To facilitate the proposed $1 billion expansion of its Olive Creek 2 facility (GM Oct. 9, 2020), Monolith Materials Inc., Lincoln, Neb., and Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) earlier this month signed a letter-of-intent to procure enough renewable energy resources to generate two million megawatt-hours annually. NPPD will secure the generation resources, and power to the facility will be delivered by Norris Public Power District, a wholesale customer of NPPD.
“Renewable electricity is the primary input to our proprietary process,” said Rob Hanson, Monolith CEO and Co-Founder. “While affordability and reliability are key business considerations, the sustainability of our power supply is also a critical factor for Monolith. We use this renewable electricity to sustainably make essential products for the automotive, industrial, and agriculture sectors.”
The OC2 project will produce 275,000 mt/y of anhydrous ammonia, which will be targeted toward local farmers. The facility will also produce 180,000 mt/y of carbon black. When the expansion is complete, Monolith will be Nebraska’s largest consumer of electricity – and the company wants it all to be renewable.
Olive Creek 1 (OC1), a $100 million investment and Monolith’s first production facility, is already putting into practice the company’s focus on sustainability, utilizing renewable energy credits to offset 100 percent of its electricity needs.
NPPD President and CEO Tom Kent said NPPD will solicit bids for the project through a request for proposals (RFP) for new wind or solar generation, including energy storage, through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). It expects to enter into PPA by Sept. 1, 2021, with commercial operations expected to begin no later than Dec. 31, 2025. NPPD plans to issue the RFP in March 2021