Brandon Shores Generating Station
Encyclopedia
The Brandon Shores Generating Station is an electric generating station located on Fort Smallwood Drive north of Orchard Beach
in Anne Arundel County
, Maryland
, near Glen Burnie
, and is operated by the Constellation Power Source Generation subsidiary
of Constellation Energy Group. Brandon Shores consists of two Babcock and Wilcox
coal-fired boilers and two General Electric
steam turbines with a combined nominal generating capacity of 1370 MWe
. Unit 1 went into operation in May 1984 and Unit 2 in May 1991.
The station shares a 483 acres (2 km²) site adjacent to the Patapsco River
with the Herbert A. Wagner Generating Station
. The Brandon Shores plant dominates the site with its 700 feet (213.4 m) exhaust and 400 feet (121.9 m) flue gas desulfurization
(FGD) system stacks.
annually. Coal for both stations is delivered by barge. Although there is a railroad spur
into the site, it is unused and would require improvements to restore it to an operational state.
s, sulfur dioxide
and mercury
, the plant was substantially renovated between 2007 and 2010. A new 400 feet (121.9 m) twin FGD stack was built to replace the existing 700 feet (213.4 m) stacks, which have been capped and are inoperative. Flue gas from the boilers is routed through the emissions control system that sprays the exhaust with a limestone
slurry and collects gypsum
for use in wallboard
and fly ash
for use in concrete. The system uses treated municipal wastewater from the Anne Arundel County Cox Creek wastewater treatment plant
as the source of water for making the limestone slurry.
regional transmission organization
.
Orchard Beach, Maryland
Orchard Beach is an unincorporated community in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States....
in Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, near Glen Burnie
Glen Burnie, Maryland
Glen Burnie is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States, and is a suburb of Baltimore. The population was 67,639 at the 2010 census...
, and is operated by the Constellation Power Source Generation subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of Constellation Energy Group. Brandon Shores consists of two Babcock and Wilcox
Babcock and Wilcox
The Babcock & Wilcox Company is a U.S.-based company that provides design, engineering, manufacturing, construction and facilities management services to nuclear, renewable, fossil power, industrial and government customers worldwide. B&W's boilers supply more than 300,000 megawatts of installed...
coal-fired boilers and two General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
steam turbines with a combined nominal generating capacity of 1370 MWe
MWE
MWE may refer to:*Manufacturer's Weight Empty*McDermott Will & Emery*Midwest Express, an airline*Merowe Airport - IATA code*Multiword expressionMWe may refer to:*Megawatt electrical...
. Unit 1 went into operation in May 1984 and Unit 2 in May 1991.
The station shares a 483 acres (2 km²) site adjacent to the Patapsco River
Patapsco River
The Patapsco River is a river in central Maryland which flows into Chesapeake Bay. The river's tidal portion forms the harbor for the city of Baltimore...
with the Herbert A. Wagner Generating Station
Herbert A. Wagner Generating Station
The Herbert A. Wagner Generating Station is an electric generating station, located on Fort Smallwood Road north of Orchard Beach in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, just east of Glen Burnie, and is operated by the Constellation Power Source Generation subsidiary of Constellation Energy Group. The H. A...
. The Brandon Shores plant dominates the site with its 700 feet (213.4 m) exhaust and 400 feet (121.9 m) flue gas desulfurization
Flue gas desulfurization
Sulfur dioxide is one of the elements forming acid rain. Tall flue-gas stacks disperse emissions by diluting the pollutants in ambient air and transporting them to other regions....
(FGD) system stacks.
Coal delivery
The Brandon Shores and Wagner Generating Stations consume approximately 4.8 million tons of coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
annually. Coal for both stations is delivered by barge. Although there is a railroad spur
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
into the site, it is unused and would require improvements to restore it to an operational state.
Renovation
In order to meet Maryland requirements for reductions of nitrogen oxideNitrogen oxide
Nitrogen oxide can refer to a binary compound of oxygen and nitrogen, or a mixture of such compounds:* Nitric oxide, also known as nitrogen monoxide, , nitrogen oxide* Nitrogen dioxide , nitrogen oxide...
s, sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is released by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide unless the sulfur compounds are removed before burning the fuel...
and mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
, the plant was substantially renovated between 2007 and 2010. A new 400 feet (121.9 m) twin FGD stack was built to replace the existing 700 feet (213.4 m) stacks, which have been capped and are inoperative. Flue gas from the boilers is routed through the emissions control system that sprays the exhaust with a limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
slurry and collects gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
for use in wallboard
Drywall
Drywall, also known as plasterboard, wallboard or gypsum board is a panel made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper...
and fly ash
Fly ash
Fly ash is one of the residues generated in combustion, and comprises the fine particles that rise with the flue gases. Ash which does not rise is termed bottom ash. In an industrial context, fly ash usually refers to ash produced during combustion of coal...
for use in concrete. The system uses treated municipal wastewater from the Anne Arundel County Cox Creek wastewater treatment plant
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
as the source of water for making the limestone slurry.
Dispatch of electricity
The electrical output of Brandon Shores Generating Station is dispatched by the PJM InterconnectionPJM Interconnection
PJM Interconnection LLC is a Regional Transmission Organization which is part of the Eastern Interconnection grid operating an electric transmission system serving all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,...
regional transmission organization
Regional Transmission Organization
A regional transmission organization in the United States is an organization that is responsible for moving electricity over large interstate areas. Like a transmission system operator , an RTO coordinates, controls and monitors an electricity transmission grid that is larger with much higher...
.