SCE Energy orders Capstone C1000 gas-fired microturbines for Scottish tire recycling plant

Five multi-fuel, gas-fired microturbines will power a next-gen tire recycling plant in Scotland.

Capstone Green Energy Corp. announced that distributor SCE Energy has ordered another four of its C1000 Signature Series microturbines for the facility. This adds to an earlier SCE Order to be installed at the 10-acre tire processing plant.

The plant will devulcanize treated rubber to produce new products that include sheets, conveyor belts, shoe soles or rubber mats. The cogeneration system will use low-pressure natural gas to provide electricity and combined heat and power (CHP).

"Capstone Green Energy, in partnership with SCE Energy, ICDP Architects and SSH Recycling, has designed a low emission and highly efficient CHP system to drive cost and carbon savings in this environmentally significant tire recycling operation," said Darren Jamison, President and CEO of Capstone Green Energy. "In my opinion, this creative solution is nothing short of brilliant."

SCE Energy is Capstone's exclusive distributor in Scotland.

The project’s energy use is predicted to save more than one million tons of carbon emissions annually, according to the release. The exhaust from the microturbines will be captured via heat exchangers and provide heat and hot water to the processing plant, process equipment, storage buildings and offices.

Each of the Capstone C1000S microturbines has a generation rating of 1,000 kW (1 MW) and CHP efficiency of up to 90 percent. The net heat rate is about 10,300 British thermal unit per kWh.

In addition to natural gas, the C1000 can run on biogas, sour gas, ultra-low sulfur diesel and liquid petroleum gas.