Oat hulls help power campus

Oat hulls are the source of 20 percent of the fuel consumed in the University of Iowa's main power plant.

The university burns the hull by-product from a Quaker Oats facility in nearby Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to generate steam.

The award-winning Biomass Fuel Project faced a hurdle over the summer when the Iowa River flooded nearly two dozen buildings on campus -- including the power plant. But four months later, the plant was back in business.

Now the UI is working to expand its renewable fuel use. Engineering students are helping to study the possibility of converting a second coal boiler to burn hulls.

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Contact: Wendy Moorehead,
Facilities Management,
319-335-1246,
wendy-moorehead@uiowa.edu.