Boiler Drum Explosion Forces Midwest Generation Unit Offline in Illinois

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Researched by Industrial Information Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). The Joliet Power Station located in Joliet, Illinois and owned by Midwest Generation EME LLC (NYSE:EIX) (a subsidiary of Edison International) shut down its 360-megawatt coal fired unit April 28 due to an explosion in the drum of the boiler.

The explosion was caused by hot steam (lava) which was detected to be rolling out from underneath the floor of the boiler. Plant officials confirmed that there are various factors that could possibly be a motive, such as the age of the boiler, the type of coal being used, or damage to the boiler tubes.

Plant officials are stating that they will have to cut the drum out and re-tube part of the water wall area along with other repairs. The plant has stated that it will be at least two weeks before the unit is ready to return. Joliet Station 9 became operational in 1959. It has one generating unit with a capacity of 360 megawatts.

Edison International has twelve generating plants in Illinois and two in the United Kingdom. Midwest Generation is a subsidiary of Edison Mission Energy and headquartered In Chicago, Illinois. Midwest Generation assumes regional management of newly acquired fossil fuel power plants in Illinois and Pennsylvania and underscores Edison International’s commitment to environmental responsibility by undertaking nearly $500 million in projects that will significantly reduce air emissions at these facilities.

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