Dominion's Biomass Conversion Project Nears Completion in Virginia

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Dominion Virginia Power (NYSE:D) (Richmond, Virginia) has almost finished converting its coal-fired Altavista plant to burn biomass. The plant has not produced power in more than two and a half years, but it is expected to be fully operational as early as next week.

The 71-megawatt (MW) coal plant will produce 51 MW when fully operational, burning about 85 tons of wood and waste wood per hour in two boilers. A new fuel delivery system was installed, along with boiler modifications, a new ash-handling system and new fans.

Engineering for the project was performed by ESI Incorporated (Kennesaw, Georgia), and Crower Construction (Spartanburg, South Carolina) was selected as the design-build firm. Construction on the estimated $55 million project started in the fall of 2011.

The Altivista plant is one of three biomass reconfiguration projects Dominion is undertaking in Virginia. It plans to eventually have four plants burning biomass.

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