Page 4 - The Bell Tower - Winter/Spring 2014

Biomass Opening
UMFK and the Maine School Administrative District #27 cut a ribbon on February 28, marking the inaugu-
ral firing of the $5.5 million Pleasant Street Academy Biomass Project, located on the site of the former Fort Kent Armory. The project is expected to save the two institu- tions millions of dollars in energy costs during the next decade. The project is largely funded through a $2.7 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant.
The project made fast tracks following its mid-June groundbreaking. Initial staging for the project took place during the summer months and work began, in earnest, during the fall. Trenching and the installation of 8-inch underground piping were completed during the fall. Crews moved expeditiously to complete that element of the project before
the ground froze. The piping will transport hot water (195 degrees)
to ten University buildings and four nearby buildings at MSAD #27’s Community High School/Valley Rivers Middle School and Fort Kent Elementary School.
In 2011, UMFK and MSAD #27 partnered together, in an extension of their joint College Community Project, to apply for, and develop, the environmentally-friendly initiative. The project will lower energy costs with the installation of two, multi-fuel boilers to create a shared heat- ing plant, and connect it to the 12 project facilities to provide them with space heating and domestic hot water service. Once operational, the plant will complete the conversion of the entire campus from foreign oil to local biomass alternative fuel sources for heat and hot water.
The biomass boiler will boost the local economy by: dramatically reducing costs; supporting local landowners and natural resources- based workers; keeping dollars spent on energy in the local economy; stabilizing the heating portion of the institutions’ budgets; retaining jobs through costs savings; and, creating new jobs.
2 | The Bell Tower
UMFK President Hess and MSAD#27 Superintendent, Tim Doak (center), cut ribbon marking the opening of the biomass project.
The ceremonial inaugural “firing” of the biomass boilers.
Fort Kent Elementary School third graders provided environmental-based artwork for the ribbon-cutting event.
Official ceremony featuring honored guests.