Reno, NV-based Ormat Technologies, Inc. announced Thursday it completed a series of four recovered energy generation (REG) plants along the Northern Border Pipeline in North and South Dakota that will produce approximately 22 MW for Bismarck, ND-based Basin Electric Power Cooperative. Basin has a 25-year power purchase agreement with Ormat that was announced last year.

The Dakotas project constitutes the largest application of Ormat’s REG technology to date and the first in which it maintains direct ownership and operation of the power-producing facilities. Formal dedication of the facilities will be done in separate ceremonies in North and South Dakota Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 16-17).

The four REG plants were engineered and built with Ormat equipment, using the company’s proprietary technology to produce electricity from recovered waste heat. The process does not produce any greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, Ormat said. Hot exhaust gases from the existing natural gas turbines at compressor stations along the interstate natural gas pipeline provide the fuel for generating power along the Canada-to-Chicago pipeline.

Calling it a significant step forward, Ormat Technologies CEO Dita Bronicki said the company is “excited to be using our (REG) technology on such a large scale. We believe the success of this project will help similar companies see the potential for recovered energy production.” Ormat has a second recovered energy project scheduled to come online late next year, he said.

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