Coal Switch Helps New York Plants Stay Competitive

摘要

NRG Energy's Dunkirk Generating Station in Dunkirk, NY is a four-unit, 530 MW facility consisting of four coal-fueled units, including two 100 MW units running since 1950 and two 200 MW units that went into service in 1959 and 1960. In nearby Tonawanda, NY, NRG's Huntley Generating Station consists of two 200 MW units that began service in 1957 and 1958. Both Huntley units are the same design as Dunkirk units 3 and 4. For most of the plants' 50 years in operation, Dunkirk and Huntley have used Eastern bituminous fuel with a heating value of about 13,200 Btu/lb. Between 2003 and 2006, NRG converted all units at both plants to Powder River Basin (PRB) with a heating value of 8,800 Btu/lb. The conversion was gradual, involving blending PRB with Eastern coal during the transition. Since late 2006, the plants have burned PRB coal exclusively. Dunkirk also has a small capacity to use biomass as a fuel source.