Resurrecting an abandoned pulp mill with a full range of engineering services

Burgess Biopower

When Burgess Biopower wanted to convert an abandoned pulp mill chemical recovery boiler into a state-of-the-art, biomass-fueled power plant (which converts wood into power), our power group was called in to provide engineering and design services to the engineering, procurement, and construction contractor.

We served as the balance of plant engineer, responsible for the engineering and design of all plant components except the conversion of the boiler proper. Our work included civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical engineering as well as instrumentation and controls design for the reconfigured plant. We also provided the architectural design to renovate the existing boiler building, which is located in the heart of the community.

This redevelopment, which not only benefited the community by providing clean energy, also created jobs for this area which had been hit hard by the closing of the paper mills. The new biopower facility is expected to create about 40 full-time jobs and generate 75 megawatts of green power for the Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH), the state’s largest utility provider.