Deal: Green Power Solutions to open Dublin plant

Dublin-based Green Power Solutions will open a power plant in Laurens County, creating 35 permanent jobs with an initial capital investment of $95 million, Gov. Nathan Deal said today.

This new biomass-fueled plant is the culmination of more than 18 months of collaboration between Beasley Forestry Products and Land Care Services, and it will support up to 200 additional jobs in the forest industry. Having already received approval from the Georgia Public Service Commission, the GPS plant is slated to be the largest renewable energy qualifying facility developed to date in Georgia.

“Georgia is increasingly becoming a go-to location for biomass-based energy ventures, so we are encouraged by Green Power Solutions’ decision to choose Dublin and Laurens County for this innovative renewable energy plant,” Deal said in a statement. “Companies such as Green Power Solutions do well in Georgia due in large part to our plentiful forestry resources and existing workforce trained for this industry.”

The GPS power plant will be located at an existing paper mill in Laurens County that was recently purchased by SP Fiber Technologies, LLC. The planned capital expenditures will allow GPS not only to provide the steam required for the paper mill’s daily operations but also to generate 56 megawatts of electricity that will be provided to the electrical grid. GPS will provide base load power, which will be sold to Georgia Power Co. under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

“This is a great project that will help the local economy and advance the goal of energy independence by utilizing locally produced renewable resources,” Tim Kennedy of Green Power Solutions said in a statement. “We look forward to working with the community as the facility takes shape and begins operations.”

GPS will also construct a new wood yard in connection with the project and expects to utilize in excess of one million tons of round wood, bark and other woody biomass annually from the local area.