Green Light for First Ethane Gas-fired Plant in U.S.

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - Moundsville Power, LLC (Buffalo, New York) has cleared the final construction hurdle for its proposed 549-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant in Marshall County, West Virginia.

The company has received its siting permit from the Public Service Commission of West Virginia and expects construction to get underway later this year on what will the first power plant in the U.S. to burn ethane. The power plant will be built on a 37-acre site south of Moundsville, which was home to the Allied Chemical Plant, and is just a few miles from the coal-fired American Electric Power Kammer plant, which is set to shut later this year. When operational it will be able to generate enough power for around 549,000 homes.

The company said the plant will use $105 million of natural gas and ethane annually sourced from West Virginia producers and processors. Located in the centre of the Marcellus and Utica shale formations, the new plant will have direct access to low-priced gas from numerous providers -- it is located within seven miles of three interstate pipelines. When commissioned in 2018, it will be the largest user of natural gas in the state.

"We are very pleased with this announcement," said Andy Dorn, a partner Moundsville Power. Speaking to The Intelligencer, Dorn added: "I think there will have to be more plants like this because of the retirement of coal plants. We have to be operational by June 1, 2018."

The project will cost an estimated $615 million and will be developed by Black & Veatch (B&V) (Overland Park, Kansas), a global engineering, consulting and construction company that has already constructed 130 combined cycle power plants worldwide. It will use GE 7F.04 gas turbines in a two-by one-configuration and construction work is expected to kick off this Fall.

Black & Veatch has been outspoken against President Obama's Clean Power Plan. Earlier this month, Industrial Info reported the company warning that wholesale electricity prices in the U.S. will jump about 75% by 2030 if the Clean Power Plan to limit carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants is implemented. For additional information, see February 2, 2015, article - Black & Veatch Sees 75% Price Increase for Power by 2030 if President's Clean Power Plan is Implemented.

Last December, the Moundsville project overcame another major obstacle when the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) granted it an air quality permit. DEP Engineer Steven Pursley said in granting permission: "Moundsville Power's proposed construction of a natural gas fired combined-cycle electric generation facility should meet the emission limitations and conditions".

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