South Dakota's Big Stone Plant Extends Outage

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The 475-megawatt (MW), coal-fired Unit 1 at Big Stone Power Plant, which is located in Big Stone, South Dakota, was shut down in late February for a maintenance outage that was planned as part of a major overhaul. Initially scheduled to end in late May, the outage has been extended by two months. The plant is majority-owned by Otter Tail Power Company a subsidiary of Otter Tail Corporation (NASDAQ:OTTR) (Fergus Falls, Minnesota).

Officials said that they discovered cracks in the blading of the turbine's rotor, and had to send the rotor to North Carolina for repairs.

The rotor is due to return to the site around July 2, although the unit will not immediately return to service due to numerous, mandatory startup tests. Officials will continue to investigate the cause and will strive to return the unit to service by July 20.

Unit 1 is the only unit at Big Stone.

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