MORRIS, .Minn A biomass burning plant will be built on the University of Minnesota’s Morris campus now that the Board of Regents has approved construction. Lowell Rasmussen, the associate vice chancellor for physical plant and planning on the Morris campus, said they hope to begin building the plant next month and are targeting February for it to start producing steam heat. The biomass burner is unique because it will use corn stover, employing a gasification process to produce steam for energy that will be used throughout the Morris campus, Rasmussen said Tuesday.
The plant will have room for more equipment, and campus officials are hoping to add a steam turbine to generate electricity for the campus, she said.
"The campus also has a wind turbine, it’s all part of an effort to make the campus energy self-sufficient by 2010, using energy produced on site, not purchased elsewhere the biomass plant will cost nearly $9 million. A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide part of the funding." Campus spokeswoman Judy Riley said Wednesday
The Associated Press – Friday, June 15, 2007
Congratulations to UMinn-Morris and Morris Minnesota for this exciting biomass project. Here’s the rest of the story:
