- Nanticoke Generating Station
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Nanticoke Generating Station 
Location of Nanticoke Generating Station
Country Canada Location Nanticoke, Ontario Coordinates 42°48′0″N 80°3′1″W / 42.8°N 80.05028°WCoordinates: 42°48′0″N 80°3′1″W / 42.8°N 80.05028°W Status Active Commission date 1972–1978 Owner(s) Ontario Power Generation Power station information Primary fuel Coal
Biomass/Natural Gas (prospective)Power generation information Maximum capacity 2,760 MW[1] The Nanticoke Generating Station is the largest coal-fired power plant in North America, delivering up to 2,760 MW[1] of power into the southern Ontario power grid from its base in Nanticoke, Ontario, Canada. Previous to unit shutdowns, its generating capacity was 3,964 MW.[2] It is owned by Ontario Power Generation, a crown corporation of the Government of Ontario. It was scheduled for decommission in early 2009 as part of the Ontario commitment to eliminate coal power, but this has been repeatedly delayed. The plant has shut down four of its eight units,[3] and is currently scheduled to phase out its use of coal by 2014, switching to biomass or natural gas.[1] Nanticoke is one of Canada's top ten single sources of greenhouse gases.[4]
Contents
History
The Nanticoke Generating Station is built on the site of the "Battle of Nanticoke", where in 1813 the Norfolk volunteer militia routed a band of American marauders who had been pillaging area farms and terrorizing the country, an exploit that inspired the British military forces and the people of Upper Canada during the War of 1812. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1924. [5][6]
Ontario Hydro revealed plans to build a 4,000MW fossil-fuel generating station near Long Point, Ontario in 1967.[7] Its current site was selected in Nanticoke, Ontario, because of the nearby harbour, the proximity of United States coal supplies, and proximity to much of Ontario's population.[7] The construction of the plant cost CAN$800 million and operations started in 1972.[8] Eight pulverized coal-fired steam generators were built in phases between 1973 and 1978.[7]
By 1981, the plant was consuming 35,000 tonnes of coal per day. Over the years, another $900 million has been invested in making the plant more energy efficient, robust, and improving its emissions.[8]
Plant operations
Power generation and distribution
Nanticoke is the largest coal-fired power plant in North America and one of the ten largest in the world[citation needed]. The station's annual production is in the range of 20 to 24 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh), enough electricity to run nearly 2.5 million households.[8] When demand for electricity is high, all eight units are put into service and it produces approximately 15% of Ontario's electricity needs by itself.[citation needed] Nanticoke currently employs approximately 500 staff from the area.[8]
A dock on the shore of the site allows ships to deliver coal to an on-site stock pile, which can hold up to 4.5 megatonnes.
Cooling water for the plant is drawn from Lake Erie using two pipes that are 6.5m in diameter, stretch 550m offshore, and sit 10m below the surface. The plant has two multi-flue smokestacks which are both 198 m (650 ft) tall. [9][10]
The plant is connected to the power grid by numerous 230,000 and 500,000 volt transmission lines.[citation needed]
Emissions
Emissions from Nanticoke from 2004 to 2009.[11]
The Nanticoke station is one of Canada's largest greenhouse gas emitters and polluters.[12] In 2001, it was the largest single source of greenhouse gases according to Environment Canada.[13] Due to a major reduction in output in 2009, it had been surpassed by facilities in Alberta and Saskatchewan, but remained in the top 10 representing almost 2.5% of Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions.[14][4]
Greenhouse Gases (2009)[11] Greenhouse gas Sum (tonnes) Sum (tonnes CO2e*) CO2 6,015,378.0 6,015,378.0 CH4 810.3 17,016.0 N2O 15.3 4,743.0 Total - 6,037,137.0 *Calculated figures for CO2e are rounded to the nearest tonne.
