Image courtesy of Seminole Electric. SeaCoast Gas Transmission was responsible for the construction of the gas pipeline connecting the Seminole combined-cycle project site. Unit 2 was retrofitted with the new low-NOx system in April 2007 and began start-up in May 2007 with comparable NOx reduction numbers. This is the second rate Continue Reading , A forecast team from Colorado State University has predicted an above-average level of activity in the Atlantic basin this hurricane season. If you continue using our website, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on this website. Phase 1, scheduled for a 30-day outage, included installation of the new economizer outlet flues, SCR diverter dampers, and partial replacement of the air heater inlet flues. Excel: Contact Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Get Information About the Volkswagen Settlement, Florida Mitigation Fund, Protect the Environment from Solid and Hazardous Wastes, Environmental Accountability and Transparency, Ad Valorem Tax Assessment of Pollution Control Devices, Florida Department of Environmental Protection Northeast District, St. Johns River Water Management District, Units 1and 2 - 09/18/1979; Unit 3 - 08/18/2008 (never built); Seminole Combined Cycle Facility (7/27/18). Construction on SCCF began during the first quarter of 2020 and was expected to commence service in the fourth quarter of 2022, coinciding with the removal of one Seminole coal unit from service.[2]. Im just not in favor of revolution, and thats whats going to happen.. Lafarge uses the synthetic gypsum to produce about 900 million square feet of wallboard each year. Phase 2 included upgrading the air heater rotors, installing the underground utilities, modification of the ID fan concrete foundations, replacement of four ID fans, and commissioning. Officials at Seminoles distribution co-ops say higher electric bills would be a certainty. The generating station soon began deliveries by conveyor of the roughly 550,000 tons per year of synthetic gypsum. Latest air emissions reduction upgrade. The G&T and its member co-ops have rallied members to send emails to members of Congress. Like us on Facebook to see current photos, get updates on major outages and receive energy saving tips & information. 1,300 MW (Units 1 & 2); 1,100 MW (SCCF) which will replace either Unit 1 or Unit 2, Summary of Submittals required by Conditions, Original Final Order of Certification, and if applicable, Land Use Consistency. With the scruber upgrade and the addition of the SCRs, the removal rate increased to 90%. Baseline testing was performed on Unit 1 during January 2006 with a blend of 70% Patiki coal and 30% pet coke prior to the combustion upgrades. The upgraded process is also capable of using an organic dibasic additive (DBA) to improve scrubbing efficiency to 98%, but the cost of the chemicals and other downstream water treatment difficulties make it an unattractive alternative at present. We are constantly asking, What can we do to be safer, more environmentally compliant and more competitive? said Brenda Atkins, director of plant operations since 2008. What you see is silos have been broken down at this facility, which allows us to work in unison and be the best plant we can be.. SECI has been successful in reducing its environmental footprint by preventing "pollution through the minimization, reuse, recycling, and reclamation of materials and products used in our operations," as the companys environmental policy says. The 2 x 60% load forced-draft fans were also upgraded as part of a post-SCR project because they would have run short of capacity during the summer. This page was last edited on 2 February 2022, at 03:07. Its real people that have to pull this money out of somewhere or not spend it somewhere else, said Derick Thomas, director of member and public relations at Clay Electric Cooperative in Keystone Heights. PowerFossil Fuel / Coal and GasCombined-Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT), Natural gas-fired combined-cycle power plant. Climate Change Litigation: Ripe for Growth? Some content on this site is saved in an alternative format. EPA wants a 34 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector in Florida, starting in 2020, and a 38 percent cut by 2030. Interested in subscribing to DEP newsletters or receiving DEP updates through email? If the EPA guidelines cannot accommodate Seminole Generating Station, theres probably not much hope for any coal plant. Those jobs just arent available.. The Seminole combined-cycle power plant will require 8.26 million gallons per day (MGD) of water for cooling, which will be sourced from the St. Johns River. Please contact clientservices@accessintel.com or call 888-707-5814 (M Th 9 am 5:30 pm and F 9 am 3 pm. The original plan for the plants air quality control system included a "limestone inhibited" wet flue gas desulfurization system designed to remove 90% of the SO2 from the plants flue gas. The plant itself donates more than $30,000 a year to various causes and is backed by the G&T for even more donations and contributions in the community. Most of the coal is purchased from mines in southern Illinois and western Kentucky. The low CO emissions can be attributed to fine control of the secondary air and good jet penetration and mixing of the OFA with the combustion gases rising from the burner zone. Seminole Electric Cooperative is developing the gas-fired combined-cycle facility adjacent to the existing coal-fired Seminole Generating Station (SGS). Few coal-fired plants