Coal-Fired Plants in Canada
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Atikokan Location: ON Operator: Ontario Power Generation Configuration: 1 X 230 MW Operation: 1985 Fuel: lignite Boiler supplier: B&W T/G supplier: BBC Quick facts: On 11 Sep 2012, Atikokan GS burned its last coal and went into full-scale construction on a a 2yr biomass conversion project. Photograph courtesy of Ontario Power Generation |
Battle River Location: AB Operator: Atco Power Configuration: 2 X 30 MW (ret), 2 X 165 MW, 1 X 405 MW Operation: 1956-1981 Fuel: subbituminous coal Boiler supplier: CE T/G supplier: BBC, GE, Hitachi Quick facts: The Battle River site is 200km southeast of Edmonton. Prairie Mines & Royalty Ltd supply the fuel which is surface-mined from the Paintearth and Vesta coal mines located directly south of the station. A cooling reservoir for the plant was created in 1954 by a 12m high dam on the Battle River. Units 1&2 were retired and dismantled in 2000. Photograph courtesy of Alberta Power Ltd |
Belledune Location: NB Operator: NB Power Configuration: 1 X 450 MW Operation: 1993 Fuel: bituminous coal Boiler supplier: CE T/G supplier: Toshiba Photograph courtesy of NB Power |
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Boundary Dam Location: SK Operator: SaskPower Configuration: 2 X 66 MW, 3 X 150 MW, 1 X 292 MW Operation: 1960-1978 Fuel: lignite Boiler supplier: B&W, CE T/G supplier: Parsons, GE, Hitachi Quick facts: Unit-1 was retired on 1 May 2013 afer over 50yrs of service. Photograph courtesy of SaskPower |
Brandon Location: MB Operator: Manitoba Hydro Configuration: 4 X 33 MW, 1 X 105 MW Operation: 1958-1969 Fuel: subbituminous coal, natural gas Boiler supplier: CE, B&W T/G supplier: MV, BBC Quick facts: This was Manitoba Hydro's first thermal power plant and was designed to burn lignite from Saskatchewan. Three of the 33-MW units were retired in 1996 while the fourth operates as a synchronous condenser. The plant now uses PRB coal plus natural gas. Two 120-MW Alstom gas turbines were added in 2002. Photograph by Brian Simmons and courtesy of Manitoba Hydro |
Genesee Location: AB Operator: Capital Power Corp Configuration: 2 X 430 MW, 1 X 450 MW Operation: 1989-2005 Fuel: subbituminous coal Boiler supplier: CE, B-H T/G supplier: GEC, Hitachi EPC: SNC-Lavalin Quick facts: Edmonton Power began investigating this plant site in the 1950s due to the proximity of low-sulfur coal reserves and cooling water availability. The utility applied for permission to build the plant in 1977 and groundbreaking was in Feb 1982. After several deferments, Unit-2 went online in Oct 1989 followed by the second unit in Jun 1994. The station covers and area of 7,000ha including a 735ha cooling pond with makeup from the North Saskatchewan River. The stack on the first two units is 121m tall. Coal handling facilities for Units 1&2 were sized for four similar units. Genesee-3, Canada's first supercritical generating unit, was completed in Feb 2005. Capital Power was incorporated in May 2009 and after an IPO in Jun 2009, Epcor retained a 70% stake in the genco. Photograph courtesy of EPCOR |
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Grand Lake-4 Location: NB Operator: NB Power Configuration: 1 X 60 MW Operation: 1964 Fuel: bituminous coal Boiler supplier: B&W T/G supplier: Parsons Quick facts: Grand Lake 1-3 were retired in 1993. Photograph courtesy of NB Power |
Keephills Location: AB Operator: TransAlta Generation Ltd Configuration: 2 X 400 MW Operation: 1983-1984 Fuel: subbituminous coal Boiler supplier: CE T/G supplier: Hitachi Quick facts: This power station is 70km west of Edmonton and 5km south of Wabamun Lake, not far from the Highvale surface mine. Unit-2 was the site of a long-term pilot project using activated carbon injection for mercury control. This pilot completed in 2008 having removed 60% of the mercury in the input fuel. Power is sold into the grid under an Alberta PPA effective from 1 Jan 2001 to 31 Dec 2020. Photograph by Dave Belcher (Google Earth) |
