Swedish Biogas International AB started construction of its biogas plant in Flint, Michigan on Monday, August 9th. The $9 million plant will bring green jobs to a city that has been badly hurt by the imploding auto industry. Almost two years ago, the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf took part in the groundbreaking ceremony in 2008 together with Michigan’s Governor, Jennifer M. Granholm.
The technique for converting human waste to energy is well established in Sweden. If the pilot plant in Flint is successful, it could be followed by similar plants around the country.
Local politicians, including Mayor Dayne Walling sees the plant as a step in making Flint a center for biogas technology. “We want them to not stop with Flint. We want other cities to adopt that technology because that means job growth for us,” he said.
“It is the next milestone in a project we started several years ago to bring Swedish clean technology to Michigan,” Sweden’s Consul General Lennart Johansson, said at the construction start.
Tom Guise, CEO for the U.S. subsidiary of Swedish Biogas International, described the plant as a “demonstration plant,” which will show other cities the way. Swedish Biogas will cooperate with Kettering University doing research on bioenergy.
Cecilia Helland
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