This plant was built to satisfy nearly all of the UMass Amherst campus electric and steam demands, including over 200 buildings and nearly 10 million SF of building space. The plant, housed in a 45,000 SF building with a 23,000 SF mezzanine, has a power process system that includes a 10 MW solar combustion gas turbine, a heat recovery steam generator, four package boilers, various administrative spaces, and auxiliary equipment.
The plant produces 10 MW of electricity at 13.8 kV for on-campus consumption. A heat recovery steam generator uses the exhaust heat from the gas turbine to produce steam for campus heating year-round. Three package boilers, each rated up to 125,000 pounds per hour of steam, provide additional steam capacity to meet campus demand in the spring, fall, and winter months.
Environmental controls include a selective catalytic reduction to control the emissions of nitrous oxide and oxidation catalysts to control carbon monoxide emissions. Two 20-inch main steam transmission lines connect the plant to the existing campus distribution system.
