French Island Generating Plant
Encyclopedia
French Island Generating Plant is a waste fired electrical
power station
located on French Island
in La Crosse, Wisconsin
. Unit 1 and 2 are boiler / steam turbine
units originally constructed in the 1940s operating on coal. They were converted to burn oil in the early 1970s. When oil became too costly, alternative fuels were used. Unit 2 was converted to burn waste wood in an Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustion Boiler in the early 1980s with unit 1 following in 1987.
. The facility normally burns 50/50 mix of RDF and wood waste. The result of burning RDF is the release of dioxin into the air. Excessive dioxin releases have forced the shutdown of the boilers as recently as October 2007.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3652/is_20071009/ai_n21086388
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
located on French Island
French Island, Wisconsin
French Island is a census-designated place in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,207 at the 2010 census. It lies on an island of a similar name, with which it is not coextensive; most of the island is part of the city of La Crosse, but all are part of the La Crosse...
in La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
. Unit 1 and 2 are boiler / steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
units originally constructed in the 1940s operating on coal. They were converted to burn oil in the early 1970s. When oil became too costly, alternative fuels were used. Unit 2 was converted to burn waste wood in an Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustion Boiler in the early 1980s with unit 1 following in 1987.
RDF
The two boiler units also burn Refuse derived fuel (RDF) diverting solid waste from the municipal landfillLandfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
. The facility normally burns 50/50 mix of RDF and wood waste. The result of burning RDF is the release of dioxin into the air. Excessive dioxin releases have forced the shutdown of the boilers as recently as October 2007.http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3652/is_20071009/ai_n21086388
Units
| Unit | Capacity | Commissioning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14.3 MW | 1940 | Built for coal, converted to oil then to an Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustion Boiler in 1987 |
| 2 | 14 MW | 1948 | Built for coal, converted to oil then to an Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustion Boiler in 1981 |
| 3 | 100 MW (#2 fuel oil) | 1974 | Westinghouse Model 501B2 Simple Cycle Combustion Turbine |
| 4 | 100 MW (#2 fuel oil) | 1974 | Westinghouse Model 501B2 Simple Cycle Combustion Turbine |
External links
- http://www.xcelenergy.com/Minnesota/Company/About_Energy_and_Rates/Power%20Generation/WisconsinPlants/Pages/FrenchIslandGeneratingPlant.aspx
- http://dnr.wi.gov/air/PermitZIP/632022820-P01.zip
- http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/facility.tcl?tri_id=54603NRTHR200SB