The REC, which is driven by two large biomass gasifiers that use wood chips from forest residue for fuel, is a 19,000sq ft steam plant that will provide heat for buildings and classrooms across the university grounds.
The new biomass installation will help EIU to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 20,000 metric tons.
To heat the campus, a material-handling system at the plant delivers wood chips to the biomass gasifiers where they are broken down in a heated, oxygen-deprived chamber, creating a synthetic gas that burns similar to natural gas.
The REC also features a back-pressure turbine that is powered by superheated steam from one of the boilers to generate electricity, as well as two ground-mounted solar arrays.
The turbine and arrays will provide other sources of renewable energy for the university and generate almost three million kWh of electricity per year.
