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Chocolate by-product produces sweet, green energy

Posted by bdaley March 3, 2009 05:37 PM

By Beth Daley, Globe Staff

Here at the green blog we hear of all sorts of interesting energy possibilities from waste products but a test burn at a Portsmouth, N.H. power plant today is by far the most creative: Cocoa bean shells.


cocoa.jpg
Cocoa shells to burn (PSNH)

Chocolate maker Lindt USA and Public Service of New Hampshire’s Schiller Station in Portsmouth had a test run today mixing one part cocoa bean to 33 parts coal and burning it to produce electricity in a boiler at the plant.

If it works – and only time will tell – Lindt will start sending the power plant cocoa bean shells from its Stratham facility when it starts producing its own chocolate from raw cocoa beans by the end of the year.

Some cocoa shells in the chocolate industry are already used as garden mulch but if the project is viable, it is believed to be the only cocoa bean-to-energy project in the U.S. chocolate industry.

Any other ideas out there for interesting fuels?


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12 comments so far...
  1. Probably make the coal plant smell nice.

    Posted by RM March 3, 09 07:08 PM
  1. 33 parts coal...how is this making energy differently? You could add 1 part dirt to 33 parts coal and still produce energy.

    Posted by AEM March 3, 09 09:17 PM
  1. Once we all realize that burning coal kills us quicker than cigarettes and stop using it to produce electricity, we can add one part coal to 33 parts chocolate to make coal-infused chocolate bars.

    Posted by S. Nathaniel March 3, 09 11:12 PM
  1. Is this really cocoa bean to energy? If the 33 parts coal is doing all the work, this isn't a much cleaner source at all. Perhaps I'm missing something in the science.

    Posted by Mina March 4, 09 12:11 AM
  1. Unfortunately, fuels that don't require 33 parts fossil fuel.

    Posted by Aaron March 4, 09 08:18 AM
  1. Small steps people. Everyone on here wants industry to phase out "dirty" coal plants and realize "green" technology as if it were a seamless transition. How about celebrating some innovation here in New England!

    Posted by jonp March 4, 09 11:01 AM
  1. I recently visited the Green Mountain Coffee visitor's center in Vermont and spotted an exhibit that showed how they do something similar with the outer shell from the coffee beans. Glad the idea is catching on.

    Posted by Justin G March 4, 09 10:27 PM
  1. more ideas? how about poo - the world is full of it and it's burnable, once dried. cow poo. pig poo. human poo. the list goes on.

    Posted by Party Pooper March 13, 09 01:59 AM
  1. Probably the fastest way to cut emissions and power use is to really start thinking downscaling: compact neighborhoods with essential services near by in walking disfance, decentralized power and food production (think wind turbines, solar, geothermal, co-generation on a neighborhood scale, urban garden/agriculture programs to bring food right into the city-- GET RID of MONSANTO!), and rethinking urban design for integrated neighborhoods. We all want to have our cake and eat it: technologizing our way out of a problem, like the Prius and other cars-- fine for fuel, but car use increases demand and does nothing for UN-planning some of our mistakes.

    Posted by David in Seattle March 13, 09 01:03 PM
  1. How exactly is this "green" energy?? It's still producing CO2, although a lot less toxic. than coal. Not a breakthrough, unless I'm missing something. I wish journalists would ask questions and dig a little deeper.

    Posted by Liz March 14, 09 11:16 AM
  1. It's step towards progress. Energy is neither created or destroyed, it is only transformed. I think every area in the world has things indigenous to their own area enough to create sustainable communities in every knook in the world. Just my humble opinion about things. I still believe in the new quantum stuff. I do. That's why the bailout doesn't bother me because it will help the transition. Jobs will just be transformed, not deleted. And only if people don't want to learn new things which is their choice, will they have to find other work. Everyone has equal choice to choice their thoughts, their words, their living. They do. So much coming. Youtube has 1,000's of videos in the plethera of ways to create energy. It's coming.

    Posted by Mary March 21, 09 11:26 AM
  1. Terrific info Hope to visit again:D

    Posted by EpiniCepBet May 20, 09 02:35 AM
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