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Released April 09, 2024 | SUGAR LAND
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Written by John Egan for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The decarbonization journey of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) (Knoxville, Tennessee) continued last week when it said it would close its massive coal-fired Kingston Fossil Plant in Roane County, Tennessee, by the end of 2027, and replace that lost generation with at least 1,500 megawatts (MW) of gas-fired generation, 100 MW of battery energy storage and up to 4 MW of solar generation.
The Kingston Fossil Plant has nine units with a combined generation capacity of 1,398 MW. All nine units began generating electricity in the 1950s. The decision, announced April 2, follows years of stakeholder engagement. The new gas-fired generation will be a mix of combined-cycle and combustion-turbine generation.
"Kingston is, and has been, a part of the success of this region over the last 70 years," TVA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Lyash said in a statement. "Retiring these units and replacing them with technology that is more reliable, more resilient, and cleaner is not an easy decision, but it's the right thing to do for our energy security going forward."
He continued: "Natural gas is the only mature technology available today that can be available by the end of 2027, and it's the best overall solution to provide low-cost, reliable and cleaner energy to the TVA power system. We need year-round, firm, dispatchable power, like natural gas, for when the sun isn't shining."
TVA, a government agency, has been working for years to decarbonize its electricity supply. Since 2010, it has closed over 8,600 MW of coal-fired generation, according to a company report published in 2021. The closure of Kingston will bring that total to about 10,000 MW. To replace the shuttered coal-fired generation, TVA has built new gas-fired and renewable generation, finished construction of the Watts Bar Unit 2 nuclear plant, expanded the output of hydroelectric facilities and is exploring construction of a small modular nuclear reactor at its Clinch River, Tennessee site.
Through these efforts, the utility has lowered carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions about 57% from 2005, and is on a path to achieve an 80% reduction by 2035.
For more on TVA's decarbonization journey, see: March 7, 2024, article - TVA Proposes New Gas-Fired Plant, Grassroot Pipeline in Tennessee; January 4, 2024, article - TVA Brings New Natural Gas Power Generation Online; and September 7, 2023, article - TVA Board Authorizes Three-Year, $15-Billion Capital Program.
Kingston's retirement will leave just three active coal plants in TVA's generation fleet: Cumberland Fossil Plant in Stewart County, Tennessee; Gallatin Fossil Plant in Sumner County, Tennessee; and Shawnee Fossil Plant near Paducah, Kentucky.
The utility is continuing to evaluate closure and replacement for those plants. TVA anticipates retiring its remaining coal-fired generation by the mid-2030s. By that time, TVA is expecting to have up to 10,000 MW of solar generation operating.
The electricity generated by TVA is sold to about 156 community-owned electric utilities in seven Southeastern states that collectively provide electricity to about 10 million people.
In announcing the transformation of the Kingston complex, Lyash acknowledged the decarbonization journey is neither easy, short nor inexpensive. But decarbonizing electricity is a critical element in the nation's fight against global climate change.
"There is no one answer to achieving our nation's decarbonization goals," the TVA chief said. "The answer to how you go further, faster includes continued expansion of solar and wind energy and developing emerging technologies such as energy storage, carbon capture, low-carbon fuels, and advanced nuclear technologies."
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) platform 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 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
The Kingston Fossil Plant has nine units with a combined generation capacity of 1,398 MW. All nine units began generating electricity in the 1950s. The decision, announced April 2, follows years of stakeholder engagement. The new gas-fired generation will be a mix of combined-cycle and combustion-turbine generation.
"Kingston is, and has been, a part of the success of this region over the last 70 years," TVA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Lyash said in a statement. "Retiring these units and replacing them with technology that is more reliable, more resilient, and cleaner is not an easy decision, but it's the right thing to do for our energy security going forward."
He continued: "Natural gas is the only mature technology available today that can be available by the end of 2027, and it's the best overall solution to provide low-cost, reliable and cleaner energy to the TVA power system. We need year-round, firm, dispatchable power, like natural gas, for when the sun isn't shining."
TVA, a government agency, has been working for years to decarbonize its electricity supply. Since 2010, it has closed over 8,600 MW of coal-fired generation, according to a company report published in 2021. The closure of Kingston will bring that total to about 10,000 MW. To replace the shuttered coal-fired generation, TVA has built new gas-fired and renewable generation, finished construction of the Watts Bar Unit 2 nuclear plant, expanded the output of hydroelectric facilities and is exploring construction of a small modular nuclear reactor at its Clinch River, Tennessee site.
Through these efforts, the utility has lowered carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions about 57% from 2005, and is on a path to achieve an 80% reduction by 2035.
For more on TVA's decarbonization journey, see: March 7, 2024, article - TVA Proposes New Gas-Fired Plant, Grassroot Pipeline in Tennessee; January 4, 2024, article - TVA Brings New Natural Gas Power Generation Online; and September 7, 2023, article - TVA Board Authorizes Three-Year, $15-Billion Capital Program.
Kingston's retirement will leave just three active coal plants in TVA's generation fleet: Cumberland Fossil Plant in Stewart County, Tennessee; Gallatin Fossil Plant in Sumner County, Tennessee; and Shawnee Fossil Plant near Paducah, Kentucky.
The utility is continuing to evaluate closure and replacement for those plants. TVA anticipates retiring its remaining coal-fired generation by the mid-2030s. By that time, TVA is expecting to have up to 10,000 MW of solar generation operating.
The electricity generated by TVA is sold to about 156 community-owned electric utilities in seven Southeastern states that collectively provide electricity to about 10 million people.
In announcing the transformation of the Kingston complex, Lyash acknowledged the decarbonization journey is neither easy, short nor inexpensive. But decarbonizing electricity is a critical element in the nation's fight against global climate change.
"There is no one answer to achieving our nation's decarbonization goals," the TVA chief said. "The answer to how you go further, faster includes continued expansion of solar and wind energy and developing emerging technologies such as energy storage, carbon capture, low-carbon fuels, and advanced nuclear technologies."
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) platform 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 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
