Martin Drake Power Plant in Colorado Springs Incurs Extensive Damage from Fire

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Researched by Industrial Information Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The Martin Drake Power Plant, which is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been shut down since a fire on May 5, 2014. The 254-megawatt (MW), coal-fired plant is owned by Colorado Springs Utilities and has three units.

Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD) says the fire followed an accident in which free-flowing lubricating oil came in contact with high-temperature steam pipes, resulting in a flash fire.

Industrial Info has learned from plant officials that the estimated return time of the units vary. Unit 5, the oldest, sustained the most damage and is likely to be offline for at least a year. Plant officials also told Industrial Info that the plant lost an overhead crane in the fire; because the rotor on Unit 5 cannot be removed without it, the crane will have to be replaced.

Officials said that Unit 6 has an estimated return time of late June or early July 2014, and Unit 7 hopefully will return online at the end of September or the beginning of October 2014.

The Martin Drake Power Plant provides about one-third of the community's power through boilers in units 5, 6 and 7. Colorado Springs Utilities is relying on other power plants, including Front Range, Ray Nixon and Birdsall, to provide power for the community while Martin Drake is closed.

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