Paradise Found: TVA Celebrates Opening of Natural Gas-Fired Power Unit

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--It has been generating power since April, but that didn't stop the Tennessee Valley Authority (NYSE:TVE) (TVA) (Knoxville, Tennessee) from holding a dedication ceremony last week for the Paradise natural gas, combined-cycle power plant addition in Drakesboro, Kentucky. The facility is part of the TVA's drive for "cleaner energy, a more diversified generating portfolio, and reliable, low-cost power," said TVA President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Johnson in a press statement.

Industrial Info is tracking nearly $17.7 billion in active capital projects by the TVA. Located in the heart of coal country, the 1,000-megawatt (MW), natural-gas-fired Paradise facility is an addition at the site of an existing coal-fired power plant. Construction of the $1.1 billion project began in early 2015 and was completed in April this year. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

"This combined-cycle plant is designed to be innovative--it has site-wide WiFi, mobile data accessibility, electric vehicles and more," said David Sorrick, senior vice president, Power Operations.

The TVA's 2017 budget includes more than $2 billion to be spent on "cleaner power" projects. For related information, see October 7, 2016, article - TVA Adopts Budget with More Than $2 Billion of 'Cleaner Energy' Projects

In June, Johnson was quoted by Reuters as saying the TVA would continue to produce more power with natural gas and nuclear energy while shutting older coal-fired plants, with the goal of just 15% of the TVA's generation system coming from coal 10 years from now.

The Paradise project was one of two combined-cycle projects highlighted by the TVA, the other being the 1,000-megawatt (MW), gas-fired Thomas H. Allen Power Station in Memphis, Tennessee. Construction of the $975 million project began in early 2016, and was 75% complete as of May, according to the TVA. Completion is expected in late 2018. Other developments at the Allen site include a 1-MW solar farm as well as a renewable biogas facility, allowing the power station to burn biogas in addition to natural gas. For more information on the combined-cycle Allen station, see Industrial Info's project report.

Industrial Info is tracking 17 TVA projects worth nearly $2.7 billion that were scheduled for completion this year. In addition to the Paradise project, the authority expects to complete the $1 billion installation of pollution-control equipment at the coal-fired, 1,254-MW Gallatin Power Station in Gallatin, Tennessee. The installation will reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury. URS Corporation, which is part of AECOM (NYSE:ACM) (Los Angeles, California) is providing engineering, procurement and construction. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

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