Santee Cooper Prepares Cross Unit 3 for Operation and Moves Forward with Additional Coal-Fired Generation

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). State-owned water and electric utility, Santee Cooper (Moncks Corner, South Carolina) is preparing the 600-megawatt Cross Unit 3 to begin commercial operation within the next seven days. Construction of the $675 million project began in early 2004 and is currently 97% complete. In addition to this most recent unit, the company has completed 30% of the construction on the $720 million, 600-megawatt Cross Unit 4, which started construction during the second half of 2005 and is anticipated to begin commercial operations in 2008.

WorleyParsons, Limited (Reading, Pennsylvania) was chosen to provide engineering and construction management for both units. Each of the new units will utilize pulverized coal-fired Alstom sub-critical boilers to drive a 600-megawatt General Electric steam turbine generator set. State-of-the-art environmental controls will also be installed on both units to control NOx, SO2, and particulate and mercury emissions. These emission controls will include low NOx burners, selective catalytic reduction units (SCR), wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) scrubbers, electrostatic precipitators and baghouses. The two new units will increase Santee Cooper’s overall operational capacity to 5,718 megawatts and coal-fired generating capacity to 4,115 megawatts.

Click on the image at right to view a chart showing the breakdown of spending by county for Santee Cooper.

In addition to these new coal-fired units, the company is also considering building a new coal-fired power plant capable of generating 600-1,200 megawatts. A definite site has yet to be selected, but a site along the Great Pee Dee River in Florence County, South Carolina is under review. If built, the new plant is expected to begin generating electricity during the 2012-2013 timeframe.

Overall, the company is engaged in project activity totaling over $3.7 billion in capital and maintenance spending. This activity represents spending towards projects that are currently in progress as well as planned work scheduled for kick off over the next two to four years. Also, the company is evaluating the possibility of participating in adding a new 1,100-megawatt nuclear unit at South Carolina Electric & Gas’ (SCANA) (Columbia, South Carolina) Virgil C Summer Nuclear Power Station in Jenkinsville, South Carolina.

For more information on future business trends and project spending in the Power Industry check out Industrial Info’s 2006 Global Industrial Outlook.

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