Keephills-3 Location: AB Operator: TransAlta Generation Ltd Configuration: 1 X 495 MW Operation: 2011 Fuel: subbituminous coal Boiler supplier: B-H T/G supplier: Hitachi EPC: ColtWorleyParsons, Epcor Quick facts: Unit-3 is a supercritical unit jointly-owned on a 50:50 basis by TransAlta and Epcor. It is essentially a sister unit to Genesee-3. Construction began in Feb 2007, first firing was in Jun 2010, and the unit began final commissioning in Jan 2011 to schedule. Commercial operation was on 1 Sep 2011. The unit cost about CND$1.6bn. Photograph courtesy of TransAlta< |
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Lakeview Location: ON Operator: Ontario Power Generation Configuration: 8 X 300 MW Operation: 1962-1969 (ret 2005) Fuel: bituminous coal Boiler supplier: Babcock & Wilcox Goldie McCulloch, CE, B&W T/G supplier: AEI, Parsons EPC: Ontario Hydro Quick facts: Lakeview was taken offline on 30 Apr 2005 after 43yrs of service, initially supplying almost 20% of Ontario's electricity. Construction started in on the 52ha site Jun 1958 and Unit-1 generated first power on 30 Oct 1961. At completion, Lakeview had cost $C274mn and was said to be the largest thermal power plant in the world. It remained the largest thermal plant in Canada until the completion of Nanticoke. The 167m stacks were a landmark on the Lake Ontario waterfront for decades. From 1990-1993, $C1.1bn was invested in four units to increase efficiency and reliability. Four units were decommissioned in 1993 due to reduced load forecasts. Total station output was over 215 TWh. Lakeview's main structure have now been demolished and removed. the controlled implosion of the eight boilers by Dykon Explosive Demolition from Tulsa, OK, was the first such event broadcast live on Canadian TV. Photograph courtesy of Ontario Power Generation |
Lambton Location: ON Operator: Ontario Power Generation Configuration: 2 X 500 MW (ret), 2 X 525 MW Operation: 1969-1970 Fuel: bituminous coal Boiler supplier: CE T/G supplier: GE Quick facts: Lambton is on the St Clair River south of Sarnia, Ontario. Annual production was around 11 TWh. Units 3&4 were overhauled and retrofit with Joy/Bischoff FGD scrubbers and B&W Canada SCRs. Full-load coal burn is 640 ton/hr. Units 1&2 closed on 1 Oct 2010 per provincial mandate. Photograph courtesy of Ontario Power Generation |
Lingan Location: NS Operator: Nova Scotia Power Inc Configuration: 4 X 158 MW Operation: 1979-1984 Fuel: bituminous coal, heavy oil Boiler supplier: CE T/G supplier: Toshiba Quick facts: Lingan is on Cape Breton Island and was designed to burn coal mined nearby by the Cape Breton Development Corp, thereby reducing Nova Scotia's use of oil for power generation. Unit-1 was commissioned on 1 Nov 1979. After shutdown of regional mining, the plant switched to coal from the US and South America. During 2006-2008, the plant was retrofit with low-Nox combustion systems from B&W. The stacks are 150m high. Photograph by Mary Vallis |
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Milner Location: AB Operator: Maxim Power Corp Configuration: 1 X 158 MW Operation: 1972 Fuel: coal washings Boiler supplier: B&W T/G supplier: Hitachi Quick facts: This plant in Grand Cache was built by Alberta Power Ltd and named for Horatio Ray Milner, a prominent lawyer and business man and a founding director of Canadian Utilities. It was acquired by Maxim in 2005. Milner has a long-term agreement with Luscar Ltd for the supply of up to 540,000 tpy of coal from their Coal Valley mine located in Edson. Power produced from Milner is sold through the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO). Photograph by Maxim Power Corp |
Nanticoke Location: ON Operator: Ontario Power Generation Configuration: 4 X 490 MW (ret), 2 X 500 MW, 2 X 512 MW Operation: 1969-1970 Fuel: subbituminous coal, bituminous coal Boiler supplier: BW T/G supplier: Howden Parsons, Parsons Quick facts: Nanticoke GS is on the north shore of Lake Erie in Haldimand County. The plant was completed in 1978 at a cost of over C$800mn at which time it was one of the largest power stations in the world, a ranking it held for many years. An additional C$900mn has been invested since then on reliability and environmental improvements. Annual production has ranged from 6 TWh to 24 TWh depending on need. Over its life Nanticoke has produced over 500 TWh and has historically employed more than 600 people. On 1 Oct 2010, OPG closed Units 3&4 per a provincial mandate calling for the phase out of coal-fired plant in the province. This was 4yrs in advance of the schedule agreed in 2006. UNits 1&2 closed in 2011. Photograph courtesy of Ontario Power Generation |
