Duke Gets Green Light for New Gas-Fired Plant in South Carolina

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Written by Eric Funderburk for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Last week, the Public Service Commission of South Carolina approved plans by Duke Energy to construct a 1,400-MW, natural gas-fired power plant in Anderson County, South Carolina.

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New Gas-Fired Power Plant

In what is expected to be a growing trend, Duke Energy Corporation last week received approval from the Public Service Commission of South Carolina to construct a large natural gas-fired power plant in Anderson County. The facility will have a generating capacity just shy of 1,400 megawatts (MW), with 95 MW owned by South Carolina's Central Electric Power Cooperative and another 100 MW going to the North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation.

The combined-cycle plant will feature GE Vernova equipment. Duke anticipates construction will begin in mid-2027 and that the plant will begin operations in early 2031. Industrial Info has been following this project for more than nine months. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.

Elsewhere in Anderson County...

The plant will be Duke's second facility in Anderson County, joining the primarily gas-fired W.S. Lee Power Plant. The Lee plant began operating as a coal-fired facility in 1951. In the mid-2010s, coal gave way to natural gas as a coal-fired unit was converted to gas, followed in 2018 by the startup of two combined-cycle units. The plant also houses two simple-cycle units capable of burning either gas or fuel oil.

Duke is considering an uprate for the facility's gas units, which could kick off later this year. The project would boost the power output of the two 242.3-MW Siemens turbines by 3%-4%. Once started, the project should be completed within a few months. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.

Other Carolina Gas Projects

The two Anderson County projects are only two of multiple gas-fired projects Duke is considering within its prime service territory of the Carolinas, mostly geared toward its home state of North Carolina, where several key gas-fired projects are being considered by the company.

Duke is adding a 1,360-MW combined-cycle unit to its Roxboro facility in Semora, North Carolina, and plans to add 850 MW of simple-cycle gas-fired operations at the Marshall power plant in Catawba County. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the reports on the Roxboro and Marshall projects.

Also at the Roxboro plant, Duke is considering converting an existing 410-MW coal-fired boiler to burn gas, although this project isn't expected to begin in earnest for a couple of years. (Click here to see the project report.) Similar plans are being drawn up for the Marshall facility for the fuel conversion of its units 3 and 4.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Power Project Database can also access more than a dozen other of Duke's potential capital gas-fired projects in North Carolina, including other grassroot plants and unit additions, as well as various uprates and equipment replacement projects.

In addition to capital projects, Industrial Info also is tracking 14 planned maintenance events at Duke's existing gas-fired facilities in both states.

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About IIR News Intelligence
IIR News Intelligence is a trusted source of news for the industrial process and energy markets, powered by Industrial Info Resources' Global Market Intelligence (GMI).

About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 Trillion (USD).