Total emissions, 2004-2009[11] Year Emissions (tonnes CO2e) 2004 14,715,952 2005 17,629,437 2006 16,271,466 2007 17,887,649 2008 15,427,913 2009 6,037,137 Decommissioning
The Government of Ontario had originally targeted to phase out all of its coal plants by 2009, but abandoned this target in 2006 to the ire of organizations representing nurses and physicians, community groups and environment groups.[15] The province could not replace Nanticoke's energy output by the deadline. The province was examining replacing this output using nuclear power by refurbishing its existing fleet, and building two additional reactors at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station. Bruce Power, Canada's only private nuclear power company, also proposed building two reactors on former Stelco lands in Nanticoke. However, this was met with immediate opposition and dismissal from the government. "It's a speculative move on the part of a private company...It doesn't enjoy the support, encouragement [or] approval...of the Government of Ontario," stated George Smitherman, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure.[16]
Currently, a regulation under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) stipulates that coal will not be used in Ontario to generate electricity past December 31, 2014.[17] Nanticoke is scheduled to phase out its use of coal and switch to using biomass. While this substitution will result in lower net greenhouse gas emissions, it will also result in lower electricity generation.[1] Premier Dalton McGuinty announced 2500 MW of green energy projects in April 2010. These projects will help Ontario move towards greener electricity production, and help compensate for the decreased generation at Nanticoke, keeping it on track towards the current scheduled phase-out date of 2014.[18]
Two units at Nanticoke were shut down in fall 2010.[19] Another two will be shut down in 2011.[20]
See also
- List of power stations in Canada
- Science and technology in Canada
References
- Wiancko, P. M. (1981). Environmental Design and Operation of Nanticoke Thermal Generating Station. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 7(2):96-104
- ^ a b c d http://www.opg.com/power/thermal/brochures/nanticokebrochure.pdf
- ^ http://www.ieso.ca/imowebpub/200807/Weather-and-Demand_2008.pdf
- ^ http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/869588--four-more-ontario-coal-fired-generating-units-shut-down
- ^ a b http://www.ec.gc.ca/ges-ghg/DF08C7BA-5545-4FEA-ADDE-73C8BE97205D/GHG%20Table%203.xls
- ^ Nanticoke, Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada
- ^ Nanticoke. Canadian Register of Historic Places.
- ^ a b c Wiancko, p. 96
- ^ a b c d "Nanticoke Generating Station". Ontario Power Generation. http://www.opg.com/power/thermal/nanticoke.asp. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
- ^ http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?buildingID=3871
- ^ http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?buildingID=3872
- ^ a b c "Facility and GHG Information - Nanticoke Generating Station". Environment Canada. http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/ghg/onlinedata/facility_info_e.cfm?ghg_id=G10198&year=2009. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
- ^ http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVNews/1027384052424_22793252?hub=CTVNewsAt11&subhub=PrintStory
- ^ http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/local/article/12313--nanticoke-facility-worst-single-source-of-greenhouse-gases-study-finds
- ^ http://www.ec.gc.ca/ges-ghg/default.asp?lang=En&n=DF08C7BA-1
- ^ Ecojustice (11 October 2006). "Ontario abandons coal phase-out, guts smog and climate change plans". http://www.ecojustice.ca/media-centre/press-releases/ontario-abandons-coal-phase-out-guts-smog-and-climate-change-plans. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
- ^ CBC News (1 November 2008). "Ont. government signals opposition to Bruce Power nuclear reactors". CBC. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2008/10/31/nuclear-ontario.html. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (22 January 2009). "Frequently Asked Questions". http://www.mei.gov.on.ca/en/energy/electricity/index.php?page=electricity-faqs. Retrieved 24 April 2010.
- ^ CBC News Now - Green Energy for Ontario (Television). CBC News. 8 April 2010.
- ^ Talaga, Tanya (3 September 2009). "Ontario shuts 4 coal-fired units". The Star (Toronto). http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/690432.
- ^ http://www.mei.gov.on.ca/en/pdf/MEI_LTEP_en.pdf
Categories:- Ontario Hydro
- Ontario Power Generation
- Coal-fired power stations in Ontario
- Buildings and structures in Haldimand County, Ontario
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