OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (AP) — Oak Ridge National Laboratory built its reputation through the power of the atom and is now tapping the power of wood and steam.
ORNL officials tell The Knoxville News Sentinel a new wood-powered steam plant is so highly efficient, it will create $200 million in savings on fossil fuel costs over the next 25 years. That’s far more than the $60 million price tag for the Biomass Steam Plant.
The plant takes in waste wood chips from the Oak Ridge Hardwoods business, uses temperatures of 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit to convert them to synthetic gas and then burns that fuel to produce up to 21 megawatts of power for heating.
It’s allowing the laboratory to shut down four fossil-fuel boilers.
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Information from: The Knoxville News Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.com
