HomeMy WebLinkAboutBiomass Feas. Studies Public Fac. Interior-Closed Northway Field Inspection Report 2014 REF Grant 7060933Northway Village
Field Inspection Report
Biomass Pre-Feasibility Assessment
On April 8, 2014, Wynne Auld of Energy Action and Russell Snyder of Interior Regional Housing Authority visited
Northway Village to gather information for a biomass pre-feasibility assessment. The pre-feasibility assessment
was funded by the Renewable Energy Grant Recommendation Program, which is administered by the Alaska
Energy Authority, and granted to Interior Regional Housing Authority.
Community Information
Northway Village (population 80) is an Alaska Native Village located on the east bank of Nabesna Slough, 50
miles southeast of Tok. It lies off the Alaska Highway on a 9-mile spur road, adjacent to the Northway airport. It
is 42 miles from the Canadian border in the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge. Northway is connected to the Alaska
Highway by an unpaved road. Scheduled buses are available. There is a state-owned 5,100' long by 100' wide
asphalt-gravel runway, with an FAA station and U.S. Customs office. Regular flights are available to Fairbanks,
and there are charter services available as well.
Organization
Northway Village Council governs Northway Village. Day-to-day administration is handled by a Tribal
Administrator. At the time of the visit, the acting Tribal Administrator, Nichol Rallo, was the point of contact. Her
contact information follows:
Northway Village Council
Contact: Nichol Rallo, Tribal Administrator
PO Box 516, Northway, AK 99764
p. (907) 778-2311
c. (907) 590-0299
email: nicholr@aptalaska.net
A Council meeting with the public invited was held on April 8. The entire council and several members of the
community attended.
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Consultant’s Observations
At the public meeting, the Tribal Administrator and Council expressed interest in energy projects that reduce
costs and use renewable resources. In 2013, Northway Village Council participated in the Village Energy
Efficiency Program; improvements were made to the community hall and office, and new doors were installed in
the community hall, fire hall, and truck garage. The Council was particularly interested in solar thermal and solar
electric renewable energy technologies, but also expressed interest in biomass energy. The Council expressed
the following concerns:
• Geotechnical conditions around community buildings are a concern. Buildings are shifting as permafrost
thaws.
• Trees around the Village are very small. Would harvest for a biomass plant be affordable?
• The Council also requested detailed harvest costs in the pre-feasibility study
Both the Washateria and Truck Garage exhibited clear signs of unstable foundations during the site visit.
The Washateria operator, Terry Albert, was present during the site visit. Throughout the site visit, Mr. Albert
pointed out evidence of the foundation instability, and where maintenance personnel had made repairs. Fresh
gaps around doors and windows had been recently filled by foam, and there were cracks in the Truck Garage
cement pad (although it’s not clear how much of that was due to permafrost thaw versus the 2002 earthquake).
Along the above-ground utilidor pilings for the water line that connects the buildings, the earth had settled
about 6”, likely due to heat transfer through the support posts to the ground.
Mr. Albert is certified through the Department of Environmental Conservation as an Alaska Water & Wastewater
Operator. He was also awarded the Tanana Chiefs Conference award for “Accomplishing the Most with the Least
Resources” on two occasions.
To the knowledge of the consultant, there are no planned infrastructure projects in Northway. However, the
Council is well-aware of and concerned about the instability of building foundations.
Costs
Fuel oil is purchased in Northway Village for $4.40 per gallon (See Appendix B). Delivery is by fuel truck.
The current going rate for cordwood is $200 per cord (FOB) when purchased in a 10-cord load. Trucking cost to
Northway is ////. Wood is used for home heating. It is a relatively abundant resource in the Tanana Valley, but
the trees around Northway Village are quite small.
Electricity is 64.82 cents per KWH, delivered from the AP&T power plant Tok (See Appendix B).
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Project buildings
The project buildings are the Washateria/ Waterplant /Clinic (“Washateria”) and Truck Garage. The buildings are
owned and operated by Northway Village Council. These buildings were identified as biomass project buildings
in a 2008 pre-feasibility study, “Preliminary Feasibility Assessment for High Efficiency, Low Emission Wood
Heating in Northway, Alaska,” by Juneau Economic Development Council.
The Washateria is an approximately 2,400 square foot building of SIP panel construction. The Washateria boilers
provide space heating, domestic hot water, and heat to the community’s potable water supply. In 2013, the
Washateria used 4,856 gallons of fuel oil #1. The building heat system includes two (2) fuel oil boilers. The
primary boiler is a Weil McClain P WTGO 6 with 184,000 btu net output, and a hi /lo setting of 180 d. / 140 d. F.
The secondary boiler is a Burnham V905 with 464,000 btu net output, with a hi/lo setting 180 d. / 120 d. F.
Five zones deliver heat to various end uses, which include: clinic (1), domestic hot water (1), and space heat (2).
Hot water appliances include washers (4), faucets, unit heaters, and baseboard piping. The Washateria dryers
run on propane.
The mechanical room in the Washateria also holds a large potable water storage tank. Prior to the installation of
a 44,000 gallon tank adjacent to the Truck Garage, this tank in the Washateria was the only means of storing
potable water. It appears this tank is now redundant and could be removed.
There are spare breakers in the boiler room panel.
Additionally, there appears to be a need for commissioning the Clinic heat system, which is serviced by the
Washateria boilers. Persons working in the Clinic expressed that the Clinic frequently overheats.
The Washateria is elevated off the ground. The biomass project building could be located in the large gravel
parking lot on the west side of the Washateria.
An above-ground utilidor runs approximately 240 feet from the Washateria to the Truck Garage, providing
potable water service to a 44,000 gallon potable water tank located outside the Truck Garage.
The Truck Garage is a modern steel building, slab-on-grade, approximately 2,400 square feet.
The Truck Garage boilers provide space heat to the Truck Garage, as well as trace heat lines for the utilidor. In
2013, the Truck Garage used 4,078 gallons of fuel oil #1 (See Appendix C). The building heat system includes two
(2) fuel oil boilers, both Weil McClain P WTGO 6 with 184,000 btu net output. The boilers are in fair-to-poor
condition. The hi /lo setting is 170 d. / 140 d. F.
End uses of heat include fan radiators (4), domestic hot water faucets, and trace heat lines for the utilidor.
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