Coal Creek Station
Encyclopedia
Coal Creek Station is the largest power plant in the U.S. state
of North Dakota
. Located at 47°22′37"N 101°09′26"W near the Missouri River
between Underwood, North Dakota
and Washburn, North Dakota
, it is the largest lignite
-fired electricity plant in North Dakota. Its two generators are each rated at 605 megawatts (Unit 1 went in service in 1979, Unit 2 came online in 1980), with a peak total production of nearly 1.2 gigawatts.
The station is owned by Great River Energy
, an alliance of Minnesota
rural electric cooperatives, and trasmits its power to Minnesota over a 700 kilometres (435 mi) HVDC transmission line which is operated at +/- 400 kV. The line and plant were completed and put in service by 1981.
The Coal Creek Station, part of the larger CU Project, was the subject of controversy
.
The boiler building of Coal Creek Station is 89.91 metres high. Hereby the boiler is fixed to the roof. The chimney of Coal Creek Station is 198.12 metres tall.
Coal Creek Station is the third-largest producer of coal ash in the country, generating over four million pounds of surface waste stored onsite each year.
of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, the U.S. Department of Energy’s
National Energy Technology Laboratory
, Lehigh University’s
Energy Research Center, the Electric Power Research Institute
and engineering construction contractor WorleyParsons
. The team was awarded with Power Engineering magazine’s 2010 Coal-Fired Project of the Year.
Some of the waste heat generated by the coal combustion is also utilized by the nearby Blue Flint Ethanol
plant.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. Located at 47°22′37"N 101°09′26"W near the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
between Underwood, North Dakota
Underwood, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 812 people, 323 households, and 229 families residing in the city. The population density was 910.8 people per square mile . There were 381 housing units at an average density of 427.3 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 96.80% White, 1.11%...
and Washburn, North Dakota
Washburn, North Dakota
Washburn is a city in McLean County, North Dakota in the United States. It is the county seat of McLean County. The population was 1,246 at the 2010 census...
, it is the largest lignite
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...
-fired electricity plant in North Dakota. Its two generators are each rated at 605 megawatts (Unit 1 went in service in 1979, Unit 2 came online in 1980), with a peak total production of nearly 1.2 gigawatts.
The station is owned by Great River Energy
Great River Energy
Great River Energy is an electric transmission and generation cooperative in the U.S. state of Minnesota; it is the state's second largest electric utility, based on generating capacity, and the fifth largest generation and transmission cooperative in the U.S. in terms of assets...
, an alliance of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
rural electric cooperatives, and trasmits its power to Minnesota over a 700 kilometres (435 mi) HVDC transmission line which is operated at +/- 400 kV. The line and plant were completed and put in service by 1981.
The Coal Creek Station, part of the larger CU Project, was the subject of controversy
CU project controversy
The CU Project Controversy involved years of protest against a proposed high-voltage direct current powerline that was erected on the property of hundreds of farmers in west central Minnesota in the late 1970s...
.
The boiler building of Coal Creek Station is 89.91 metres high. Hereby the boiler is fixed to the roof. The chimney of Coal Creek Station is 198.12 metres tall.
Coal Creek Station is the third-largest producer of coal ash in the country, generating over four million pounds of surface waste stored onsite each year.
Waste heat utilization
Coal Creek Station was the testing site for Great River Energy's Lignite Enhancement System. Their project, “DryFining,” created a new technology for coal-firing power plants that improves fuel quality, decreases volatile gas emissions, and reduces a plant’s operating expenses and maintenance costs. The Great River Energy team also included fluid bed dryer engineer Heyl & Patterson Inc.Heyl & Patterson Inc.
Heyl & Patterson Inc. is an American specialist engineering company, founded in 1887 and based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-19th Century:Heyl & Patterson was founded by Edmund W. Heyl and William J. Patterson in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, initially as a sales agency for elevator and...
of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, the U.S. Department of Energy’s
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
National Energy Technology Laboratory
National Energy Technology Laboratory
The National Energy Technology Laboratory is a science, technology, and energy laboratory owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Energy . As part of DOE's national laboratory system, NETL supports DOE's mission to advance the national, economic, and energy security of the United States...
, Lehigh University’s
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
Energy Research Center, the Electric Power Research Institute
Electric Power Research Institute
The Electric Power Research Institute conducts research on issues related to the electric power industry in USA. EPRI is a nonprofit organization funded by the electric utility industry. EPRI is primarily a US based organization, receives international participation...
and engineering construction contractor WorleyParsons
WorleyParsons
WorleyParsons Limited is a large Australian provider of professional services to the energy, resource, and complex process industries.The company has a market capitalisation greater than A$6 billion, and makes up about 0.55% of the S&P/ASX 200 index....
. The team was awarded with Power Engineering magazine’s 2010 Coal-Fired Project of the Year.
Some of the waste heat generated by the coal combustion is also utilized by the nearby Blue Flint Ethanol
Blue Flint Ethanol
Blue Flint Ethanol is an bioethanol producing company and a production plant with a same name, located in Underwood, North Dakota approximately north of Bismarck. The plant is unique in the fact that rather than burning fuels, such as coal or natural gas to drive the production process, waste...
plant.
External links
- Great River Energy page
- Lignite.com page
- http://www.swce.coop/trivia.php