Rockport Generating Station

Rockport Generating Station
Rockport Generating Station as seen from near the Natcher Bridge
Map
CountryUnited States
LocationOhio Township, Spencer County, Indiana
Coordinates37°55′32″N 87°02′02″W / 37.92556°N 87.03389°W / 37.92556; -87.03389
StatusOperational
Commission dateUnit 1: December 1984
Unit 2: December 1988
Decommission dateUnit 1: 2028 (planned)
Unit 2: 2028 (planned)
OwnerIndiana-Michigan Power
Thermal power station
Primary fuelSub-bituminous coal
Turbine technologySteam turbine
Cooling towers2 × Natural Draft
Cooling sourceOhio River
Power generation
Units operational2 × 1300 MW
Nameplate capacity2600 MW
Capacity factor48.0% (2017)
Annual net output10,923 GWh (2017) [1]
[edit on Wikidata]

Rockport Generating Station is a coal-fired power plant, located along the Ohio River in Ohio Township, Spencer County, Indiana, in the United States, near Rockport. The power plant is located along U.S. Route 231 (segment known as the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Parkway), approximately one mile north of the William H. Natcher Bridge, spanning the Ohio River. It is operated by Indiana Michigan Power, a subsidiary of American Electric Power.

History

Two identical non-cyclonic Babcock & Wilcox units (1,300 MW each[2]) were launched into service in December 1984 and December 1988. They are among the largest coal units built. The plant is connected to the grid by 765 kilovolt transmission lines (the highest rated voltage used in the United States).[3] The power plant features the tallest smokestack in Indiana, and is one of the tallest smokestacks in the world at 1,038 feet (316.4 m).[4]

Coal supply

The coal is delivered to the plant by barges along the Ohio River.[citation needed] The plant burns in excess of seven million short tons of coal a year. To minimize cost, AEP announced in February 2018 that Rockport will rely solely on coal from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming.[5]

Retirement

In July 2019, AEP announced that Rockport's Unit 1 will retire by the end of 2028. This was made in an agreement modification between AEP, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), several northeastern states, the Sierra Club, and other parties. The agreement allows AEP to achieve emission reduction goals while also shutting down Unit 1 without adding costly pollution control systems.[6][7]

In April, 2021 AEP announced that Rockport's Unit 2 will also be retired by the end of 2028. [8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Electricity Data Browser".
  2. ^ Rockport Power Plant on mesotheliomasymptoms.com
  3. ^ "Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2006" (Excel). Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. 2006. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
  4. ^ Neville, Angela (October 1, 2009). "Top Plants: Rockport Power Plant, Rockport, Indiana". POWER Magazine. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  5. ^ Matyi, Bob (February 27, 2018). "AEP unit's Rockport plant in Indiana to switch almost entirely to PRB coal". Platts. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  6. ^ Lyman, Jill (July 19, 2019). "Coal unit shutting down at Rockport Power Plant". WFIE-TV. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  7. ^ McHenry, Melissa (July 18, 2019). "AEP Receives Approval to Modify New Source Review Consent Decree". AEP.com. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  8. ^ "Energy company unveils plan to fully retire Rockport power plant". WFIE. April 24, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2021.