LOS emissions control project 90% complete

On site at the Leland Olds Station, the emissions control project is about 90% finished. Right behind me, you can see the limestone storage building. This building will hold almost two unit trains full of limestone. And in the process of scrubbing sulfur dioxide from flue gas, limestone is where it all begins.

The limestone is mined in Montana. From there, itll head north to LOS by unit train.

When it leaves the limestone storage building, the rock will go to ball mills where itll be crushed to the correct size.

Its mixed with water in these tanks to make a slurry. Then its pumped into the absorber building.

(Bob Weir): Once its in the absorbers, thats where it actually comes in contact with the flue gas. Itll capture the sulfur out of the flue gas, and that basically turns it into a gypsum slurry.

At that point, the gypsum slurry gets pumped into the dewatering building.

(Bob Weir): The final step is, its a vacuum filter. Basically, the slurry gets put out onto a belt, and theres actually a vacuum that sucks the water right out of the slurry.

The gypsum will be stored here until its hauled away.
Work on the scrubber has been going on since summer of 2007. Now, the project is nearly complete.

(Bob Weir): Just about, but the last 10-percent is the hardest.

Bob Weir supervises the project construction. In August 2009, more than 100 electricians are on the job. Their work is measured in miles.

(Bob Weir): About 21-miles of conduit, approximately 150-miles of cable, and over 23,000 electrical terminations.

The electrical work is one more step to finish up before project completion.
The scrubber on Unit 2 of LOS will be tied in during the fall of 2010. The Unit 1 scrubber will be tied in during 2011.

http://www.basinelectric.com
http://basinelectric.wordpress.com

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Basin
• Electric
• Power
• Cooperative
• co-op
• Leland
• Olds
• Station
• Stanton
• North
• Dakota
• Bismarck
• emissions
• control
• sulfur
• dioxide
• regulation
• limestone
• gypsum
• slurry
• ball
• mill
• scrubber
• wet
• TwitVid