HomeMy WebLinkAboutMentasta Demonstrates a Small-Scale Chip System 2011Mentasta Demonstrates a Small-Scale Chip System
With funding through Alaska Energy Authority’s Renewable Energy Fund, the Mentasta Traditional Council
designed and constructed a small-scale chip system to heat the school, clinic/tribal offices, post office, and
community hall. This system is anticipated to displace approximately 10,800 gallons of heating fuel using 135
tons of chips.
The total cost of the project was $400,000. The design was $32,000 and the construction was $68,000. The
community donated the old fire hall for chip storage and the cold storage for the boiler building.
In 2011, the community was paying $4.70/gallon for fuel oil, resulting in a simple payback of the proposed
project of approximately 8 years. The system became operation in late 2014, so the actual economics of the
system will be calculated after a year of operation.
Fuel is currently purchased from Tok from the same fuel supplier as the Tok School – George Pines and Thad
Tucker. Fuel is chipped with the Tok Umbrella Corporation chipper and shipped to Mentasta in the walking floor
bins. The cost is $1600 per load, $80/ton. The fuel is stored in the old fire station which can store up to 60 tons.
The boiler has been using about 20 tons per month.
There are approximately 5 years of decked or soon to be deck logs. The community will rent the Tok chipper
and process their own fuel. This is a great opportunity for cost savings.
The boiler is a Portage & Maine Chip Boiler with a capacity of 500,000 Btu/hour. The boiler was approximately
$60,000 delivered to Mentasta. There is 700 gallons of insulated thermal storage that was locally constructed.