The Ivanpah solar thermal project, which Bechtel is constructing for BrightSource in the Mojave Desert, will be the largest solar plant in the world when completed in 2013. DSI supplied DustTamer Wind Fence materials for the solar array staging area to prevent damage to the arrays from dust erosion and turn-over of unattached stored units. DustTamer can also be used for the permanent solar field to reduce the effects of dust erosion on reflectors and dust accumulation that can reduce collection efficiency. With DustTamers wind velocity reduction, it may be possible to reduce solar array foundation and/or structural steel requirements and associated cost. Another application for DustTamer material is to reduce the visual impact of the solar field and potential glare from reflectors. Photo courtesy of BrightSource / Power Engineering.
Nacogdoches Generating Facility, owned by Southern Co. in Nacogdoches County, Texas
The 100 MW Nacogdoches Generating Facility is a full-scale biomass plant in Nacogdoches County, Texas. The nation's largest biomass plant supplies all of its power to Austin Energy in a 20-year PPA. The Austin City Council approved the $2.3 billion project in 2008, and the plant was commissioned in June 2012.
Dry Fork Station, owned by Basin Electric Co-Op and Wyoming Municipal Power Agency in Gillette, Wyo.
The $1.35 billion Dry Fork Station was commissioned on November 1, 2011 and is a greenfield leading edge coal-fired power plant. It was built to add capacity to meet the needs of the 134-member co-ops of Basin Electric and WMPA. The minemouth plant uses Power River Basin coal. The project had a construction and commissioning timeline of 45 months and finished on budget and two months ahead of schedule.
The project used circulated fluidized boiler (CFB) scrubber technology relatively unknown in the U.S. and untried worldwide at this size. An air cooled condenser minimizes water usage with 45 fans 100 feet off the ground condensing steam for reuse. The plant also uses an advanced control protection technology using foundation field bus for all station-wide systems to protect personnel, cost control and reliability requirements.
Affected facilities constructed, reconstructed or modified after May 27, 2009 are required to prepare and operate in accordance with a submitted fugitive coal dust emissions plan. The plan must identify and describe the control measures the owner/operator will use to minimize fugitive coal dust emissions from each open storage pile.
The EPA identified fogging systems and wind barriers as two of the accepted control measures. DSI DustTamer Wind Fence Systems and Dry Fog Systems can help you comply with these regulations avoiding the use of chemicals. With chemical systems the EPA requires that the user consider in their dust control plan the site-specific impacts associated with the use of chemical dust suppressants (e.g.,water runoff, water quality concerns).