University of Minnesota-Morris
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University of Minnesota-Morris

The Morris campus biomass gasification facility displaces more than 80 percent of the campus fossil fuel usage, primarily natural gas. This biomass gasification facility uses locally available biomass residues such as corn stover ("stalks") as a source of carbon. The facility also utilizes the steam that is created to run a steam turbine, which will cool the campus buildings. The biomass facility is one component of the campus' goal of becoming energy self-sufficient and carbon neutral.

The biomass gasifier

  • consumes about 9,000 tons of corn residue and prairie grass pellets per year, harvested from farms within a 20-mile radius of Morris;
  • designed to gasify a variety of agricultural fuels including wood, perennial grasses, and crop residues;
  • avoids 8,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year;
  • generates 19 million BTUs of heat energy per hour at peak capacity;
  • injects about $500,000 per year back into the local economy through the purchase of crop residues;
  • will create up to 10 new jobs.