State Regulators Approve $150 Million Pollution Control Project for Wisconsin's Columbia Power Station

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Wisconsin state regulators this month approved the installation of a selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) on Unit 2 of the Columbia Power Station in Pardeeville, Wisconsin. The decision forms part an agreement reached jointly in 2013 between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the Sierra Club.

The cost of the project is estimated at $150 million. Alliant Energy Corporation (NYSE:LNT) (Madison, Wisconsin), which owns 46.2% of the power station, will pay $69 million. Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (WPS) (Green Bay, Wisconsin), a subsidiary of Integrys Energy Group (NYSE:TEG) (Chicago, Illinois), owns 31.8% of the power station and will pay $48 million. Madison Gas & Electric Company (MGE) (Madison, Wisconsin), a subsidiary of MGE Energy Incorporated (NASDAQ:MGEE) (Madison), owns 22% of the power plant and will pay $32 million. It is expected that these costs will be passed on to customers.

SCR equipment reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions through the injection of ammonia into gases exiting a boiler. The resulting chemical reaction converts much of the NOx into nitrogen and water. NOx emissions further oxidize in the atmosphere and increase the presence of nitric acid. When this is combined with water vapor, it can form so-called acid rain, which is thought to contribute to or cause respiratory diseases.

Several other environmental projects already have been completed at the plant. Last year, two Babcock & Wilcox Company (NYSE:BWC) (Charlotte, North Carolina) pulse jet fabric filter baghouses were installed on Unit 2's Alstom (Levallois-Perret, France) CE tangential-fired dry bottom boilers. The baghouses capture significant amounts (up to 90%) of a plant's mercury and sulfur dioxide emissions. In addition, the cooling towers for units 1 and 2 were replaced within the last two years. The new towers help further reduce water temperatures in the plant's condensers and improve the plant's efficiency.

Even though details of these projects only recently have hit the news, Industrial Info has been following project details for several years. Customers can examine the details of past and future projects for each plant by clicking on the "Plant Complete" at the individual plant or project level.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.