can make these claims. In the latter part of the 19th century, Palatka, the county seat, was a thriving hub of tourism and commerce with steamships along the St. Johns River, multiple railroad lines and visits by three presidents, including Grover Cleveland, who honeymooned there. Due to this change if you are seeing this message for the first time please make sure you reset your password using the Forgot your password Link. If this plant wasnt here today, itd be a pretty big blow. Carmen's focus is to deliver deep, fact-based articles and to free up our human journalists to interpret, analyse and explain developments. The top stories of the day delivered to you every weekday. The fourth fan remained in service for the initial two days of the second outage and was used to cool down the unit. The contractual scope includes providing instrumentation and controls, as well as distributed control system (DCS) support services for the project. In 1986, FW retrofitted an overfire air (OFA) system on the front and rear walls of both boilers. The forced-oxidized system incorporates air injection to ensure a fully oxidized gypsum product. In a small, rural community, that loss might be as painful as the exodus of jobs. The system pressure drop was measured at less than 5 inches of H 2 O well under the guaranteed value. The vision of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is to create strong community partnerships, safeguard Floridas natural resources and enhance its ecosystems. Were not quite part of northeast Florida, were not quite part of the Gainesville region, were not quite in the Daytona Beach region.. As a teenager, McDaniel was part of a hunting and camping club across U.S. 17 from where the 1,300-megawatt, twin-unit facility was rising out of the scrub pine stands of north Florida. Seminole Generating Station is a 1,471.8-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power station owned and operated by Seminole Electric Cooperative near Palatka, Florida. The new plant is to be approximately 750 MW and will use supercritical boiler technology. As production manager, Ed Gonzalez is responsible for the safe and reliable operation of Seminole Generating Station on a given shift. The total installed capacity of the facility will be 1,050MW. The plant is not going to go down without a fight. The video features an overview of the past year and the announcement of trustee election results. The plant is configured to burn up to 30% petroleum coke blended with coal when the price is right. Each assembly has the capability of diverting coal flow between the three outlet coal pipes at each end of the ball mill as well as some side-to-side distribution control (Figure 2). Members using the industry Continue Reading , Due to the continuing rise of natural gas prices, Clay Electric Cooperative will implement an increase in its rates, beginning with May billing cycles. Fuel costs continue to rise as natural gas hits 14-year high, Rising natural gas costs force another rate increase, Above-average activity predicted for 2022 hurricane season, Soaring fuel costs cause $4 increase in members bills, Annual Meeting gathering is Saturday, March 26. would hit Florida harder than any state except Arizona. The site was approved for an 1100 MW combined cycle unit that will replace one of the coal units. The Seminole gas-fired power project is being financed through rural development loans from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Impacts are especially severe among the elderly, children, and those with respiratory disease. Workers at the plant face years of uncertainty since the regulations likely will undergo numerous court challenges. The existing fan was demolished, modification of the foundation was completed, and the new fan was installed. The CO emission target of 200 ppm was easily met with a blend of 70% Patiki coal and 30% pet coke and was well below the baseline prior to the retrofit (125 ppm versus 167 ppm). Seminole Electric Cooperative, one of the biggest power generation and transmission co-operatives in the US with an approximately 1.8 million consumer base in Florida, is developing the project with an estimated investment of 582m ($727m). With SO2 allowances selling at historic lows, many utilities may find it more economical to purchase additional allowances required under the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPAs) acid rain program. Wherever needed the information is further validated through primary from various stakeholders across the power value chain and professionals from leading players within the power sector. GE was contracted for the supply of turbines and generator equipment for the project, while Flenco Fluid System was subcontracted by GE for the supply of auxiliary systems. Theres a real disparity in opportunities for people in our area who like to work with their hands. The net benefit to SECI (including gypsum sale revenue and reduced costs for landfill operations) is estimated to be $5 million to $6 million a year over the gypsum sales contract term. Seminole Generating Station consists of two 650-MW steam units that together burn about 11,000 tons of coal daily. Its kind of the unmentionable: We dont want to talk about it. . Robert Peltier, PEis POWERs editor-in-chief. Once dewatered, the sludge was blended with fly ash and lime to produce a poor-quality concrete that was stored at an onsite landfill. SECI believed that investing about $25 million in this system would return a "good neighbor" dividend in the form of increased safety. Seminole, its