Basin Electric Begins Construction on $1.3 Billion Coal-Fired Power Project in Wyoming

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Bismarck, South Dakota) has started construction of the $1.3 Billion, 385-megawatt Dry Fork Power Project located in Gillette, Wyoming. The mine-mouth power plant is being built next to the Dry Fork coal mine operated by Western Fuels Wyoming Incorporated (Gillette, Wyoming). Upon commercial operation, Western Fuels will deliver 1.7 million tons per year of Powder River Basin (PRB) coal to the new plant.

The Dry Fork project is aimed to meet the growing electric demand of Basin Electric customers. Construction began two days after the state's Environmental Quality Department approved the plant's air permit. Basin Electric got the project off the ground quickly because of its decision to seek private financing rather than securing its loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Services. The facility is expected to go into full commercial operation by May 2011.

The project consists of a 385-megawatt Mitsubishi Heavy Industries steam turbine generator with a Babcock & Wilcox pulverized-coal sub critical boiler. Dry Fork will operate as a base load plant utilizing state-of-the art emissions-reduction equipment. This equipment is being supplied by Nooter/Erickson (Fenton, Missouri) and built by Titan Contracting & Leasing /Horn Industrial Services (Owensboro, Kentucky). The air cooler and condenser portion of this project is being supplied by GEA Thermal Dynamic Towers (Lakewood, Colorado) and constructed by LPR Construction (Loveland, Colorado).

Sargent & Lundy LLC located in Chicago, Illinois, will provide the turnkey engineering, procurement and construction services for the project.

The project also includes a 136-mile, 230-kV transmission line, known as the Hughes Transmission project, which will traverse Campbell and Sheridan counties.

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