Salem Harbor Resumes Operation after 2007 Plant Catastrophe

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)-- Dominion Resources Incorporated (NYSE:D) (Richmond, Virginia) has restarted two units at its Salem Harbor power plant, beginning the recovery process from a boiler steam explosion that killed three workers last year. The employees were repairing fan equipment when a boiler pipe ruptured, releasing a blast of scalding steam that resulted in the deaths. "We'll never forget what happened and steps are being taken to make sure something like this doesn't happen again," a plant official said.

The incident happened on November 6, 2007, and the plant has been dormant ever since. The station successfully returned two 82-megawatt (MW) coal-fired units (Units 1 and 2). Major boiler inspections are being performed on Unit 4, and officials hope to begin operations next month. Unit 3, where the explosion occurred, is still undergoing extensive inspections from the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety. A return date is unavailable for this unit until the department completes its investigation.

The plant is in Essex County, Massachusetts, about 25 miles northeast of Boston. The plant consists of four units capable of producing 805 MW. Units 1 and 2 entered service in 1952, Unit 3 in 1958, and the larger 431 MW unit 04 in 1972. The station is owned by Dominion Energy Incorporated, a subsidiary of Dominion Resources.

Dominion is a producer and transporter of energy. The company's portfolio of assets includes approximately 26,500 MW of generation and 1.1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and oil reserves. The company operates in three segments: Dominion Virginia Power (DVP), Dominion Generation and Dominion Energy.

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