BENSON, Minn. 鈥� The country鈥檚 first power plant fueled by turkey manure and wood chips was demolished Wednesday morning, Aug. 14.
Built in 2007 as an alternative to land-spreading turkey litter 鈥� and as a new type of renewable energy that helped Xcel Energy meet a legislative mandate for purchasing green energy in exchange for storing radioactive waste 鈥� the massive power plant that had been praised in the past and toured by politicians was loaded with explosives and left in a heap.
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There were a few loud booms and seconds later the 15-story boiler house crumpled over on its side and the 30-story smokestack fell like a tree and crashed to the ground.
The implosion drew a small crowd of spectators who grabbed good viewing locations before law enforcement closed off roads to the site, located on the edge of Benson.
A 10-story dryer building at the Benson Power plant, which was originally built and operated at Fibrominn, was brought down with explosives Saturday morning.
Ray Zukowski, of Control Demolition from Phoenix, Maryland, said the demolition process started two months ago as the bottom 30 feet of the boiler house was cleaned out and the upper levels were cut with torches to make room for the explosives.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very long, drawn-out process to get structure ready,鈥� said Zukowski, who gave the orders to 鈥渇ire鈥� before his co-worker pushed the button on the 鈥渂lasting machine to set off two electric caps.鈥�
There were 166 linear-shaped charges 鈥� varying in length of 12 inches to 54 inches 鈥� placed in the boiler room and seven charges in the smokestack.
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鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to hear four sets of bangs. Nothing鈥檚 going to happen,鈥� Zukowski said, while explaining what was about to happen. 鈥淭hen you鈥檙e going to hear four really loud bangs and that鈥檚 when the charges go off.鈥�
Zukowski said his crew was going to leave Benson shortly after the implosion and complete 14 other jobs in five states before the end of the month.
鈥淲e knock them down, they have to clean them up,鈥� he said.
Local officials said much of the debris from the structures, which includes tons of metal beams, was being recycled.
The demolition came about after Xcel Energy purchased the plant in 2017 with plans to raze it and purchase less expensive types of renewable energy. The arrangement included payments to the city of Benson to assist with economic development for the site.
Rob Wolfington, Benson City Administrator, said the city will complete its purchase of the land this year and has a letter of intent from a California company who plans to build a plant there to turn dairy manure into biogas, refine it and put it into the pipeline.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the plan,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not here yet but we have a letter of intent.鈥�
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Wolfington said some parts of the original plant will remain intact, including the fuel hall, administrative office building, truck wash and scales.
