Oak Creek Power Plant
Encyclopedia
Oak Creek Power Plant, also known as South Oak Creek, is a base load, coal
- and natural gas
-fired, electrical
power station
located on Lake Michigan
in Oak Creek, Wisconsin
. The plant is located on over 400 acres (1.6 km²) of land on the border of Milwaukee and Racine counties. As of 2008, the plant was in the process of a billion dollar expansion. In 2009, it was listed as the third largest generating station in Wisconsin with a net summer capacity of 1,135 MW.
Power Corporation is the prime contractor for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the facility. The two steam turbines were provided by Hitachi.
Concrete was poured 24 hours a day for 41 days to construct the 550 feet (167.6 m) tall 70 feet (21.3 m) diameter common chimney for the expansion project.
The expansion project may be known as the Elm Road Generating Station, though it is on the same property as the Oak Creek Power Plant. Elm Road Unit one entered commercial service on February 2, 2010.
On 31 October, 2011, a bluff area roughly the size of a football field and 200 feet above the level of Lake Michigan eroded under unknown circumstances washing a large amount of mud and debris into Lake Michigan. The area that washed away was near the construction site of a new air quality control unit for the plant. Close to 100 workers were at the site at the time of the collapse of which none were hurt or killed. Among the debris that was washed into Lake Michigan included several storage trailers, a pickup truck, and a temporary storage building being use for the construction. The area was also a former site where coal ash
was stored and it is believed that coal ash washed into Lake Michigan as well. WE Energies Contracted with Clean Harbors to prevent further environmental damage and clean the area up.
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
- and natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
-fired, electrical
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 Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
in Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Oak Creek is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 28,456 at the 2000 census. In 2009, its population was estimated at 33,946.-History:...
. The plant is located on over 400 acres (1.6 km²) of land on the border of Milwaukee and Racine counties. As of 2008, the plant was in the process of a billion dollar expansion. In 2009, it was listed as the third largest generating station in Wisconsin with a net summer capacity of 1,135 MW.
Expansion
Two 615-megawatt coal-fueled units are under construction just north of the existing facility. Construction started June 29, 2005, Unit 1 is planned to begin operations in 2009 with Unit 2 following in 2010. BechtelBechtel
Bechtel Corporation is the largest engineering company in the United States, ranking as the 5th-largest privately owned company in the U.S...
Power Corporation is the prime contractor for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the facility. The two steam turbines were provided by Hitachi.
Concrete was poured 24 hours a day for 41 days to construct the 550 feet (167.6 m) tall 70 feet (21.3 m) diameter common chimney for the expansion project.
The expansion project may be known as the Elm Road Generating Station, though it is on the same property as the Oak Creek Power Plant. Elm Road Unit one entered commercial service on February 2, 2010.
Units
| Unit | Capacity (MW) | Commissioning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 | 1950s | Retired in the 1980s | |
| 5 | 1959 | Steam / Boiler | |
| 6 | 1961 | Steam / Boiler | |
| 7 | 1965 | Steam / Boiler | |
| 8 | 1967 | Steam / Boiler | |
| 9 | 18 | 1968 | Natural gas Combustion Turbine for startup / standby power |
Incidents
On 03 February, 2009, 6 contract workers were injured when coal dust ignited in a 65 foot coal dust silo on the power plant site. The 6 workers (4 inside and 2 outside) were preparing the structure for repairs when an unknown ignition source ignited coal dust that had accumulated at the top of the silo. All 6 were transported to local hospitals with varying degrees of burns, with the most severe being third degree burns to hands and face.On 31 October, 2011, a bluff area roughly the size of a football field and 200 feet above the level of Lake Michigan eroded under unknown circumstances washing a large amount of mud and debris into Lake Michigan. The area that washed away was near the construction site of a new air quality control unit for the plant. Close to 100 workers were at the site at the time of the collapse of which none were hurt or killed. Among the debris that was washed into Lake Michigan included several storage trailers, a pickup truck, and a temporary storage building being use for the construction. The area was also a former site where coal ash
Fly ash
Fly ash is one of the residues generated in combustion, and comprises the fine particles that rise with the flue gases. Ash which does not rise is termed bottom ash. In an industrial context, fly ash usually refers to ash produced during combustion of coal...
was stored and it is believed that coal ash washed into Lake Michigan as well. WE Energies Contracted with Clean Harbors to prevent further environmental damage and clean the area up.
External links
- Oak Creek Power Plant (PDF) http://www.powerthefuture.net/projects/ocpp.htm http://www.powerthefuture.net/qa/genqa_ocexpansion.htm