Birdsboro >> An agreement of sale is the first step to converting the empty Armorcast property into a natural gas plant.
EmberClear Corp., based in Moosic, Lackawanna County, is in the early stages of bringing a natural gas, combined-cycle plant to the site of the former steel mill that closed in 1988.
The plant will be built from scratch, creating about 300 construction jobs during the two-year construction phase, according to Nick Cohen, chief operating officer for EmberClear.
He added that “a few dozen” full-time jobs will exist within the plant once it opens.
“We’ll use as much local labor as possible. You always want to get it from the local unions and trades in that market,” Cohen said. “When you build a project like this, you want to make sure there is a good workforce there. It’s one of the reasons we came to Berks County. There is a proven workforce that has the skills necessary. These are high-end construction skills.”
Cohen added that the project would boost other businesses in the area by working with vendors for things like deliveries, but doesn’t include that ripple effect in its job projections.
EmberClear representatives have worked with officials from Birdsboro throughout the process. The project has plenty of support from the borough.
“The borough is very excited. It’s taking a piece of land that used to be an eyesore and now a company is coming in to turn it into something viable. They’re bringing in jobs and bringing in tax revenue,” said Birdsboro Borough Manager Aaron Durso.
He explained that, once settlement was made on the property, EmberClear doesn’t have to clear many hurdles to start construction, as the site is already zoned for industrial purposes.
Cohen said that EmberClear, in turn, is excited to work with Birdsboro.
“The more symbiotic we can become with the borough the better it is for everybody. We want to be a welcome neighbor, be a community partner,” he said, adding that the plant will be a customer of the municipality, consuming water and paying taxes.
The plant is a relatively small one, putting out about half as much energy as an average size natural gas combined cycle plant. Cohen said the area is in need of an energy plant, since the Titus Station coal plant in Cumru Township shut down.
“I would say that, not just our plant, but all of these clean natural gas combined cycle plants, are vital in providing electric supply and keeping prices low and affordable for the market. Without plants like ours, every time a coal plant shuts down, supply is diminished and costs go up,” Cohen said.
Natural gas plants are more efficient than coal plants, according to Cohen, and result is reduced emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Cohen said that EmberClear, as a Pennsylvania company, is invested in continuing a good relationship with the Birdsboro community.
“For myself and a lot of the executives, we’re getting involved in the community and in this project. This is in our domain. It’s almost in our backyard,” Cohen said.
