Supercritical Plants to Come Online in 2009

摘要

Pulverized coal combustion comes in two flavors: subcritical and supercritical. Supercritical units operate at higher temperatures and pressures than subcritical units. Higher pressures increase turbine efficiency and power output so less coal is used to produce the same amount of electricity. It's too early to tell if the tide has turned again, but three supercritical coal plants will be ready to come online this year. We Energies' Elm Road Generating Station in Wisconsin is a two-unit, 1,230 MW supercritical plant that will burn bituminous coal. Construction on Xcel Energy's first new coal-fired project in 30 years began in January 2006. The new plant is scheduled to be completed in the fall. Comanche Unit 3 will burn low-sulphur Powder River Basin coal. Luminant's Oak Grove supercritical coal-fired power plant is under construction about 100 miles northwest of Houston. Comprising two supercritical lignite-faded power generation units, the plant will deliver 1,600 MW.