Kearny-based Pharmachem Laboratories Installs Biomass Boilers in N.C.

Kearny-based Pharmachem Laboratories recently announced that Avoca, Inc., their extraction facility located in Merry Hill, N.C., had installed a biomass-to-energy system capable of consuming 10 tons of biomass, and producing 30,000 pounds of steam, per hour. One of the first such installations in the United States and first on the east coast, the approximate cost of the system was $6 million.

The two new boilers were installed earlier this year, and became fully operational on Sept. 1, 2011.

One of the largest botanical extraction facilities in North America, Avoca, Inc., relies on steam for processing a variety of ingredients, especially clary sage for the fragrance industry. The company previously utilized three diesel-powered boilers for its steam, but switched to the more sustainable and cost-efficient power source.

“With the biomass-to-energy system, we’ve reduced our steam costs by 90%,” reports Avoca, Inc. President David Peele. “During the 2011 sage harvest, which is 140 days long, we burned about 4500 gallons of diesel fuel per day. Plus, when we finish extracting sage, we had 99% of what we started with — or about 25,000 tons of biomass."

He also adds, “The new system enables us to utilize the biomass byproduct of our facility, and at the same time, meet our long-term energy needs very cost efficiently. It provides us with a reliable, sustainable source of energy and assures our customers that we will remain competitive on all our products for years to come.” 

The two biomass boilers, which were purchased from Alternative Energy Solutions International, Inc. in Wichita, Kan., work at the same time during peak season and, once that season concludes, just one of the boilers can supply the facility’s steam needs. The boilers can also be can be powered with wood chips, or other biomass sources. There are, according to Peele, additional environmental impacts as well. 

“With the biomass system, we’ve diverted about 110,000 cubic yards of material that would otherwise go into a landfill," Peele said. "Reducing this waste on an annual basis will result in about $1 million in savings. Next year our sage harvest will increase by 50%, creating even more savings in disposal costs.”

"Leadership in any manufacturing industry is demonstrated by considering the future health and safety of our environment, and this investment is one that will deliver a positive impact in the North Carolina area in which our extraction facility is located," said David Holmes, founder and president of Pharmachem. "The investment equally demonstrates social conscience, an integral part of Pharmachem's mission plan as a vertical operation."