Wisconsin-based Convergen Energy said Nov. 8 that it is buying the 20-MW L’Anse Warden Electric Co. (LWEC) power plant in Michigan from the Traxys Power Group.
LWEC is a combined heat and power (CHP) plant located on the shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. LWEC supplies electric power to the grid for the Upper Peninsula under a power purchase agreement for renewable energy.
The plant also supplies steam and electricity to the CertainTeed Plant that is adjacent to LWEC in L’Anse, Michigan. As such, the LWEC plant generates both steam and electricity for sale. The plant may also be known as the John Warden power plant.
Convergen Energy is a producer of renewable alternative fuels that are used in industrial and municipal boilers as a substitute for coal and other fossil fuels. The acquisition is part of Convergen Energy’s strategic growth plan to enter the renewable power market.
“”LWEC has a proven history of producing renewable power and provides a valuable source of power generation in the U.P. We look forward to being a part of the community and providing reliable power generation in the U.P. for years to come,” said Convergen Energy CEO Ted Hansen.
The 18 union members who operate the plant will continue in their current positions, Convergen said in a news release. The LWEC power plant has been a major employer in the L’Anse community since 1959.
The facility evidently burns biomass, including scrap wood and bark among its fuel sources.
Convergen, with company headquarters in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is part of the Libra Group, an international business group. No purchase price was disclosed.
