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MPUC Decision Spells End for Two Coal Units at Xcel’s Largest Plant

October 15, 2016

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) voted unanimously to support Xcel Energy’s latest long-range plan, which will transform the company’s energy fleet.

Xcel expects to more than double its renewable energy portfolio as a result, delivering greater than 60% carbon-free energy to its Upper Midwest (Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) customers by 2030.

Coal-Fired Capacity Takes a Hit

The MPUC approval finalizes Xcel’s decision to retire Units 1 and 2 at the Sherburne County Generating Plant (Sherco, Figure 1) in Becker, Minn. Sherco is a 2,222-MW three-unit facility—Xcel’s largest. The company announced last year that it wanted to close the 1976- and 1977-commissioned units, but it still plans to continue operating the 860-MW Unit 3 (added in 1987). Xcel co-owns that unit with Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, which holds a 41% stake.

1. Sherburne County Generating Plant. Units 1 and 2 will be retired in 2023 and 2026, respectively. Courtesy: Xcel Energy

Laura McCarten, regional vice president of Xcel Energy, told POWER that Unit 1 would be retired in 2023 and Unit 2 would be shuttered in 2026.…

Delayed Again, Kemper County IGCC Plant to Start Operations in a Month

October 6, 2016

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Mississippi Power’s integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant under construction in Kemper County, Miss., will likely be placed in service by November 30, a month later than anticipated. The delay will be costly.

Mississippi Power reached a new milestone on September 16, announcing that it had started producing syngas using the second gasifier—gasifier “A”—at the facility. Initial production of syngas at gasifier “B” began on July 14, demonstrating the viability of transport integrated gasification technology, which is being used for the first time at commercial scale, Southern Co. said in a statement.

In late August, however, gasifier B was taken offline for inspection, the company said in an October 3 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

“The removal of ash and ash deposits prior to the inspection of gasifier ‘B’ required more time than initially expected. Additional time has been added to the schedule to allow for the restart of gasifier ‘B’ and for both gasifier trains to achieve the sustained capacity levels necessary for the initial operations and testing of the syngas clean-up systems and the production of electricity using syngas,” it said.…

Watts Bar Unit 2 Nuclear Plant Completes Power Ascension Testing

October 4, 2016

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The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has reached another milestone in its effort to bring Watts Bar Unit 2 into commercial operation: The unit completed its final power ascension test—a 50% load rejection from full power—and safely returned to full power on September 30.

The testing had been halted on August 30 due to a switchyard transformer fire. Although the fire did not affect Unit 2’s systems, which responded to the event as designed, the affected transformer had to be replaced before testing could resume. The TVA said a rigorous and detailed inspection, repair, and testing process was performed before the transformer was returned to service on September 26.

Power ascension testing included more than 40 required tests at various power levels up to 100% output, with pauses at 30%, 50%, and 75% (Figure 1). The gradual increase in power provided data, which was used to verify that the unit was operating as designed.

1. Watts Bar Unit 2 power ascension testing plan.

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Explosion at Chinese Coal Power Plant Reportedly Kills 21

August 15, 2016

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News agencies are reporting that an explosion at a coal-fired power plant in Dangyang, a city in central China, has killed at least 21 people and injured five others, three seriously.

The event is said to have occurred around 3:20 p.m. local time on August 11. The facility—designed to generate thermal power and sell slag, ash, and petroleum products—is owned by Madian Gangue Power Generation Co. Some sources suggested that the plant is in the process of being commissioned and was undergoing testing at the time of the incident.

Steam pipe explosion at central #Hubei , #China power station kills 21, injures 5
pic.twitter.com/syqbBlhKCa

— Mete Sohtaoğlu (@metesohtaoglu) August 11, 2016

It has been difficult to establish specifics about the blast. An investigation is said to still be in progress. Initial reports identified the plant as a chemical facility, but it was later determined to be the coal power plant site. Although several sources have suggested that the event was triggered when “a high-pressure steam pipe exploded,” the number of casualties, ensuing fire, and volume of black smoke shown in pictures posted on Twitter that are said to be of the event, suggest that something much more explosive initiated the incident.…

Massive Fire Forces DTE Energy’s St. Clair Power Plant Offline

August 13, 2016

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A massive fire broke out at DTE Energy’s St. Clair Power Plant in the early evening on August 11.

Firefighters reportedly received the call for assistance at around 6:30 p.m. and fought the blaze well into the following morning.

Video taken during the incident shows flames in several spots on the north end of the plant’s roof, extending well to the south. There is smoke coming out of vents throughout the entire length of the facility, which has six operational units with a total capacity of 1,547 MW.

The plant invoked emergency procedures and shut down all units onsite by 7:01 p.m. DTE Energy said employees were evacuated safely and that there were no known injuries at the plant.

Firefighters from St. Clair and Marine City were first on the scene, but as many as 30 departments, including Port Huron, which is nearly 20 miles to the north, were said to have been involved in extinguishing the fire.

In a statement released at 8:26 a.m.…

Entergy Considering Sale of FitzPatrick Nuclear Plant to Exelon

July 13, 2016

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Entergy Corp. announced on July 13 that it is in discussions with Exelon Corp. concerning the potential sale of the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Scriba, N.Y.

The news comes following the release of the New York Department of Public Service’s proposal to subsidize zero-emissions attributes of upstate nuclear power plants, including FitzPatrick (Figure 1).

1. James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant. Entergy plans to close the 838-MW single-unit facility on January 27, 2017. The company said its decision was based on “the continued deteriorating economics of the facility.” Source: Entergy Corp.

Entergy announced on November 2, 2015, that it would retire the FitzPatrick plant. Key drivers cited by the company included “significantly reduced plant revenues due to low natural gas prices, a poor market design that fails to properly compensate nuclear generators like FitzPatrick for their benefits, as well as high operational costs.”

Today, Entergy said its discussions with Exelon are consistent with its commitment to consider any viable option that would allow FitzPatrick to remain in operation.…