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Tenaska announces hiring of engineering and construction firm |
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Written by Brian McCormack
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Sunday, 21 June 2009 |
Company hopes to break ground for cutting-edge coal plant in 2010
Tenaska, the Omaha, Neb. based energy company, announced Thursday that the Fluor Corporation has been selected to be the engineering, procurement and construction firm charged with building the world's first coal-fueled power plant of its size to utilize carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies.
Fluor, which is based out of Irving, specializes in large-scale projects such as power plants. Tenaska's proposed 600-megawatt facility, the Trailblazer Energy Center, will present a new challenge to both companies as they attempt to successfully implement a system capable of capturing 85-90 percent of the carbon dioxide (CO2), and ship it via pipeline to the Permian Basin for use in enhanced oil recovery.
According to Helen Manroe, manager of business development for Tenaska, Fluor was a good fit for the role it will play in bringing Trailblazer to life. "Fluor is known and respected for its expertise and experience in building power plants across the globe," she said. "They are one of the few companies in the world that have experience in both supercritical coal and carbon capture technology."
A press release issued by Fluor conveys the excitement of the company to be involved in such a project. David Dunning, president of Fluor's Power Group said, "We look forward to working with Tenaska on the first phase of this next-generation power plant. We believe Trailblazer will set a new standard for clean coal electricity generation globally, by using advanced carbon capture technology and we are delighted to be part of this innovation in clean energy production."
Fluor states that the initial phase will last about 12 months, and will produce the preliminary design and cost estimates to build the plant. Manroe said that the decision to proceed will be forthcoming, and if finalized, the company hopes to break ground in late 2010.
Some questions still remain however, as far as how Tenaska will attain the water required to operate such a plant, and the specific technology that will be used to cool it. Manroe said that at this time, no decisions have been made as to which cooling option the facility will use. "We will work through that with Fluor," she said. "Their input will be really helpful in deciding what we want to do."
The hiring of Fluor is also indicative of the progress that has been made by Tenaska to see the ambitious project through. "This is a very important step," Manroe said. "This allows us to keep moving the project forward. It is a big step financially, it's another big investment by Tenaska in the project."
Dr. David Kunkel, vice-president of environmental affairs for Tenaska, has said that environmental groups have applauded the company for stepping up and tackling the global warming issue by curtailing CO2 emissions. "We are attempting to solve one of the key problems that the world has," he explains.
Some area citizens remain unconvinced that Trailblazer is a good thing for the community. David Hall, a local attorney and spokesman for the Multi-County Coalition, a group of citizens opposed to the Trailblazer project, feels that although the potential pollution from a coal plant is an issue, area residents should be concerned about the millions of gallons of water that Trailblazer will consume each and every day. "I don't see any new information in this press release," he said. "We still don't have any information about how much of our water they will use, nor do we have any stated decision about their cooling technology, which affects water consumption."
According to Hall, the decision to spend the kind of money that must be involved with the contract between Fluor and Tenaska, seems a bit premature. "It is surprising to me that Tenaska would begin the construction and engineering process before we have an opportunity to get decisions through the appropriate governing agency."
The agency Hall is referring to is the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). TCEQ is expected to issue a ruling on whether to allow a contested case hearing before the air permits are issued to Tenaska. A contested case hearing, according to Hall, is a legal procedure that allows concerns to be addressed on the record, and is supposed to be a factor in the agency's decision during the permitting process. Over 200 requests for a contested case hearing have been filed by local citizens.
The lack of transparency, even after two public hearings, is what bothers Hall. "We have not received any decision or critique from the TCEQ, whom Tenaska has asked us to trust with our health and our water," Hall said. "I assume Tenaska has information or confidence related to the TCEQ permitting process, of which, local citizens have not yet been informed."
Tenaska has yet to make its final decision on whether to proceed, and an announcement will be made later in the year. According to Manroe, the company will weigh local and state support, as well the incentives that may be available to companies who implement CCS technology, which lowers the productivity of the plant, in turn reducing profit margins.
As for Fluor, reps have stated that if the decision to build Trailblazer is made, they would establish a location in Sweetwater, and move the appropriate personnel to the area to see the project through. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 23 June 2009 )
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