The existing utilities had overwhelmingly negative perceptions of alternative power generation, public sentiment had not yet begun to favor alternatives, and governments had not created the fiscal incentives to make them economically sustainable. In this current climate, however, such alternatives are actively encouraged and assisted. With the help of increased support from governments and utility companies, and the adoption of Renewable Portfolio Standards in New York and elsewhere, projects like this can become prototypes for the next generation of energy production.
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Keystone Foods, LLC - West Conshohocken, PA
Keystone Foods, LLC is recognized worldwide as a pioneering and innovative leader in the food industry. Over the years, the Company has responded to numerous technical challenges and market opportunities such as adopting cryogenics for producing frozen foods, commercializing “total distribution” concepts and developing new products in serving over 30,000 restaurants throughout the globe.
Keystone Foods has also responded to challenging local and global environmental issues, and has created a strong track record for protecting the environment, and the health and welfare of its employees. In addition, Keystone Foods is at the forefront in incorporating renewable and clean technologies and practices to reduce its environmental and carbon footprint.
To ensure a sustainable world for future generations, Keystone Foods recognized that more needed to be done. The Company turned to its long-term environmental and engineering partner, O’Brien & Gere, to facilitate the development of a worldwide sustainability plan, known as KeySTAR™, to ensure that Keystone Foods continues to draw upon its leadership and pioneering spirit to create sustainability for future generations.
O’Brien & Gere not only worked closely with Keystone Foods’ global leadership team to develop KeySTAR™, but O’Brien & Gere also assisted the development of Key Performance Indicators, analyze Keystone Foods carbon footprint and engineered solutions to reduce its carbon footprint. Many of the implementing sustainability programs managed by O’Brien & Gere on behalf of Keystone Foods includes water and energy infrastructure, and environmental performance.
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Riverview Business Park - Fulton, NY
In 2007, O'Brien & Gere was awarded the opportunity to develop a progressive sustainability project under contract with Operation Oswego County, an economic development corporation dedicated to stimulating growth in the upstate New York county. With funds provided by National Grid and the New York Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), O'Brien & Gere has created the conceptual model and site design for a fully integrated renewable energy business park located in the space formerly occupied by Miller Brewing Company in Fulton, NY.
When Miller, Oswego County’s largest employer, vacated the premises in 1994, the region lost a significant source of revenue and jobs. Now, more than a decade later, new industry is breathing life into this plant once again. Northeast Biofuels (NEB) began construction of their facilities on the 420-acre site in 2006, and began producing ethanol in early 2008. Utilizing much of the original fermenting equipment, NEB is an ideal occupant for the site, and will function as a central component of the proposed energy park.
The guiding principles of the Riverside Business Park project are the use of renewable resources, a marriage of ecology and agriculture with industry, high efficiency output, and the formation of a closed loop system with natural feedback. The end goal is to produce an entity which capitalizes on the natural resources of the region, and which will achieve a balance with its surroundings while providing an important boost for the local economy and a source of distinction for the region.
According to the site design, the park will incorporate a biomass supply from local agriculture in the production of ethanol at NEB. The unused portion will comprise feedstock for local cattle, whose manure and methane byproducts will, in turn, provide energy for the ethanol production facility and fertilizer for the crops. This system will also benefit from the incorporation of local municipal waste and an integrated fish farm. Over time, the park will be augmented by onsite energy generation potential. Gasification of biomass, photovoltaic technology, and wind turbines will translate into megawatts of green electricity.
All of this was not possible even a short time ago. The existing utilities had overwhelmingly negative perceptions of alternative power generation, public sentiment had not yet begun to favor alternatives, and governments had not created the fiscal incentives to make them economically sustainable. In this current climate, however, such alternatives are actively encouraged and assisted. With the help of increased support from governments and utility companies, and the adoption of Renewable Portfolio Standards in New York and elsewhere, projects like this can become prototypes for the next generation of energy production.
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ITT Corporation - White Plains, NY
O’Brien & Gere developed a greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory program to support ITT’s corporate sustainability program. The GHG program included a review of seven international GHG accounting protocols to develop a consensus inventory approach as well as agreements regarding inventory intended audience, organizational and operational boundaries, and de minimis thresholds. O’Brien & Gere developed and conducted a corporate survey to identify GHG-emitting activities at ITT facilities and identify Environmental Safety and Health (ESH) metrics needed to measure these activities.
O’Brien & Gere developed ITT’s 2007 corporate greenhouse gas inventory for over one hundred international manufacturing facilities, which provided the basis for ITT’s response to a corporate investor climate change disclosure questionnaire (Carbon Disclosure Project).
Although ITT has been internally estimating corporation-wide greenhouse gas emissions since 2002, 2007 is the first year for which ITT has strictly followed the international GHG accounting protocols and calculated facility-specific as well as corporation-wide emissions.
