Catwalk Beside the Combustion Chamber at HERC in Minneapolis

Maintenance access doors line a combustion unit inside the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) in downtown Minneapolis. These sealed panels provide entry points for inspection and servicing of the high-temperature chambers where municipal solid waste is burned. Operated by Hennepin County since 1989, the facility uses controlled combustion to convert trash into energy, producing steam that is distributed to nearby buildings and used to generate electricity.

Taken January 2019