The centerpiece of the $19.6 million project is a new 55-ton turbine that was lifted into the plant on June 8, placed through a 24-foot by 30-foot opening in the building’s façade. It will produce approximately 95 percent of the campus’ electrical needs, and generate about 98 percent of its thermal needs, in the form of steam heat. The new turbine replaces a 29-year-old co-generation turbine unit and 64-year-old boiler that ceased operation in April 2016 at the Heating Plant, which was built in 1951.

"This will make us one of the most efficient campuses, in terms of energy creation, in the United States," said Tony Duty, the Heating Plant's project manager for EMU.

The old turbine and boiler were gutted and removed, and the trades added structural reinforcement at the plant for the new system. About 25-30 Hardhats have been working on the installation of the 7.8 megawatt turbine and all the related work. "These are really good, competent, hard workers we have here," Duty said. 

While the campus system has been offline, a utility tie-in with DTE Energy has fed EMU buildings. The new co-generator will result in an annual reduction of 32,600 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), equivalent to 78.2 million miles driven by an average passenger vehicle.

According to project partner Opterra Energy Services, the natural gas-powered co-generation system's turbine creates electricity, while the 950-degree heat from the exhaust air stream is channeled into a heat recovery steam generator. The steam that's created is then distributed to campus buildings via an existing system. When the thermal load on campus exceeds the recoverable energy from the exhaust, a supplemental duct burner in the heat recovery steam generator provides additional thermal capacity at 90 percent efficiency.

Eastern Michigan University said it is expected to achieve annual energy savings of more than $2.8 million. The project is expected to be substantially completed in January 2018.