Ragnar Benson Construction is providing design/build services to construct the Rochelle Energy Center, a new state-of-the-art 4.8 megawatt, 5,900-square-foot renewable energy facility located at Rochelle Municipal Landfill #2 in Rochelle.
The Rochelle Energy Center will use three Caterpillar G3520 reciprocating engine generator sets, each rated at 1.6 megawatts. The project will include a biological treatment system to clean the landfill gas and produce a beneficial usable byproduct. The byproduct is elemental sulfur, which can be used locally as a component of high-grade fertilizer. The gas clean-up process will lower emissions and improve the performance of the facility.
The Rochelle Energy Center began operation in late 2011 and will have the capacity to produce 42,000 Mwh of electricity annually, which is enough to power 4,000 local homes.
