University of Alaska Fairbanks Combined Heat and Power Plant
Coal-fired cogeneration plant in Alaska
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The University of Alaska Fairbanks Combined Heat and Power Plant is a coal-fired cogeneration plant at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) in College, Alaska, near Fairbanks. The plant provides electricity and steam heat to the university's main campus and has a generating capacity of 17 megawatts (MW).[1] It is the newest coal-fired power plant in the United States.[2][3][4]
| University of Alaska Fairbanks Combined Heat and Power Plant | |
|---|---|
The older Ben J. Atkinson Power Plant (left) and the Combined Heat and Power Plant (right) in 2024 | |
 | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | University of Alaska Fairbanks, College, Alaska, Fairbanks North Star Borough |
| Coordinates | 64.85392°N 147.81925°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 2015 |
| Commission date | February 2020 |
| Owner | University of Alaska Fairbanks |
| Operator | University of Alaska Fairbanks |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Sub-bituminous coal |
| Turbine technology | Steam turbine |
| Cogeneration? | Yes |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 1 × 17 MW |
| Nameplate capacity | 17 MW |
History
The plant replaced the coal-fired boilers at the adjacent Ben J. Atkinson Power Plant, which had supplied the campus with heat and electricity since 1964. Concerns about the aging plant increased after a boiler failure in December 1998 caused a prolonged loss of heat and power. UAF subsequently examined at least 14 fuel and energy alternatives before selecting a new coal-fired plant.[5]
Coal was retained in part because of the availability of locally mined sub-bituminous coal from the Usibelli Coal Mine near Healy, about 100 miles (160 km) south of the campus. Fairbanks lacked a natural-gas pipeline, and university officials estimated that imported liquefied natural gas would cost at least four times as much as locally mined coal.[6]
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in August 2014, and construction began the following year.[1][7] Construction was completed in 2018, followed by an extended commissioning period. The plant began supplying all heat and electricity to the campus in February 2020. The project ultimately cost approximately $255 million.[1][6]
Design
The plant uses a circulating fluidized bed boiler capable of producing 240,000 lb/h (30 kg/s) of steam and designed to burn Alaskan coal with the ability to co-fire up to 15 percent biomass. Air-pollution controls include limestone and dry-sorbent injection, a multiclone dust collector and a pulse-jet fabric filter.[8]