The T.B. Simon Power Plant on campus recently conducted an experiment using biosolid waste to generate electricity as an alternative to burning coal.
The experiment was conducted by MSU and N-Viro International Corp., a company that works with recycling and alternative fuels.
The power plant burned a mixture of biomass and coal in a standard boiler, generating enough electricity to power campus for two days.
Burning the biomass and coal mixture yielded a similar energy output as burning coal. The experiment was so successful that the plant's director, Robert Ellerhorst, said he hopes the university will be able to permanently use the alternative fuel to power its 5,200-acre campus.
"We liked the results," he said. "We intend to apply them to the state to make it more permanent."
MSU's power plant burns more than 1 million pounds of coal per day, a number reflective of the nation's addiction to fossil fuels.
Biomass can be generated using wood chips, alcohol or solid wastes. The use of biomass has been on the rise in Michigan with ethanol plants popping up across the state.
Two types of biomass were burned during the experiment. One consisted of biosolids from the East Lansing Wastewater Treatment Plant and the other consisted of animal manure supplied by MSU.
The biomass was delivered to the N-Viro facility in Toledo, Ohio, where it was mixed with ash and coal. The mixtures were then trucked back to MSU.
The plant burned 270 tons of the mixture consisting of waste from the water treatment plant and 259 tons of the mixture made from manure.
MSU was required to obtain a temporary air-quality permit from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to conduct the experiment.
The power plant will now collect data on the environmental impact of burning the alternative fuel and apply for a permanent air-quality permit.
Bob McCann, a spokesman for the DEQ, said experimenting with alternative fuels is a necessary step toward eradicating our dependence on fossil fuels.
"There is a lot of interest in the state to explore these new technologies that are more cost-effective and more environmentally friendly," he said. "It is a good thing for any energy company to look at. It's something we are supportive of."
The experiment was funded in part by MSU. Deep Bandyopadhyay, a third-year mechanical engineering doctoral student, said the project will most likely bring additional research opportunities to the university.
"The federal government is interested in a lot of work like that," he said. "A lot of research could come of this."
Staff writer Kristi Jourdan contributed to this report.