In 2007, ITT also engaged in a process for developing an inventory program, including engagement of ESH directors, agreement on inventory boundaries and definitions, identification of data needs and gaps, and engagement of facility-level ESH staff. This process will allow ITT to more confidently disclose greenhouse gas emission estimates to corporate investors and help maintain its status in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
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Keystone Foods, LLC - West Conshohocken, PA
Keystone Foods, LLC is recognized worldwide as a pioneering and innovative leader in the food industry. Over the years, the Company has responded to numerous technical challenges and market opportunities such as adopting cryogenics for producing frozen foods, commercializing “total distribution” concepts and developing new products in serving over 30,000 restaurants throughout the globe.
Keystone Foods has also responded to challenging local and global environmental issues, and has created a strong track record for protecting the environment, and the health and welfare of its employees. In addition, Keystone Foods is at the forefront in incorporating renewable and clean technologies and practices to reduce its environmental and carbon footprint.
To ensure a sustainable world for future generations, Keystone Foods recognized that more needed to be done. The Company turned to its long-term environmental and engineering partner, O’Brien & Gere, to facilitate the development of a worldwide sustainability plan, known as KeySTAR™, to ensure that Keystone Foods continues to draw upon its leadership and pioneering spirit to create sustainability for future generations.
O’Brien & Gere not only worked closely with Keystone Foods’ global leadership team to develop KeySTAR™, but O’Brien & Gere also assisted the development of Key Performance Indicators, analyze Keystone Foods carbon footprint and engineered solutions to reduce its carbon footprint. Many of the implementing sustainability programs managed by O’Brien & Gere on behalf of Keystone Foods includes water and energy infrastructure, and environmental performance.
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Riverview Business Park - Fulton, NY
In 2007, O'Brien & Gere was awarded the opportunity to develop a progressive sustainability project under contract with Operation Oswego County, an economic development corporation dedicated to stimulating growth in the upstate New York county. With funds provided by National Grid and the New York Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), O'Brien & Gere has created the conceptual model and site design for a fully integrated renewable energy business park located in the space formerly occupied by Miller Brewing Company in Fulton, NY.
When Miller, Oswego County’s largest employer, vacated the premises in 1994, the region lost a significant source of revenue and jobs. Now, more than a decade later, new industry is breathing life into this plant once again. Northeast Biofuels (NEB) began construction of their facilities on the 420-acre site in 2006, and began producing ethanol in early 2008. Utilizing much of the original fermenting equipment, NEB is an ideal occupant for the site, and will function as a central component of the proposed energy park.
The guiding principles of the Riverside Business Park project are the use of renewable resources, a marriage of ecology and agriculture with industry, high efficiency output, and the formation of a closed loop system with natural feedback. The end goal is to produce an entity which capitalizes on the natural resources of the region, and which will achieve a balance with its surroundings while providing an important boost for the local economy and a source of distinction for the region.
According to the site design, the park will incorporate a biomass supply from local agriculture in the production of ethanol at NEB. The unused portion will comprise feedstock for local cattle, whose manure and methane byproducts will, in turn, provide energy for the ethanol production facility and fertilizer for the crops. This system will also benefit from the incorporation of local municipal waste and an integrated fish farm. Over time, the park will be augmented by onsite energy generation potential. Gasification of biomass, photovoltaic technology, and wind turbines will translate into megawatts of green electricity.
All of this was not possible even a short time ago. The existing utilities had overwhelmingly negative perceptions of alternative power generation, public sentiment had not yet begun to favor alternatives, and governments had not created the fiscal incentives to make them economically sustainable. In this current climate, however, such alternatives are actively encouraged and assisted. With the help of increased support from governments and utility companies, and the adoption of Renewable Portfolio Standards in New York and elsewhere, projects like this can become prototypes for the next generation of energy production.
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DI - Duct Injection Technologies
The power industry is under tremendous pressure to seek cost-effective solutions to reduce air emissions from their power plants while diversifying their fuel mix to include coal. These pressures stem from regulatory requirements to reduce emissions of SO2, SO3, mercury, and acid gases. There are also financial incentives to reduce SO2 emissions in response to the SO2 allowance program under the Federal “cap and trade” regulations and the need to eliminate visible sulfuric acid plumes. Many owners of large coal-fired utility boilers are currently evaluating cost-effective strategies to reduce air emissions in order to meet these and upcoming state and federal regulations. Owners of industrial, commercial, and institutional boilers also find themselves under similar pressures to reduce stack emissions.
In response to this need, O’Brien &Gere has developed an economical and effective technology applicable to coal-fired boilers. This innovative technology, DI – Duct Injection Technologies™, involves injecting selected sorbents into the flue gas to control SO2, SO3, mercury, and acid gases. DI – Duct Injection Technologies™ offer effective air emission control at a fraction of the capital costs of traditional scrubbers. DI – Duct Injection Technologies™ work in tandem with existing air pollution control devices, such as scrubbers, baghouses, and electrostatic preceptors. O’Brien & Gere is the industry leader in the development and application of DI – Duct Injection Technologies™ for large and small coal and oil-fired boilers.
