Ames Power Plant Repairs Reaching Final Stage

From the City of Ames:

Posted 1/24/2020

Power Plant Repairs Reaching Final Stage

Boiler tube repairs to the Ames Power Plant Unit 7 are complete, and the plant has been burning refuse derived fuel (RDF) since Jan. 3. However, a temporary screen installed to protect the turbine is preventing the unit from operating at full capacity. The screen was installed to stop foreign material that may come from the boiler since performing the tube replacements. The unit will go offline the evening of Sunday, Jan. 26, for the screen to be removed. It is anticipated the Power Plant will be back online and burning RDF at full capacity late on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

“We are really close to having everything complete, and we appreciate the community’s interest and patience in this project,” said Power Plant Manager Curtis Spence.

Repairs to the Ames Power Plant have limited garbage processing at the Resource Recovery Plant (RRP), which serves as the trash processing system for Story County. For several months, waste haulers have been trucking municipal solid waste to local landfills rather than processing the garbage to produce fuel for the Power Plant.

Story County residents can take several steps to reduce the amount of garbage produced. Glass recycling bins are located at several grocery stores to collect food container glass like jelly, pickle and salsa jars. The new Food Waste Diversion (FWD) pilot project allows residents to purchase a bucket and punch card to dispose of food waste at the RRP. More information about the program is available at www.CityOfAmes.org/FWD

This press release was produced by the City of Ames. The views expressed here are the author’s own.