The city of Minneapolis is investigating a fire that broke out on the roof of the University of Minnesota’s Southeast Steam Plant following an explosion on Feb. 6.
An update to the ongoing investigation detailed that the roofing materials of the plant appeared to have caught fire where a steam line exits the building, according to a Feb. 18 Minneapolis Fire Department statement. There were no reported injuries.
While the fire is a consequence of the plant’s malfunction, it is not a causation, according to associate professor Suo Yang. Why the fire reached the building’s exterior is unknown.
The damage was contained to the roof, and the cleanup process is now complete, according to the Minneapolis Fire Department. Waterproofing is underway, while a new roof is being designed for permanent repair.
Campus operations remain unaffected, including heat to buildings, according to the latest investigation update.
This is not the first time the steam plant has caught fire. The Minnesota Daily reported a similar fire in 2006, which caused property damage but saw no injuries.
The Minneapolis Fire Department released a statement of its own the day after the fire.
“With the bulk of the fire under control, crews continue to battle hot spots on the roof at this time, having to remove portions of the roof membrane to ensure the fire is fully extinguished,” the statement read.
The night of the fire, the University issued two SAFE-U alerts detailing a slight explosion at the plant.
The Southeast Steam Plant is a combined heat and power plant that provides energy for the East Bank and West Bank. Steam is transferred to University buildings through pipes in underground tunnels, the Minnesota Daily reported.
For many, the operations required to run a steam plant are a mystery, but Yang explained that it is not as confusing as it may seem. Energy plants like Southeast, Yang said, turn biomass materials into energy using pressure created by boiling water.
“When you burn the fuel, it’s mainly to heat the boiler. The boiler will basically create a high-temperature, high-pressure steam,” Yang said. “Depending on what’s your usage, it can provide heating for the community.”
Though the plant is considered relatively sustainable, the Southeast Steam plant has garnered criticism over the years, largely due to its Mississippi River location.
In 1997, environmentalist groups and Minneapolis city officials fought a $6 million legislative offer to relocate the plant, but the move never came to fruition. The plant has been remodeled a handful of times since then, according to the Minnesota Daily.
While the heat-power combination plant model is considered sustainable, Yang says there is nothing 100% in this world — especially when it comes to renewability. The efficiency of any energy plant hinges on environmental factors.
“It depends on the available resources at a certain location. It depends on the local climate. I would say at least for community heating, the steam plant is still the most efficient way,” Yang said. “It’s definitely more efficient than a single-family house, because that’s one by one; always less efficient than when you do it together.”