Point Aconi Location: NS Operator: Nova Scotia Power Inc Configuration: 1 X 210 MW Operation: 1994 Fuel: pet coke, bituminous coal Boiler supplier: Pyropower T/G supplier: GE EPC: Sargent & Lundy, Mitsui Quick facts: Point Aconi is on a 52ha site on the northern tip of Boularderie Island in Cape Breton County. It has Canada's largest CFB unit which was the world's largest at completion. The plant has Nova Scotia's only offshore cooling water intake. Beginning in 1999, the boiler was re-engineered and partially rebuilt by Foster Wheeler in a $20mn project. Fuel was also switched to an 80:20 coke-coal blend. The result was a 10-MW increase in output and increases in reliability measures. The project won Power magazine's Maramaduke Award in 2006. Photograph courtesy of Nova Scotia Power Inc |
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Point Tupper Location: NS Operator: Nova Scotia Power Inc Configuration: 1 X 79 MW (ret), 1 X 150 MW Operation: 1969-1973 Fuel: bituminous coal Boiler supplier: CE, B&W T/G supplier: GE, Stal, Howden Parsons, Parsons Photograph courtesy of Nova Scotia Power Inc |
Poplar River Location: SK Operator: SaskPower Configuration: 2 X 315 MW Operation: 1980-1983 Fuel: lignite Boiler supplier: B&W Canada, CE Canada T/G supplier: Hitachi Quick facts: In the fall of 1974, the Saskatchewan Government announced the construction of the Poplar River Power Project. Construction of the Morrison Dam and cooling water reservoir got underway in 1975 and were completed in 1977. Late in 1975 work began on construction of the power house. The 122m stack can be seen for many miles around Coronach. The first turbine was commissioned on 20 Jun 1981. Fuel is supplied from the Luscar Mining P oplar River Coal Mine. Two of the largest electric draglines in Canada are used to load 150t haulers, which deliver the coal to the loadout, where it is transported to the power plant by train. Photograph by Robin Wall |
Richard L Hearn Location: ON Operator: Ontario Power Generation Configuration: 4 X 100 MW, 4 X 200 Operation: 1951-1961 (ret 1983) Fuel: bituminous coal, natural gas Boiler supplier: Babcock & Wilcox Goldie McCulloch, CE T/G supplier: Parsons EPC: Stone & Webster Quick facts: Hearn-1 was Canada’s first 100-MW steam-electric unit and the plant was officially opened on 26 Oct 1951 by the Hon Leslie Frost, Premier of Ontario. Richard L Hearn reached its full 1,200-MW capacity for the first time on 22 Mar 1961 and cost C$156mn to build. The 200-MW units (5-8) had cross-compound turbines. Each unit was originally equipped with its own stack, but in the late 1960s, a 215m stack was added at a cost of $C9m, at the time one of the tallest stacks in the world. In 1971, the entire plant was converted to burn Alberta natural gas with four units retaining the option to burn coal. The station operated on gas until Units 1-5 were mothballed in the early 1980s. The last three 200-MW units resumed burning coal along and but were closed in Jul 1983. Some of the generators then operated as synchronous condensers. In Mar 1990, Ontario Hydro said it would restart Units 7&8 top meet winter load, but the new NDP government of Premier Bob Rae cancelled the restart. The site was then used occasionally for movie sets and the Portlands CCGT plant was built on adjacent property. Photograph by SimonP (flickr) |
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Shand Location: SK Operator: SaskPower Configuration: 1 X 300 MW Operation: 1992 Fuel: lignite Boiler supplier: B&W Canada T/G supplier: Hitachi Quick facts: In 1993, Shand received an award from Power magazine in recognition of its advanced pollution control equipment. This includes a LIFAC limestone injection system. The site was sized for a second unit, but this was never built. Photograph courtesy of SaskPower |