Demonstration & Commercialization
O’Brien &Gere has conducted over 5,000 hours of demonstrations at 15 different boiler units since January 2005 to evaluate the viability of DI – Duct Injection Technologies™. Additionally, O’Brien & Gere has teamed with NOL-TEC Systems who has over 25 years of experience with bulk material handling and is recognized as a leader in the industry. Through extensive research and development performed jointly with NOL-TEC Systems, O’Brien & Gere has refined its DI – Duct Injection Technologies™ to include the following unique technical features:
- On-site Milling to maximize pollutant removal and reduce operating costs
- Dense-Phase Transport that allows long-range transport from remote silo storage Uniform Flow that provides dry aeration to maintain reliable and uniform flow
- Enhanced Material Design for multi-port injection into the flue gas
- Optimum Sorbent Distribution
Other features of O’Brien & Gere DI – Duct Injection Technologies™ include:
- Low capital cost
- Minimal operation and maintenance personnel requirements
- Generation of a dry solid waste product
- Short implementation and start-up time
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Fuel For The Future - Ethanol
We depend heavily on gasoline to fuel our most common and essential day-to-day operations. But now the cost to import foreign oil is at an historic high, and the need for viable alternatives has increased at top-speed.
O’Brien & Gere is helping supply momentum by partnering with Northeast Biofuels, LLC on a proactive, multi-phased permitting, design, and construction program. The program: Convert a former brewery into one of the largest ethanol plants in the nation, and the first plant in the Northeast.
Ethanol – or ethyl alcohol – is most commonly known as the chemical compound used to produce alcoholic beverages, but other uses include fueling automobiles, either alone or mixed with gasoline. It can be blended with gasoline to reduce reliance on petroleum fuels and to mitigate air pollution. Two mixtures — E10 and E85, which contain 10% and 85% ethanol, respectively — exist today in the U.S.
Fuel Oxygenate. More and more, ethanol is being added to gasoline to allow it to burn more efficiently. In this scenario, ethanol replaces methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE), a chemical that many states have banned due to its tendency to dissolve and spread into ground water. Bioethanol. Recent years have seen a growing national interest in bioethanol, or ethanol derived from crops. Bioethanol offers a potentially sustainable energy resource, and may provide more long-term environmental and economic benefits compared to gasoline. It is obtained from the starch in crops, most commonly maize (corn). Northeast Biofuels, LLC plans to produce ethanol for utilities and energy purveyors. And to ensure the success of its operations, Northeast Biofuels, LLC has enlisted the 360º capabilities of O’Brien & Gere.
360º Support from O’Brien & Gere
In addition to permitting activities, O’Brien & Gere provided engineering and an in-depth evaluation of multiple plant powering options for the facility. The economic benefits of reusing existing coal boilers was compared to other options, such as natural gas. The final recommendation: recover the energy generated by natural gas-fed thermal oxidizers present at the facility, and use it to provide the required steam-load to the plant. This novel arrangement alleviated potential regulatory issues associated with the use of coal, and also lowered facility emissions to below major source thresholds — ultimately cutting half the time required for permitting.
O’Brien & Gere also evaluated the facility’s wastewater treatment plant to assess whether it needed modification or enhancement in order to meet the wastewater discharge regulations. Based on the results, O’Brien & Gere sought and obtained a State Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) permit from the NYSDEC, ensuring that Northeast Biofuels, LLC could discharge the wastewater generated during ethanol production. With permitting efforts complete, O’Brien & Gere began providing engineering services to support plant construction. The O’Brien & Gere team will support the effort by providing comprehensive site/civil and structural engineering assistance. The new plant should be fully constructed within the year, with operations to begin in Fall 2007.
A Collaborative Effort Reaps Real Rewards
O’Brien & Gere partnered with a diverse range of firms, industries, and community leaders to take the ethanol plant project from an innovative, ambitious concept to a precedent-setting reality. The result of these partnerships: a stronger community and a re-energized local economy. The new plant will require approximately 75 employees, and create more than 1,000 job opportunities in transportation, agriculture, service, and other supporting industries. In addition, the increased demand for grain — the foundation of bioethanol production — will invigorate agricultural output from the Northeast, as the plant will require 40 million bushels each year to operate.
Long-term Benefits
From an economic standpoint, this initiative is exciting — one way to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. And from an environmental standpoint, ethanol represents an important step in managing and reducing air pollution. O’Brien & Gere has played a vital role bringing this initiative to life – evidence that O’Brien & Gere’s 360º project delivery method reaps real value not only for our clients, but for our communities and the nation.
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Oneida Wastewater Treatment Plant
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Enhanced Nutrient Removal
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For more information on O'Brien & Gere's Sustainability Program:
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