St. George campus’ central heating system, known as a “fuel train,” is about to undergo a full restructuring. The system’s boilers and related parts no longer meet Ontario regulations set by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority. Governing Council passed a proposal on June 23 to renew the fuel train over a three-year period with a total cost of $6.138 million.
The Central Steam Plant, located on Russell Street, supplies heating to over 74 per cent of the campus’ indoor spaces. According to the project’s planning report, of the total five existing boilers, two are from the early 1950s with operational controls last upgraded in the 1980s, while two are from the late 1960s and one is from the mid 1990s.
The older systems are obsolete because they depend on pneumatic systems rather than the newer, more efficient electronic systems. The existing fuel train is not up to date with TSSA standards because there is only one protective device for each boiler, whereas TSSA mandates one protective device for each individual burner held within a boiler.
Director of Utilities and Building Operations Bruce Dodds says the university first brought this to the TSSA’s attention. The regulator issued a variance, grandfathering the rules to 2008 standards. This allows the system to continue running until the major renovations are finished.
Mr. Dodds stressed that the university intends to update the system well before the end of the variance granted by the TSSA, avoiding penalties for non-compliance.
The repairs will take place in three phases. Three boilers will have their components replaced this year, followed by one boiler for each of the following two years. Work will take place during the summers to avoid interference with campus heating. No disruptions are expected, since work will be confined to the interior of the Central Steam Plant.
The project will be funded by the the Utilities and Infrastructure Fund, which, according to Dodds, “is a reserve fund with an annual allocation of approximately $3.5 million per year provided through the utilities budget for major renewal items.
“The fuel train project represents just under 2 years’ allocation and is the reason we are doing the work over several years,” said Dodds. “Ongoing maintenance and renewal is part of the cost of keeping the system in operation, just the same as buying fuel for the plant.”
Governing Council has budgeted for various expenses, including construction, taxes, hazardous waste removal, planning, demolition and insurance.
