Plan revisions would mean big change for power plant discharge

May 13 - McClatchy-Tribune Content Agency, LLC - Jon O'Connell The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.

A power plant developer is taking some of its plans back to the drawing board for changes that will significantly reduce the amount of water it needs.

Invenergy LLC of Chicago is scrapping its original plans to use a wet cooling system for the Lackawanna Energy Center, a controversial 1,500 megawatt power plant it wants to build in Jessup.

Instead, engineers are developing a dry cooling system that uses only air instead of millions of gallons of water.

The old system would have required 4 million to 6 million gallons of water each day that would have been supplied by Pennsylvania American Water through a new 30-inch water main.

Following a meeting with The Times-Tribune Editorial Board Tuesday, Invenergy officials explained the revisions mean they can cut about 90 percent of the plant's water consumption.

"The air-cooled system itself is literally like a big radiator with fans," Invenergy development vice president Dan Ewan said. "The actual cooling part is elevated so the air can come in underneath and circulate up through the cooling fins."

No chemicals would be used in the cooling process.

Plans are still in their early stages, but Mr. Ewan said the height of the new cooling system will likely be as tall as the old system, which was 100 feet tall.

Instead of the 30-inch main, Pennsylvania American Water would install only a commercial water line branching off an existing line in the nearby business park.

Treated wastewater, which originally had been destined for Grassy Island Creek, would be reduced by roughly 90 percent, Mr. Ewan said, adding that it's still a preliminary estimate. Invenergy also is considering several alternatives to dispose of the wastewater that could eliminate the need to discharge water into the creek altogether.

As part of the approval process with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, Invenergy had to propose alternative cooling systems, at which point the company decided to go with the dry option.

The revised plan would not affect noise levels from the plant, said Patrick Whitty, Invenergy business advisor to the CEO.

Air quality and water discharge permits applications with the state Department of Environmental Protection must be amended to reflect the changes, Mr. Ewan said. They may be ready in a month or so, he added.

The new system will eliminate water vapor rising from the old cooling tower, so visible emissions would be negligible, said Bryan Schueler, senior vice president of development.

Unrelated to the cooling system, Mr. Schueler said the height of three generator stacks is changing to be shortened from 200 feet to 175 feet tall.

Contact the writer: joconnell@timesshamrock.com, @jon_oc on Twitter

thetimes-tribune.com

http://www.energycentral.com/functional/news/news_detail.cfm?did=36150751