About 200 buildings in downtown Seattle and First Hill will be heated by a renewable fuel boiler. The boiler, run by Seattle Steam, will operate on urban waste wood, according to a press release.
Using waste wood will displace about half of the natural gas previously used in the operation.
Seattle Steam says that about $5 million previously spent on Canadian natural gas will instead go toward waste wood gathered from the Seattle area.
The boiler, located at the Western Avenue Steam Plant, will use about 250 metric tons of wood a day, or 10-12 truckloads worth.
Seattle Steam calls urban waste wood a good long-term solution because the amount required to run the boiler represents only four percent of the waste wood available on the local market.
Leftover ash from burning the wood is being converted into industrial products in the area, Seattle Steam says.
