Laidlaw Berlin BioPower LLC, an affiliate of Laidlaw Energy Group Inc., announced on December 21 that it has filed its all-inclusive permit application with the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee seeking the requisite approvals to construct and operate a nominal 70 megawatt biomass-energy facility to be located at the former Fraser Papers pulp mill in Berlin, NH. Laidlaw completed the acquisition of the site last December with a group of private equity investors and since that time has been preparing its permit filing and negotiating the other material contracts for the project, including a long-term power purchase agreement. With the completion of this significant milestone, the Laidlaw project has taken a major step forward.
The permitting process before the New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee is expected to take approximately nine months, based on the expedited review process that the State of New Hampshire affords to renewable energy facilities. The NHSEC process is the primary mechanism for obtaining the approvals necessary to construct and operate the facility.
“We are confident that we have a strong application worthy of this important project and we look forward to working collaboratively with the Site Evaluation Committee, as well as state and local representatives throughout the review process,” said Laidlaw president and CEO Michael Bartoszek. “We are convinced that this project will be a source of pride for the State of New Hampshire and the City of Berlin, and we appreciate and will continue to build on the strong support we have received from the citizens of Berlin and Mayor-elect Paul Grenier.”