member co-ops and their consumer-members would be on the hook for those bills, as well as the replacement power the G&T would acquire. Our accomplishments, success and future mean so much to you, and it shows, she wrote in appreciation. A mixture of water and 12% limestone is sprayed in the flue gas as it passes through the scrubber, and the SO2 reacts with the calcium in the limestone to produce calcium sulfate, also known as synthetic gypsum. The table below estimates the death and illness attributable to the Seminole Generating Station. Lafarge North America Inc., a world leader in building materials, operates more than 2,100 industrial sites around the world. named Seminole Generating Station as one of the top six coal plants, EPA Rule Puts Florida Plant, Community in Jeopardy. Courtesy: Foster Wheeler. Follow RE Magazine and REmagazine.coop starting August 3 for additional coverage. Gas and Steam Turbine Insulation Products, Industrial Gas Treatment, Flue Gas Cleaning and Industrial Odour Control Systems, Thank you for subscribing to Power Technology. Brian McDaniels wife is an elementary school principal, and he hears about the plants civic involvement at school and social events. I think theres a lot of denial right now. The construction works on the project were started in March 2020, with commissioning expected in early 2023. The precipitator particulate removal efficiency is 99.7%. The OFA system upgrade resulted in an increase in OFA flow from approximately 10% to 25% of the total combustion air used to further reduce NOx formation in the upper portion of the combustion zone. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Your JavaScript is turned off limiting this websites functionality, (*copy the id # and paste into the Facility ID field to locate associated Permits). If the plant is idled in spite of its accomplishments, Seminole Generating Station still will have outstanding loans that stretch to 2042. NOx monitoring is performed before and after the SCR. The 1.05GW Seminole gas-fired power project is located in Putnam County, Florida, US. Electric Co-op Today. Together, the sister units burn a total of 11,000 tons of washed, 3% sulfur coal each day. I think it was that same jolt with people saying, Oh my, we really can have plants close. . This system safely avoids the onsite storage and handling of ammonia. The Seminole gas-fired combined-cycle power project is being developed on a 32-acre site adjacent to the existing 1.3GW coal-fired SGS facility near Palatka, Putnam County, Florida, US. The flue gas path of each SCR system is illustrated. Especially with the EPA, everybody is very aware of whats going on, Gonzalez said. SGS has completed scrubber upgrades to improve the mechanical efficiency of its scrubber operation. Were not at the angry stage yet, but were at the apprehensive stage, said Nicole Livingston, supervisor of budget and administration at the plant. The staff of Seminole Generating Station have completed multiple, incremental plant improvements over the past decade that have significantly reduced air emissions and minimized solid waste disposal. As this work was performed with all fans in service, the bearing vibration levels had to be monitored closely by the operators. Tick the boxes of the newsletters you would like to receive. These same modifications were made to Unit 2 during the spring of 2007. The project generated 7,521,193MWh of electricity. SECI is in the process of securing the necessary regulatory approvals for a third unit at SGS. You give us the reason to go the extra miles, do the additional work, and try our hardest., As Chip Laibl, the county commissioner,put it: You guys have been tangible; tax-wise a great partner and community-wise, we feel you all the way down to pee wee soccer. Fine particle pollution is formed from a combination of soot, acid droplets, and heavy metals formed from sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and soot. In 2010, Abt Associates issued a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, quantifying the deaths and other health effects attributable to fine particle pollution from coal-fired power plants. Valuations of illnesses ranged from $52 for an asthma episode to $440,000 for a case of chronic bronchitis. We will also announce the Continue Reading , By Steven Johnson | ECT Staff Writer During the Phase 1 outage the existing economizer outlet flue was demolished, with the exception of the last 20 feet of the air heater inlet flue, and new diverter dampers and economizer outlet/air heater inlet flues were installed. Its kind of the subject people want to avoid, McDaniel said. The other associated facilities for the project will include a control room, a maintenance area, a warehouse, a fuel gas regulation station, fuel gas heaters, and a diesel-fired emergency fire water pump, along with aqueous ammonia storage tanks, and a wastewater treatment facility. New OFA throats and registers were installed at the same elevation above the outboard burner columns on both the front and rear walls. SECI was the recipient of a Leadership Award from the Council for Sustainable Florida in recognition of the success of this project. CO emissions of less than 175 ppm were attained over the load range during performance testing. Its not just the fact that we have people on site; it would be a pretty devastating blow to the community.. Ammonia required for the SCR systems is produced on site by a urea-to-ammonia system in which a urea solution is converted to gaseous