Energy Management: Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy

Campus Facilities – Energy Management has taken a leadership role in developing viable biomass fuels for use in the MU Power Plant. A partnership with campus researchers in Agriculture, Ag Engineering, Engineering, and University Extension is yielding valuable information on burning waste agricultural products with coal to reduce fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions. We recently submitted joint grant applications to a USDA/DOE biomass research effort that will allow us to expand our development of biomass feed stocks if awarded.

Current Research Projects

Our efforts to develop and use renewable biomass fuels in the MU Power Plant continue to expand. In addition to wood waste, we are currently working on other possible biomass fuels and projects:

Grasses: We recently conducted a test burn of about 6 tons of switchgrass from a USDA test plot near Centralia. This biomass was difficult to store and handle; we will continue, however, to investigate its possible use.

Crop Waste Biomass: We continue to explore the use of other crop-based biomass, including corn-crop residue and unwanted seed corn.

Corn Cobs

In an effort to develop cost-effective biomass fuels, staff at the MU Power Plant are currently conducting combustion tests of corn cobs blended with coal in the plant boilers. Corn cobs, low in sulfur and ash, are a very clean-burning fuel. Corn cobs were chosen for further evaluation by MU's Biomass Development Team due to the abundance of corn grown in the mid-Missouri area; the cobs' heating value compared to other biomass fuels; and the minimal preparation needed for combustion in the plant's boilers.

Biomass fuels, such as corn cobs, have environmental benefits including the reduction of emissions and a decrease in the formation of greenhouse gases. If successful, this venture will support local corn growers and potentially lower MU's fuel cost.

Waste Wood Chips

Image: A load of wood chips is delivered to the MU Power Plant

The MU Power Plant's ability to use a variety of fuels was expanded in 2007 with the addition of waste wood chips to the fuel mix. The chips annually will replace up to 5 percent of the plant's coal supply.

MU procured 7,000 tons of wood chips from Missouri Mulch, of New Florence, Mo., a subsidiary of Independent Stave, the world's largest supplier of barrels for the wine and whiskey industry. Independent Stave makes 100 percent white oak staves for the manufacture of wooden barrels. The excess wood from barrel production is chipped to a size that can be used by the MU Power Plant.

The white oak is harvested from Missouri and other nearby states. Independent Stave does not manage forests, however buys mostly from private land owners. It has a full-time forester to insure the procurement of only mature, high-quality logs and to assist land owners in managing their timber resources.

Why Use Waste Wood Chips?

Waste wood is plentiful and available from several sources in the area.
Wood chips are easy to handle and store at the plant with minimal investment in equipment.
Wood chips mix and burn well with coal in the plant's boilers.
Waste wood biomass has great environmental benefits.
Waste wood chips can be used a cost slightly less than coal on an equivalent Btu basis.
Replacing a portion of coal with wood chips invests part of MU's fuel budget in Missouri.

What are the benefits of using wood chips?

Burning 7,000 tons of waste wood chips this year will:

Reduce emissions from the MU Power Plant (like sulfur dioxide) by approximately 4 percent.
Reduce over 220 tons of ash for removal.
Lower the campus fuel bill by about $50,000.
Lower greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide) by over 7,000 tons.
Reduce the formation of methane, a very harmful greenhouse gas, by not allowing the waste wood to naturally decompose.
Reduce over 90,000 trucking miles by using a local fuel supplier. This will reduce the amount of diesel fuel used to deliver to the plant by over 16,000 gallons.

Related Information

Tire-Derived Fuel

Utility Production