Damaged Fan Motor Shuts Down Florida Coal Unit

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Researched by Industrial Information Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). The Big Bend Power Station, owned by Tampa Electric Company, a subsidiary of TECO Energy (NYSE:TE), was forced to shutdown its 446-megawatt coal-fired Unit 03 on May 31 due to a FD fan motor failure.

Plant officials confirmed that a bar fell into the fan’s motor and tore it apart. The cause of the problem is still under investigation. Plant officials did confirm that they had planned to use a second backup motor but, upon inspection, they found it to be bad also.

Both motors have been sent out for repairs. Plant officials expect to have the first motor back Friday. If all the repairs go well and there are no delays with the motor, plant personnel hope to have the unit back online Saturday, June 9. The second motor is expected back 10 days later.

The Big Bend coal fired plant began operation in 1969 and is located in Apollo Beach, Florida. The station has four coal units and two simple cycle fuel oil peaking units with a total capacity of 1,825 megawatts.

TECO Energy is an S&P 500 Energy Company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. TECO Energy’s five business units include: Tampa Electric, a regulated electric utility serving more than 365,000 customers in West Central Florida; Peoples Gas System, which is Florida’s largest natural gas distribution utility; TECO Coal, producer of conventional and synthetic fuel; TECO Transport, river and ocean waterborne transportation provider; and TECO Guatemala, owner of two power plants and interest in Guatemala distribution utility.

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