EcoLocalizer

Flint is going to be home to a new biogas company from Sweden. The talks have been in the works for awhile now but last week officials from Swedish Biogas International visited Flint and the news…it is a definite yes. Construction is scheduled to start as early as September or October after Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf visits on September 26.

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I know in my last post about Flint’s future being green due to alternative fuels and engines was a bit negative. This is due more to the unrelenting focus Flint and most of Michigan have on hoping that GM will save the day after all the damage they have done. I do not think making the Volt’s engine alone will put Flint on the “green” map. However, combined with the new biogas plant…well Flint may be showing the promise of a green future after all.

I am actually kinda excited about the new biogas plant. It won’t be far from my home and will bring new jobs to the area. Even though initially it will only employ about 25 -45 people if all goes well it could lead to the creation of hundreds more jobs, not to mention it will be putting to good use 3 currently vacant buildings in the wastewater facility. Way to go green Swedish Biogas.

Of course there’s a lot of work to be done, construction and renovations of those buildings but hopefully Swedish Biogas will be using local labor and resources to construct and renovate their new facilities. Local Flint construction workers could really use the work.

The new biogas plant in Flint offers hope and promise for alternative fuels in this area. In Linkoping, Sweden taxis, buses and government vehicles run off biogas fuel. Wouldn’t that be great if we could run our cars off human waste? It’s an endless supply, probably the most readily available and renewable resource out there.

Currently Flint plans to use the biofuel created to heat city buildings and reduce electrical bills with hopes of someday powering vehicles. To run cars off biogas biofuel a converter needs to be installed on engines. This has potential for Flint as well, with the promise of being a possible manufacturing location for the converters.

Another possibility is treatment of waste sludge that can then be converted into fertilizer and sold to farmers.

The biogas company shows a lot of promise for the Flint area. More so than GM’s Volt, which even if it goes through will only save 300 jobs (that would otherwise be lost) instead of creating new jobs.

I just hope the biogas plant is not going to be a smelly place since I live not too far from the area, but I suppose it can’t be any worse than the sewage smells that already linger there on hot days.