Muskingum River Power Plant
| Muskingum River Power Plant | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Waterford Township, Washington County, near Beverly, Ohio |
| Coordinates | 39°35′18″N 81°40′57″W / 39.5883°N 81.6825°W |
| Status | Decommissioned |
| Commission date | Unit 1: December, 1953 Unit 2: June, 1954 Unit 3: December, 1957 Unit 4: May, 1958 Unit 5: October, 1968 |
| Decommission date |
|
| Owner(s) | AEP |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Bituminous coal |
| Turbine technology | Steam |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 1,529 MWe |
Muskingum River Power Plant is a major coal-fired power station, owned and operated by American Electric Power. It is on the west bank of Muskingum River, about 4 miles (6 km) northwest of the town of Beverly in the U.S. state of Ohio. At its peak, the plant powered three million households.[1]
Originally slated to be converted to run on natural gas, the Muskingum River Power Plant is slated to close entirely due to environmental regulations and market conditions at a cost of $150 million to $170 million.[1] Ohio's power consumption was noted as being "flat." The original proposal called for units one through four to be shuttered by December 31, 2014[2] and unit five to be converted to natural gas.[1] Approximately 95 employees will be laid off.
Units
Four out of five plant's units were among the oldest in the United States:[3]
| Unit | Nameplate capacity (MWe) | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 219.6 | 1953 | 2014 | |
| 2 | 219.6 | 1954 | 2014 | |
| 3 | 237.5 | 1957 | 2014 | |
| 4 | 237.5 | 1958 | 2014 | |
| 5 | 615.2 | 1968 | 2015 | Supercritical unit, used closed-loop water cooling via a cooling tower |
Units 1–4 discharged their waste heat (about twice their combined electrical output) into Muskingum River.
Accidents and Incidents
2007 hydrogen explosion
On January 8, 2007, a hydrogen supply truck was making its routine weekly delivery of H2 gas to the station's hydrogen system, when an explosion occurred at 9:20 a.m. The truck driver was killed in the accident, and ten other people were injured. Premature failure of the pressure-relief device's rupture disc was blamed.[4]
Two civil trials in 2011, however, essentially rejected AEP's claims that rupture discs and a third party contractor were to blame. The juries determined that AEP had acted with "deliberate intent"[5] toward its own employee, Drumand McLaughlin, and with "conscious disregard" for the rights of the truck driver, Lewis Timmons, who was killed. A total of almost $13,000,000.00 was assessed in damages as of August 29, 2011, including punitive damages to punish AEP subsidiaries Ohio Power Company and American Electric Power Service Corporation for their misconduct in failing to maintain the hydrogen systems.[6] The companies were also to be assessed attorney's fees.
References
- ^ a b c Gearino, Dan (12 July 2013). "AEP to close coal-fired power plant instead of converting". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 3 Mar 2015.
- ^ Ward Jr., Ken (9 June 2011). "AEP would shutter 5 coal plants to meet EPA rules". Coal Tattoo. Charleston Gazette. Retrieved 3 Mar 2015.
- ^ "Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2006" (Excel). Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Kenneth Frazier, Vice President for Safety and Health (2007). "Muskingum River Plant Hydrogen Explosion" (PPT). EEI. Retrieved December 2008.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Brad Bauer (2011). "Injured AEP Worker gets 5.5 Million Dollar Award". Marietta Times. Retrieved July 2011.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Kyla Asbury (2011). "Marshall Jury Returns $7,000,000.00 Verdict in AEP Blast Case". West Virginia Record. Retrieved August 2011.
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