ammonia. TIC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation, was selected as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the Seminole combined-cycle power project in April 2018. Seminole Generating Station uses about 10,000 tons of coal daily, putting it in the crosshairs of the proposed Clean Power Plan. In fact, should the supercritical Unit 3 be built, the total air emissions of all three units will be less than those of just Units 1 and 2 a decade earlier. Image courtesy of General Electric. I consent to GlobalData UK Limited collecting my details provided via this form in accordance with the, Introducing the Excellence Awards & Rankings 2022, Industrial solutions for power generation, Power industry venture financing deals total $1.9bn globally in June 2022, Europes power industry saw a rise of 16.67% in cross border deal activity during June 2022, Power industry cross border deals total $15.9bn globally in June 2022. This is going to hurt. I talk to a lot of people, said Kelley Smith. But an 1884 fire wiped out downtown, subsequent freezes destroyed the citrus industry, and Palatka and Putnam County found themselves as landlocked bystanders when development and prosperity passed them by. Diverter dampers and SCR outlet dampers are installed in the flue gas path and operated together to divert the flue gas through the SCR (SCR mode) or to bypass the flue gas around the SCR (SCR bypass mode). The SO2 oxidation was guaranteed at 0.5% and measured less than 0.1% across the entire SCR. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is the states lead agency for environmental management and stewardship protecting our air, water and land. The following icons link to free Reader/Viewer software: The site certification includes two nominal 650 MW coal-fired, dry bottom wall-fired boilers with conventional steam turbine-electric generators (Units 1and 2). Operation of the gas diversion system is relatively straightforward (Figure 4). Top Plants: Bull Run Fossil Plant, Clinton, Tennessee, Feds Must Deliver on Climate Change Legislation, Ensure Your Valve Replacement Parts Meet OEMSpecs, Low-NOx Retrofit for Firing Coal/Petroleum Coke Blends, SCR Reheat Burners Keep NOx in Spec at Low Loads, Emissions Control: Cost-Effective Layered Technology for Ultra-Low NOx Control, It's Not About Base Load Performance Anymore, From the Lab to the Field: Making the Most of Your Microgrid, "The use of advanced simulation in the design of the Xe-100 Advanced Reactor Power Plant". 4. Heres how they did it. Weve got you covered! Post completion of construction, the project got commissioned in February 1984. As EPA puts the final touches on its Clean Power Plan, Putnam County has become an unlikely proving ground for the tradeoff between reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pushing an economically distressed region over the edge. 2022 Access Intelligence, LLC - All Rights Reserved. The region, Laibl said, simply cannot afford to lose Seminole Generating Station. It owns the two 650-MW coal-fired units at SGS; the Richard J. Midulla Station, consisting of a 500-MW natural gas fired combined-cycle plant placed into service in January 2002; 310 MW of gas turbine peaking units added in December 2006; and a 15-MW share of Progress Energy Floridas Crystal River Unit 3 nuclear plant. A final construction schedule has not been determined. In addition, the OFA system was upgraded with new FW VS OFA registers to provide increased OFA flow and better mixing. Power industry news, data and in-depth articles on the global trends driving power generation, renewables and innovation, Receive our newsletter - data, insights and analysis delivered to you. The electricity generated by the Seminole combined-cycle power plant will be evacuated into the Florida transmission network through a 230kV power transmission line. Were in the donut hole, said Putnam County Commissioner Chip Laibl, drawing his hands in a circle. While it didnt really constitute a huge layoff, it was a closure and people relocated who once lived here. The Seminole combined-cycle facility (SCCF) is intended to displace one of the 650MW coal-fired units of the Seminole Generating Station (SGS), which has been operational since 1984. SCR mode is achieved with diverter dampers open toward the SCR and the SCR outlet dampers open. PowerNuclearPlant >, Cap des Biches Combined Cycle Power Plant, Equinor, SSE Thermal to acquire Triton Power in 341m deal, PowerInvestmentCombined-Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT), CenterPoint Energy wins approval for 460MW gas-fired power facility, DTE Energy starts operations at 1,150MW Blue Water Energy Centre, TENEX winner of the Mitsubishi Research Institutes tender, ENEXSA Energy Expert Software Applications. It is located in Florida, the US. One explanation is the uncertainty surrounding the EPAs Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR), which was issued, challenged, struck down, vacated, and then temporarily reinstated. It has been developed in multiple phases. Unless youre in agriculture, farming, or something like ecotourism, folks are moving toward areas where there are more computer-based opportunities, said Bobby Payne, senior project development representative at Seminole Electric Cooperative. We have recently upgraded our technology platform. As of 2021, Seminoles capacity expansion plan included a new advanced, large-frame two-on-one natural gas combined cycle unit under construction adjacent to the existing Seminole Generating Station Plant (Seminole Combined Cycle Facility or SCCF). "We