Sheerness Location: AB Operator: Atco Power Ltd Configuration: 2 X 400 MW Operation: 1986-1990 Fuel: subbituminous coal Boiler supplier: CE T/G supplier: Hitachi Quick facts: Sheerness is 200km northeast of Calgary adjacent to the Montgomery and Sheerness Coal Mines. The plant is owned 50:50 by ATCO Power and TransAlta Cogeneration LP. The latter company is in turn 50% owned by Hongkong Electric and Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Ltd. A cooling pond was built for the plant with makeup from the Red Deer River. Photograph courtesy of Alberta Power Ltd |
Sundance Location: AB Operator: TransAlta Utilities Configuration: 2 X 304 MW, 3 X 380 MW, 1 X 433 MW Operation: 1970-1980 Fuel: subbituminous coal Boiler supplier: CE T/G supplier: AEI, GEC, EE Quick facts: This is the largest coal-fired plant in western Canada. In 2005, Sundance received Power magazine's Marmaduke Award for completing installation of a plantwide wireless network and condition-based monitoring system. In Feb 2011, TransAlta announced that Units 1&2 would be closed permanently, having been taken offline in Dec 2010 for repairs. These were found to be more extensive than could be financially justified under the Sundance merchant plant operating regime. Photograph courtesy of Power |
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Thunder Bay 2&3 Location: ON Operator: Ontario Power Generation Configuration: 2 X 165 MW Operation: 1981 Fuel: subbituminous coal, lignite Boiler supplier: CE T/G supplier: BBC EPC: W P London & Assoc Quick facts: Thunder Bay is located at the mouth of the Mission River at Lake Superior and uses low-sulphur lignite coal from Saskatchewan and PRB coal from the USA. Annual production is about 1,500 GWh. A 100-MW unit was first on the site. It completed in 1963 and was retired in 1984. Units 2&3 had Canada’s first direct digital controls for boiler and burner management and are equipped with a 650ft, multi-flue stack. A new CEM system was installed in 2003. About 65% of the plant’s fly ash is sold. The Mission Island Marsh is a conservation area next to the power station. Photograph courtesy of Ontario Power Generation |
Trenton 5&6 Location: NS Operator: Nova Scotia Power Inc Configuration: 2 X 150 MW Operation: 1969-1991 Fuel: bituminous coal, heavy oil Boiler supplier: B&W T/G supplier: Howden Parsons, GE, Hitachi Quick facts: Trenton is on the bank of the East River at Pictou. It was designed to burn coal mined nearby in Pictou County as well as on Cape Breton Island. In 1991,/92, the plant used coal from the Westray Mine, located several kilometres south of the plant, but this mine was permanently closed on 9 May 1992 following a fatal methane gas explosion. Since 2001, Trenton has used coal imported from the United States and South America shipped to a bulk unloading terminal on the Strait of Canso at Point Tupper and railed by CB&CNS trains to the site. The Unit-5 turbine was upgraded and the unit was retrofit with a baghouse. Unit-6 was commissioned was retrofit with a Low-NOx system in 2008. Photograph by Verne Equinopx (wikipedia) |
Wabamun Location: AB Operator: TransAlta Utilities Configuration: 2 X 66 MW, 1 X 159 MW, 1 X 279 MW Operation: 1958-1967 (ret) Fuel: subbituminous coal Boiler supplier: Babcock & Wilcox Goldie McCulloch, CE T/G supplier: MV, AEI Quick facts: This was the first of TransAlta's three coal-fired plants built in the Wabamun Lake area 70km west of Edmonton. The three smaller sets decommissioned from 2002-2004 and Unit-4 was retired on 1 Apr 2010. In Dec 2005, TransAlta submitted a detailed site remediation and reclamation plan to Alberta Environment incorporating extensive environmental research, stakeholder consultation, and analysis. The Wabamun retirement process is to serve as a model for decommissioning other coal-fired plant. Photograph by brendanberg (flickr) |
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Data: industcards, Platts UDI World Electric Power Plants Data Base
Updated 18-May-2013