Boiler stack coming down, marking end of era for campus energy infrastructure

Demolition work at Northwest's former power plant is almost finished as the University enters the third and final phase of its infrastructure modernization project. (Photo by Lilly Cook/Northwest Missouri State University)

As the completion of Northwest Missouri State University’s three-year infrastructure modernization project nears, a final piece of the institution’s earlier history will be demolished this week.

A demolition contractor working with Northwest is scheduled to begin removal of the campus’s 140-foot boiler stack during the morning of Thursday, Sept. 10.

The step marks the culmination of Northwest’s demolition of its John C. Redden Jr. Power Plant this summer. The original building – though it had been rebuilt and expanded – was constructed and opened in conjunction with the Administration Building in 1910.

In its place, eight miniature heating plants installed in existing campus buildings will each provide redundant heating capacity for their areas, with the ability to connect and share heat with neighboring plants. Additionally, three new chillers will deliver more consistent cooling throughout campus.

Northwest began the estimated $105 million project in 2024, enabling the University to deliver more reliable, sustainable and cost-effective utility services to campus facilities. For more information and updates related to the project, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/alert/infrastructure/. 

History of the Power Plant

The Power Plant had been a fixture near the Administration Building, since both buildings were completed in 1910. (Northwest Missouri State University photo)

In the spring of 1906, the newly-formed Board of Regents at what was then called the Fifth District Normal School approved plans for an academic hall, landscaping and a powerhouse for heating. In the fall of 1910, students began attending classes in the Administration Building, powered by the power plant to the east.

As decades passed and the campus grew, the power plant also evolved. In 1918, an additional structure was built east of the original powerhouse to store carloads of coal in preparation for potential winter shortages. In 1928, the original brick smokestack was replaced with a 150-foot-tall white stack, and the original powerhouse was rebuilt to coincide with the installation of a 390-horsepower steam boiler.

As a result of fuel shortages and increased energy costs during the 1970s, Northwest began exploring and experimenting with alternative forms of energy. The University eventually converted to a wood waste-fuel power plant by burning wood chips generated from manufacturing processes in Missouri and surrounding states. By 1983, it generated 69 percent of the total energy to heat the campus and saved the school more than $150,000 in energy costs.

The conversion to wood waste drew numerous accolades for Northwest, which continued to innovate in the 1990s. When the city of Maryville began looking for alternate methods of reducing paper waste to save landfill space and transportation costs, Northwest retrofitted a gas boiler and purchased equipment to process paper pellets made from recycled paper products. Northwest also developed a method to pelletize and deodorize animal waste and acquired a U.S. Patent by using waste from its farm as another source of fuel for the campus.

Beginning in the 1980s, Northwest converted its Power Plant to a wood waste-fuel power plant by burning wood chips. Backhoes scooping wood chips for burning at the Power Plant was a common sight on the campus. (Northwest Missouri State University photo)

During a 35-year period, Northwest realized an estimated $16 million in savings because of its alternative energy program, compared to purchasing natural gas and oil. In 2023, however, Northwest discontinued its use of alternative fuels, due to its aging boilers and antiquated components and began work to modernize its energy infrastructure.

The John C. Redden Jr. Power Plant was renamed in 2019 for Redden, who dedicated 45 years of service to Northwest and played a key role in launching and maintaining its innovative alternative fuels program. Last year, the Board of Regents approved renaming the University’s Maintenance Building as the John C. Redden Jr. Maintenance Building to retain the honor bestowed for Redden’s dedication to Northwest and its facility operations.