Schmid Biomass Boilers in Maine

Many miles traveled and a few changes since my last post to "Burning Wood". In my new role as Product Manager for Northline Energy of Edmonds, Washington, I am pleased to report that the first two Schmid Boilers in North America are up and running and saving their owners on heating energy bills this winter.

The first is a 900 kW Schmid UTSR hot water boiler at Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle, Maine. The boiler is supplied with a water cooled moving grate to permit it to operate efficiently on premium wood pellets while allowing for future experimentation with alternative agricultural pellet fuels. An ASME boiler vessel was produced in Ontario and mated to the firebox on site under Northline and Schmid supervision.

The wood boiler is located in the existing boiler room of the Mailman Trades Building and connected via underground piping to the main plant in the Christie Complex across the street. When final changes to piping and distribution are complete, pellets will meet most campus needs in all but the coldest design conditions.

A grand opening celebration was held in October. See: New NMCC wood boiler to save money, reduce carbon footprint.

Real time graphical interface illustrating the silo, UTSR and buffer tank tied into the main systems at NMCC.

The pellet silo is situated within the walls of the old coal bin. A plumb bob probe updates the pellet level on screen.

 The second is a UTSP 700 kW steam boiler at Millinocket Regional Hospital in Millinocket, Maine. The UTSP is an underfed retort stoker design, ideal for this system, which will burn only wood pellets. Again the ASME pressure vessel was produced in Ontario and mated to the Schmid firebox and subsystems on site. A new boiler building and adjacent silo were constructed at the rear of the Hospital to accommodate the boiler, automatic de-ashing systems and controls. Since start up in December, the Hospital has burned almost no fuel oil.

Schmid quality is equal to the best in the world and the controls are sophisticated without becoming overly complex or touchy. They appear to strike the right balance between technology and reliability in operation. See linked the Bangor Daily News article for the owner's comments: Millinocket hospital saving money with new biomass boiler, using pellets made in Maine

Schmid "Personal Touch" interface on the control panel provides key operating parameters at a glance.

Joe Graf from Eschlikon, Switzerland, makes final adjustments to pneumatic cleaning during Commissioning.

I am very pleased to be working with Northline to bring these Swiss engineered biomass boilers to the North American market. We are looking forward to the next round.