Wood-to-energy boiler installed

POLAND — Officials of the Maine Forest Service and RSU No. 16 gathered recently for the installation of the first wood-to-energy boiler in Maine funded by federal recovery-act monies through the Maine Forest Service.

The 2.3 million BTU boiler, manufactured by Mawera of Vorarlberg, Austria, will be lifted by crane and placed through the open roof of Poland Regional High School into its permanent location. The work is being done by Northline Energy, managed by Dan Worcester, out of its western Maine offices.

In 2009, the Maine Forest Service received $11.4 million in funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. A total of 13 grants to fund the installation of biomass boilers has been approved. The ARRA grants are expected to create and retain about 200 jobs around the state.

The Poland middle/high school project was in the first round of grant applications to be approved, and the boiler is the first to be installed under the Maine Forest Service-ARRA grants. The project was awarded $636,372, with a total project cost of $712,785.

The new wood-to-energy system will supply more than 2.3 million BTU per hour of hot water heat to the 134,000 square foot school. This state-of-the-art biomass system will replace 47,000 gallons of No. 2 fuel oil per year, at an estimated annual savings to the school of more $125,000.

This project is funded in part through an ARRA grant awarded by the Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, USDA Forest Service to the Department of Conservation, Maine Forest Service