Biomass Plant under Construction at College

Construction of a biomass generation plant has started at the Colby College in Waterville, Maine. The plant will generate heat from steam and power from hot water, saving about one million gallons of fuel each year. The project will cost approximately $11.2 million. College officials say the plant will recover all costs within six to 10 years.

Efficiency Maine has granted the college an amount of $750,000 to fund the project, work on which will conclude in spring2012. The plant will have two 400 hp boilers and a below-grade storage space and will be able to use up approximately 22,000 tons of wood chips and other forest waste products per year All the wood and forest waste will be procured from wooded areas sourced from within 50-miles of the plant.

The plant is expected to enable the college attain its goal of becoming zero carbon by the year 2015. Currently it sources all of its energy requirements from renewables, such as biomass, wind and hydro.