Eastern Illinois University fires up biomass gasification system

Biomass Power & Thermal
By Anna Austin October 10, 2011

Eastern Illinois University has commissioned a biomass gasification energy system that will annually consume about 27,000 tons of wood chips to provide heat and electricity to the campus.

The gasification plant is the main component of EIU’s Renewable Energy Center, which includes two gasifiers, a back-pressure turbine and two ground-mounted solar arrays. It replaces the university’s existing 10,000-ton-per-year coal system that EIU plans to decommission and repurpose.

Besides its energy savings benefits, the REC has an educational component—it has dedicated classroom space and advanced technology displays that will eventually be part of a center for clean energy research and education. Currently, EIU offers a new academic minor in sustainability, and is in the process of adding a master's degree in renewable energy.

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