Panda Power Funds to Develop Coal-to-Gas Conversion Project in Pennsylvania

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Earlier this week, Panda Power Funds (Dallas, Texas) announced that it is entering into a joint venture with Sunbury Generation LP (Shamokin Dam, Pennsylvania) to develop, construct and operate a natural gas-fired cogeneration plant in Pennsylvania.

The plant will be located at the site of the recently retired Sunbury power station, a coal-fired facility in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, that began operations in 1953. The plant had a nameplate generating capacity of 400 megawatts (MW), but was on a seasonal operation plan for environmental reasons. Sunbury was retired last summer.

The new plant will have a 1,000-MW generating capacity, allowing it supply major power markets, such as Pennsylvania and New York City. The plant's proximity to the Marcellus Shale will provide a ready supply of natural gas. A subsidiary of UGI Energy Services LLC, a part of UGI Corporation (NYSE:UGI) (King of Prussia, Pennsylvania), later this year will apply to the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for approval to construct and operate a 35-mile pipeline lateral to supply natural gas to the plant.

The station will be called the "Hummel Station" and is planned to begin operations in the second half of 2017.

Panda Power Funds is becoming an increasingly strong developer of natural gas-fired power plants in the U.S. In November, the company commissioned a 758-MW power plant in Sherman, Texas. The company continues the development of two other natural gas-fired projects in Pennsylvania, as well as plants in Maryland and Virginia.

Industrial Info will provide more information as details become available, including requests for quotations, bidding documents, and planning and construction schedules.

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