Emissions Reduction Projects

Emissions Reduction Projects

FPD has reached a milestone in its work as part of an ongoing emissions reduction effort to ensure the continued improvement of air quality in Minnesota. In September 2003, Xcel Energy announced plans to convert its Riverside and High Bridge coal plants to natural gas. The move came in response to an emissions reduction bill passed in 2001 by the Minnesota Legislature. The facilities were part of a $1 billion upgrade of Xcel power plants in Minnesota and other midwestern states. Both upgraded plants are now online.

With the EPA finalizing the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) in July 2011 to address utility emissions that cross state lines, FPD is in an ideal position to help additional facilities comply. Below are some examples of emissions reductions projects FPD has participated in.

Alliant Energy Emissions Reduction Projects

At the Prairie Creek Generating Station in Cedar Rapids, IA, work on environmental upgrades was recently completed on units 3 and 4. This project's scope of work included the installation of an ACI system, calcium bromide and LFGC equipment, a pre-engineered building and HVAC systems.

At the Burlington Generating Station in Burlington, IA, teams installed activated carbon injection (ACI) systems, calcium bromide chemical feed systems and liquid flue gas conditioning (LFGC) equipment. The project also included construction of a pre-engineered building and associated HVAC as well as the removal of electrostatic precipitator (ESP) inlet nozzles and replacement of this equipment by a new ESP inlet duct arrangement that included 120 tons of new ductwork completed incident-free and ahead of schedule.

Ottertail Big Stone Plant Air-quality Control System

Construction progress is Two-Thirds Complete on Big Stone Plant's air-quality control system (AQCS) surpassed the two-thirds mark in late September. With total labor hours now exceeding 1,294,000.

Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR)
The SCR converts nitrogen oxide (smog) into water vapor and breathable nitrogen (N2) and will reduce emissions from 0.7 pounds per million BTU of fuel to 0.1.

Dry Scrubber
A dry scrubber targets sulfur dioxide (acid rain) and turns it into fly ash, which we will safely store in our ash disposal site. The dry scrubber will reduce sulfur dioxide emissions from 0.75 pounds per million BTU of fuel to 0.09.

Baghouse
Our new baghouse is one of the most efficient and cost-effective filtration systems for separating dust particles from dusty gases.

Xcel Energy, Comanche 1 & 2

All units have low-nitrogen oxide (NOx) burners to control NOx, and lime-spray dryers to control sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. Activated carbon injection is used to control mercury emissions on all three units. Unit 3 has a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to also reduce NOx emissions. As a result of the plant’s environmental improvements, overall SO2 and NOx emissions at Comanche Station are lower, even with an additional unit on line.

Basin Electric, Leland Olds Station

The Leland Olds Station has always been in full compliance with all its federal and state environmental permits. By adding the scrubbers, Leland Olds will be in a better position to operate for an additional 20 to 30 years. Commercial operation for the Unit 1 scrubber began in 2011 and the Unit 2 scrubber is scheduled for completion in 2012.

Xcel Energy, A.S. King

The King plant was completely rehabilitated from 2004-2007 as part of Xcel Energy's Metro Emissions Reduction Project. Improvements included steam turbine replacement, steam generator repairs and modifications, coal handling upgrades and the addition of state-of-the-art air quality control equipment. The improvements were targeted at significantly reducing air emissions and restoring the King unit to its original electricity output capacity, while extending the life of the plant.

Great River Energy, Pleasant Valley

Pleasant Valley Station is Great River Energy's newest natural-gas fired combustion turbine plant, with the first two units operational in 2001, and the third in 2002. The power plant uses three large simple-cycle combustion turbines to produce approximately 420 megawatts of electricity on a hot summer day and more than 480 megawatts on a cold winter day.

Xcel Energy, Blue Lake

Each of the two new turbines would be fired by clean-burning natural gas and would have a summer capacity of approximately 160-megawatts. Currently, the Blue Lake plant has four units fired by oil and a capacity of 225-megawatts; the Angus Anson plant has two units that can be fired by either natural gas or oil and a capacity of 223-megawatts. "The two new turbines are needed to ensure a reliable supply of power during peak demand periods in 2005 and thereafter,"

Xcel Energy, Riverside

This project involved replacing two coal-fired units at the Northeast Minneapolis plant with a new 390-megawatt natural gas combined-cycle arrangement. The in-service date for this project was May 2009.