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Nanticoke Generating Station

Coordinates: 42°48′00″N 80°03′01″W / 42.800000°N 80.050249°W / 42.800000; -80.050249
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42°48′00″N 80°03′01″W / 42.800000°N 80.050249°W / 42.800000; -80.050249 Template:Infobox Power Station

The Nanticoke Generating Station is the largest coal-fired power plant in North America, delivering up to 3,640 MW[1] of power into the southern Ontario power grid from its base in Nanticoke, Ontario, Canada. Nanticoke Generating Station is owned by Ontario Power Generation, a crown corporation of the Government of Ontario. It was scheduled for decommission in early 2009 as part of the Ontario commitment to eliminate coal power, but this has been repeatedly delayed. The plant is scheduled to phase out its use of coal by 2014, and switch to using biomass.[1]

Environment Canada lists the Nanticoke station as the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions and pollution anywhere in Canada.[2]

History

Construction of the site began in the late 1960s. The 8 identical units were completed from 1972–1978. The boilers and coal pulverizers were built by Babcock & Wilcox and the turbine-generators were built by the UK firm Parsons (now Siemens). The plant is connected to the power grid by numerous 230,000 and 500,000 volt transmission lines.

Power generation

Nanticoke is the largest coal-fired power plant in North America and one of the ten largest in the world[citation needed]. The station's annual production is in the range of 20 to 24 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), enough electricity to run nearly 2.5 million households. When demand for electricity is high, all eight units are put into service and it produces approximately 15% of Ontario's electricity needs by itself. Nanticoke's staff of about 600 includes power engineers, technicians, mechanical and electrical maintenance tradespeople, equipment operators, environmental technicians, managers and administrators.

Decommissioning plans

The Government of Ontario had originally targeted to phase out all of its coal plants by 2009, but abandoned this target in 2006 to the ire of organizations representing nurses and physicians, community groups and environment groups.[3] The province could not replace Nanticoke's energy output by the deadline. The province was examining replacing this output using nuclear power by refurbishing its existing fleet, and building two additional reactors at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station. Bruce Power, Canada's only private nuclear power company, also proposed building two reactors on former Stelco lands in Nanticoke. However, this was met with immediate opposition and dismissal from the government. "It's a speculative move on the part of a private company...It doesn't enjoy the support, encouragement [or] approval...of the Government of Ontario," stated George Smitherman, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.[4]

Currently, a regulation under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) stipulates that coal will not be used in Ontario to generate electricity past December 31, 2014.[5] Nanticoke is scheduled to phase out its use of coal and switch to using biomass. While this substitution will result in lower net greenhouse gas emissions, it will also result in lower electricity generation.[1] Premier Dalton McGuinty announced 2500 MW of green energy projects in April 2010. These projects will help move Ontario move towards greener electricity production, and help compensate for the decreased generation at Nanticoke, keeping it on track towards the current scheduled phase-out date of 2014.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference OPG brochure was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVNews/1027384052424_22793252?hub=CTVNewsAt11&subhub=PrintStory
  3. ^ Ecojustice (11 October 2006). "Ontario abandons coal phase-out, guts smog and climate change plans". Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  4. ^ CBC News (1 November 2008). "Ont. government signals opposition to Bruce Power nuclear reactors". CBC. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
  5. ^ Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (22 January 2009). "Frequently Asked Questions". Retrieved 24 April 2010.
  6. ^ CBC News Now - Green Energy for Ontario (Television). CBC News. 8 April 2010. {{cite AV media}}: External link in |title= (help)
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