Utility Production

The MU Power Plant has been providing steam and electricity for the MU campus from its current location since 1923. The plant originally was equipped with four small coal-fired boilers, and two steam turbines. Today the plant is equipped with six boilers, four steam turbine generators, two gas turbine generators with steam heat recovery, and five deep wells providing steam, electricity, and water to the MU campus.

Electric Production

Gas turbine generator.

Electricity for the MU Campus is produced in turbine generators driven from the high pressure steam from the plant's boilers and gas turbine generators. The plant uses Combined Heat and Power to produce electricity at twice the efficiency of a conventional power plant, resulting in cost savings for MU.

The MU Power Plant has four steam turbine generators ranging in size from 6 MW to 19 MW and two gas turbine generators rated at 13 MW which are capable of meeting the entire campus electricity demand. Having a full capacity power plant allows MU to purchase low-cost interruptible electricity from other sources when economically feasible.

A Power Plant employee inspects a boiler.

Steam Production

Steam for the MU campus is produced in the plant's boilers and heat recovery steam generators (HRSG). The plant uses a variety of fuels including coal, natural gas, chipped tires, fuel oil and biomass to make steam for MU. The boilers include two chain-grate boilers, two spreader-stoker boilers, a fluidized-bed boiler, and a gas/oil fired boiler. The boilers are equipped with baghouses with hydrated lime injection to clean the exhaust gases before entering the chimneys.

The steam passes through the turbine generators to cogenerate electricity before its delivered to the campus. Steam delivered to the MU campus is used for heating, sterilization, production of chilled water, and other thermal energy uses.

Water Production

Five deep well pumping stations located throughout the campus supply MU with high-quality mineral water. Each pumping station pumps water from deep underground aquifers to clear well storage reservoirs. The water is then delivered to the various uses on campus. MU's high quality water supply meets all applicable federal and state requirements for a public drinking water system and is tested regularly. To view the most recent Annual Water Quality Report (Consumer Confidence Report), click here.

Water on the MU campus is used for drinking, irrigation, chilled water production and steam/electricity production.

Wood chips are mixed with coal before burning.

Power Plant Fuels

The MU Power Plant uses a variety of fuels to reliably and economically provide energy for the campus. Fuels include coal, natural gas, chipped tires, fuel oil and biomass. Coal, chipped tires, biomass, and fuel oil are are delivered to power plant by truck, and each shipment is weighed and sampled before acceptance. Natural gas is purchased from gas marketers off Panhandle Eastern Interstate pipeline and transported to the plant through our local gas company, Ameren UE.

The plant’s two most unique fuels are chipped tires and biomass. The plant currently is replacing 5 to 10 percent of its coal use with these fuels. Chipped tires are obtained from a partnership with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Department of Corrections under the nationally recognized state tire clean-up program. MU's Power Plant is recovering over 350,000 tires annually with this program. Recently, the plant began using biomass to supplement its fuel supply. The plant currently is using annually over 7,000 tons of waste wood chips procured from local suppliers. This renewable biomass reduces fuel costs, lowers emissions, and helps our local economy.