FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 31, 2017
Big Equipment Deliveries for Abbott Power Plant
CHAMPAIGN, IL– Delivering energy production equipment that is the size of a two-car garage to Abbott Power Plant takes significant planning and teamwork. The first of two gas boilers, weighing 237,000-pounds each, will be picked up railside south of Champaign and moved on a specialized 12-axel trailer to the plant Thursday morning. Police and bucket trucks will assist on the route by securing intersections and raising any impacted power lines. The second boiler will arrive Wednesday, September 6.
The high-efficiency, low-emission boilers represent the final pieces of a five-year facility upgrade project for the plant, which produces steam to heat the majority of the campus’ 600-plus buildings and simultaneously generates more than half of their electrical demand. These improvements ensure Abbott can support campus’ teaching and research needs through 2050.
The most visible part of the project to date was the dismantling of the plant’s 197-foot tall concrete south stack earlier this spring. To make room for the new boilers, contractors removed one of the plant’s old gas boilers with a hydraulic sled and rails in July. A similar system will be used to place the new boilers, which will go online before the winter heating season.
With the new boilers operational, Abbott will be able to generate an additional 200,000 pounds of steam per hour and reach a peak load of 1,025,000 pounds per hour—the equivalent of 29,710 horsepower, or enough to heat 25,000 homes.
For a multimedia project timeline see: http://go.fs.illinois.edu/abbottboiler
| Media Contact: |
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Department Contact:
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| Steve Breitwieser |
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Mike Larson
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| Customer Relations & Communications |
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Utilities Production |
| Facilities & Services |
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Facilities & Services |
| 1501 S. Oak Street |
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1117 S. Oak Street
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| Champaign, IL 61820 |
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Champaign, IL 61820
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| Phone: 217-300-2155 |
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Phone: 217-333-5139
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| Email: sbreit@illinois.edu |
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Email: mjlarso1@illinois.edu
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Facilities & Services (F&S), provides and maintains a physical environment that is conducive to supporting learning, discovery, engagement, and economic development at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. F&S supports the university’s education, research, and outreach missions by improving the physical condition of the facilities and grounds through construction and building maintenance activities, providing utilities production and distribution, implementing energy conservation initiatives, and increasing customer satisfaction by delivering quality services in a responsive, reliable, and customer-focused manner. www.fs.illinois.edu
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