chose the upgrade-and-additional-controls route instead of purchasing clean air allowances," explains Director of Plant Operations Brenda Atkins. "By upgrading our scrubbers from 90% to 94% SO2 removal, we will also increase our synthetic gypsum production by approximately 75,000 tons each year.". This corresponds to a reduction in NOx of approximately 35%. A combination of long-term capacity and energy purchase agreements from utility and merchant plants, firm renewable capacity, and energy purchase agreements and interchange agreements with 23 other electric utilities completes SECIs electricity resource mix. By end of the second outage, which lasted 30 days, all four fans were ready for operation. SCR bypass mode is obtained with diverter damper closed toward the SCR and the SCR outlet louver damper closed. The upfront fan foundation work started shortly after completion of the first phase and was completed prior to start of the second phase. Synthetic gypsum from the SO2 scrubber is sold to an adjacent wallboard manufacturer. The SCCF will utilise the water intake and discharge structures, as well as the switchyard facility of the existing SGS coal-fired power station. No one expects green jobs to fill the void. The plant will be furnished with a dry low-nitrogen oxide (NOx) combustor and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to mitigate NOx emissions. The workforce is anxious about its future and knows it is under a microscope, he said, which is reason to strive for improvement. The choreography associated with this upgrade was well planned months in advance. The combined-cycle power station will be equipped with two 7HA.02 gas turbines, two duct-fired heat recovery steam generators (HRSG), and an STF-D652 steam turbine from General Electric (GE). Emissions from each unit have been reduced by incrementally upgrading the scrubber, adding low-NOx burners and other combustion system upgrades, and, most recently, adding a selective catalytic reduction system. 2. It was a little wake-up call, Jones said. Osteria Williams recently received the Seminole-sponsored 2015 Career and Technical Education Superstar award for Putnam County, where only 11.4 percent of the population has earned four-year bachelors degrees. More than 26 percent of Putnam Countys 72,523 residents live below the poverty line. The natural gas for the Seminole combined-cycle power plant will be supplied by SeaCoast Gas Transmission, a subsidiary of Florida-based TECO Energy, through the 33.8km-long Palatka Lateral pipeline connecting the Putnam Hall natural gas line of the Florida Gas Transmission (FGT) system. Twelve days prior to beginning the second outage, the first fan was taken out of service and the primary fan work started. Twenty-three employees were given job opportunities elsewhere. The project got commissioned in February 1984. We are first in your inbox with the most important news in the industry―keeping you smarter and one-step ahead in this ever-changing and competitive market. You cannot go to one of these functions without somebody saying, Hey, Brian, and they point at Seminole Electric contributing to events, he said. Completed in 2020, the Palatka Lateral natural gas pipeline project involved the installation of two mainline block valves (MLVs) and a pig launcher/receiver at the FGT gate station. Lafarge opened its second state-of-the-art drywall manufacturing plant in 2001 adjacent to SGS. I believe the majority of the people in our community and our state believe we should be going more and more to renewables, said NRECA Florida Director Kelley Smith, a former state legislator and member of the Putnam County Commission that gave the plant the go-ahead in the early 1980s. Check out the Bostwick Blueberry festival or make plans for this Octobers motorcycle ride to benefit mortgage-free homes for injured war veterans, both programs that Seminole supports. Its a big, big impact for us., Copyright 2014Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc. Prior to the pollution control enquipment upgrades, testing indicated that approximately 82% of the mercury was being removed. This unoxidized limestone scrubber produced about three-quarters of a million tons per year of a very heavy sludge that was difficult to dewater. The SGS is located on a 2,000-acre parcel of land 6 miles north of Palatka, Fla., along the St. Johns River. [3] The study found that over 13,000 deaths and tens of thousands of cases of chronic bronchitis, acute bronchitis, asthma-related episodes and asthma-related emergency room visits, congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, dysrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, chronic lung disease, peneumonia each year are attributable to fine particle pollution from U.S. coal-fired power plants. The project is currently active. Continuous balancing act. The denial is not because people are comfortable that it wont happen. In that way, the fate of Seminole Generating Station and the fate of the community are inextricably linked. The 31-year-old plant is the backbone of Seminole Electric Cooperative, providing the Tampa-based G&T with more than half of the power it needs for its nine member electric cooperatives and 1.4 million homes and businesses. When the dust settled, Phase 1 was completed in 31 days for Unit 1 and 30 days for Unit 2; Phase 2 was completed in 35 and 34 days, meeting or improving upon the original schedule milestones. Amec Foster Wheeler supplied steam boiler for the Seminole Generating Station (Seminole Generating Station Unit II).