Exelon could begin construction as soon as next week on an expansion of its 135-MW West Medway oil-fired peaking plant in West Medway, Massachusetts. The company’s plan to add two units and 200 MW of generation to the existing three-unit facility was deliberated for 29 months by state and local officials before a state board approved the expansion August 4.

The expansion includes the installation of two GE LMS100 dual-fuel turbines, operating primarily on natural gas but also using ultra-low-sulfur diesel as backup for a maximum 30 days a year. The company’s website says the new units could start up and be online in about 10 minutes. Exelon in its reports on the project says the gas-fired generation will reduce CO₂ emissions by 40% when it displaces generation from the three older units.

The construction, which will include two 160-foot emission stacks, along with a 50-foot sound barrier to minimize noise, reportedly is expected to take 14 months to complete.…

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