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Media Relations Contact: Joanne Brigandi 609-561-9000 x4240,
jbrigandi@sjindustries.com
Investor Relations Contact: Stephen Clark 609-561-9000 x4260,
sclark@sjindustries.com
Plans Announced for methane-to-electric project in Burlington County
Marina Energy to join DCO Energy in Power Project
FOLSOM, N.J. — Marina Energy has entered into a partnership with DCO Energy, which signed a 20-year agreement with the Burlington County Board of Freeholders to lease and operate a facility that will produce electricity from landfill methane gas. The 7.2 MW facility is expected to go online at the county landfill complex in the fourth quarter of 2007. A portion of the electricity generated from the facility will be used by the landfill complex and the remainder will be marketed into the PJM grid.
By pursuing this type of project, the landfill complex will be able to meet a portion of its power requirements and not have to rely exclusively on utilities for its electricity. The project will use about 2,500 cubic feet per minute of landfill gas which will generate over 60,000,000 kilowatt-hours per year ; enough energy to power 5,400 homes for a year.
“We are proud to be partnering with DCO on such an exciting project that will make Burlington County one of New Jersey’s largest renewable energy producers,” said Mike Renna, vice president of South Jersey Industries and COO of Marina Energy. “Through grants provided by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, New Jersey has taken a lead role in promoting renewable energy projects such as this one,” Renna added.
Frank DiCola, president and managing member of DCO Energy said, “I am very pleased to have Marina Energy join DCO in the project and to continue the working relationship between our two companies.”
The addition of this project to Marina and DCO’s portfolio will result in the partnership being one of the largest generators of electricity from landfill gas in New Jersey.
More commonly called landfill gas; methane is produced when organic landfill waste decomposes. When methane is recovered as an energy source, it helps to reduce air pollution. In the past, landfills burned excess methane to reduce potential hazardous buildups of the gas. Gas is extracted from the landfill from wells using fans and blowers and is then fed into a series of pipes that deliver the gas to a central point.
Marina Energy, a subsidiary of South Jersey Industries , along with DCO Energy has collaborated on the development and construction of similar facilities at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority Landfill in Egg Harbor Township, N. J. and the Warren County Pollution Control Financing Authority in White Township, N. J. The ACUA project was so successful that Marina and DCO recently added a second generating unit and they plan to install a third unit in 2007. The system in Warren County will go online shortly.
South Jersey Industries (NYSE:SJI) is an energy services holding for South Jersey Gas, South Jersey Energy Solutions, South Jersey Energy, Marina Energy, South Jersey Energy Service Plus and South Jersey Resources Group. For more information about SJI and its subsidiaries please visit www.sjindustries.com.
DCO Energy, headquartered in Atlantic City, N. J., develops onsite and near-the-site energy production technologies for hotels, casinos, colleges, hospitals, correctional facilities, multi-building sites and other large-scale facilities that operate around-the-clock or have large energy needs.
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