Barry Cassell | Oct 18, 2012

With construction of Duke Energy’s (NYSE: DUK) Edwardsport coal gasification power plant virtually complete, extensive testing is under way to prepare for commercial operations next year, Duke said.

The plant has successfully produced electricity using natural gas, and the next phase is testing the coal-gasification equipment. The first coal-gasification test is already scheduled to occur.

When the coal is converted into a synthetic gas, it is sent to the gas turbines. However, if the synthetic gas does not meet certain standards, it is diverted to the gas flare tower on the plant property, where it is ignited and burned safely. The gas flare also is used during each start-up and shut-down of the plant. This gas flare will be bright and somewhat loud.

“I want to emphasize that whenever the gas flare is activated, it does not indicate any emergency at the plant,” said Edwardsport Plant Manager Jack Stultz in a warning to residents around the plant, who have gotten used to years of this being a regular coal-fired plant. “It is a normal part of plant operations. Because the gas flare may need to be activated quickly, we won’t be able to provide advance notice to local residents. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and patience.”

The Edwardsport plant is the first major new coal-fired power plant built in Indiana in more than two decades and is a key part of the effort to modernize the state’s aging electric system, Duke Energy Indiana noted. It offers a way to produce cleaner energy and comply with new and pending federal environmental regulations while still using an abundant local resource, coal.

In November 2007, Duke Energy received approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to build this integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) unit at the former 160-MW Edwardsport plant in Knox County. This 618-MW IGCC facility will be one of the cleanest and most efficient coal-fired power plants in the world. The old coal capacity at the plant has been retired.

Notable is that Duke is battling various critics at the Indiana URC about cost over-runs for the Edwardsport project, with not all of the commission review of the project costs completed yet. The consensus is that if Duke is able to generate electricity in a cleaner and cost-effective manner that over time, the investment will have proven to be a success.

Barry Cassell is chief of coal generation for Generation Hub, a unit of Energy Central

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