Biomass-Fired Boiler Addition Planned in Minnesota

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minnesota), is in the planning stages for a proposed $8 million biomass-fired boiler addition at their Morris Campus in Morris, Minnesota (PEC 30000801, Plant 1063517).

Located on 9 Camden Hall on 600 East Four Street, plans are to construct a building addition (size undetermined) to the existing heating plant to house a new boiler system. The system will consist of a delivery system, a fuel storage area, a furnace, and a biomass-fired 15,000 pounds per hour steam boiler. The boiler's primary biomass fuel would consist of wood chips although it will be capable of burning four types of biomass fuel. The intention with this new boiler is to provide smaller markets/facilities with the option to use local or alternative fuels such as: corn stover, corn screenings or Distiller Dry Grain and Soluable (DDGS).

Engineer selections are expected in June 2004 for detailed designs and will be bid separately with a general contractor selection and construction of the building in either early November 2004 or late February 2005. Boiler installation is expected to begin in May 2005 and startup and testing in September 2005. Overall completion for the project is expected in December 2005.

The University of Minnesota was founded in 1851 as a preparatory school seven years before Minnesota became a state. Financial problems forced the school to close during the Civil War but it was later reopened in 1867. The University of Minnesota is considered to be one of the most comprehensive universities in the United States and ranked among the most prestigious. It consists of four campuses: Twin Cities, Duluth, Morris and Crookston. The University of Minnesota serves more than 60,000 students throughout the state and offers degrees in more than 370 fields of study.