Conesville Power Plant

Coordinates: 40°11′10″N 81°52′43″W / 40.18611°N 81.87861°W / 40.18611; -81.87861
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Conesville Power Plant
Conesville Power Plant in 2020
Map
CountryUnited States
LocationFranklin Township, Coshocton County, near Conesville, Ohio
Coordinates40°11′10″N 81°52′43″W / 40.18611°N 81.87861°W / 40.18611; -81.87861
StatusDecommissioned
Commission dateUnit 1: 1957
Unit 2: 1959
Unit 3: 1962
Unit 4: 1973
Unit 5: 1976
Unit 6: 1978
Decommission dateUnit 1–2: 2005
Unit 3: 2012
Units 5–6: May 31, 2019
Unit 4: April 29, 2020
Owner(s)AEP Generation Resources
AES Ohio Generation
Operator(s)American Electric Power (AEP)
Thermal power station
Primary fuelCoal
Cooling sourceMuskingum River
Power generation
Nameplate capacity2,005 MW
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

Conesville Power Plant was a 2-gigwatt (2,005 MW), coal power plant located east of Conesville, Ohio in Coshocton County, Ohio. Its units were co-owned at the time of its closing by American Electric Power (AEP) and AES Ohio Generation. All plant operations were handled by AEP. Conesville began operations in 1957 and ceased generation in April 2020.[1]

History[edit]

Construction of Unit 1 began in 1955 and was commissioned by Columbus & Southern Ohio Electric (a forerunner of AEP).[2] Unit 1 began commercial generation in 1957 while Unit 2 began operations two years later in 1959.[3] Both units cost $36 million to construct and generated 125 MW each.[4][5] Unit 3 began operations in 1962 with a generation capacity of 165 MW.[6] Unit 4 began operations in 1973 with a generation capacity of 780 MW.[7] At the time of its conception, the unit would be jointly owned by Cincinnati Gas and Electric (CG&E) (a forerunner of Duke Energy), Columbus & Southern Ohio Electric, and DP&L.[8] Units 5 and 6 began operations in 1976 and 1978 respectively.[9][10] Over the years, Units 5 and 6 have increased electrical generation from 375 MW to 405 MW.[9][11] In 2014, Duke Energy sold its stake in Conesville to Dynegy.[12] Three years later in 2017, Dynegy sold its stake in Conesville in a swap with AEP for a stake of William H. Zimmer Power Station.[13] At the time of its closure in 2020, DP&L held a minority ownership of Unit 4 with AEP.[14]

Environmental mitigation[edit]

With the installation of Unit 4, electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) were installed to prevent fly ash from going into the atmosphere. ESPs were later installed to Units 1–3 in the mid-1970s. Unit 4 also had cooling towers constructed which resulted in zero discharge into the Muskingum River.[15] In 2009, Unit 4 would receive the installation of flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) equipment along with a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to meet the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) and Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR).[16][17] The $450 million project for Unit 4, saw the construction of an 800 ft (240 m) smokestack for the FGD equipment.[18] After it was installed, inspectors found corrosion. AEP settled with Black & Veatch, the contractor who installed the FGD equipment, to address the corrosion.[19] When Units 5 and 6 went into operation, $52 million in scrubber technology were installed to reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, but it operated inefficiently.[20][21] The scrubber was eventually upgraded in 2008.[17] In the summer of 2001, Unit 6 was the test site for Thermal Energy International's THERMALONOx.[22][23] The THERMALONOx was intended to show that nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions would be reduced by 70%.[22] Unfortunately, the demonstration was halted in September 2001 after the "system did not appreciably reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission levels."[23]

Operations[edit]

When the first unit went into operation, it was projected that Conesville would use between 300,000 and 400,000 short tons of coal each year.[2] According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), the plant received 1,716,286 short tons of coal in 2017. All of the coal was shipped from mines within Ohio.[24] Conesville used to employ 600 workers. In 2018, only 165 were employed at the plant.[25]

Retirement[edit]

Units 1 and 2 were retired in 2005 after Unit 1's tubing to its boiler failed. Inspections on Unit 2 revealed severe corrosion in a pattern that was similar to Unit 1. The reported cost of $35 million to repair both units was not worth the benefit of returning to service.[4] Unit 3 was retired in December 2012 in order to comply with the Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) rules regarding mercury, lead, and other toxic emissions.[26][27] AEP announced in October 2018 they will shut down Conesville by May 2020. Units 5 and 6 retired on May 31, 2019, while Unit 4 remained in operation until April 2020.[28][1] The decision to close the plant was due to operational costs, not clearing PJM Interconnection's capacity auction, and AEP unable to find a buyer.[25][14] The facility was imploded on December 19, 2021.[29]

Incidents[edit]

In February 1982, two protestors from Greenpeace climbed up one of Conesville Power Plant's smokestacks to protest against acid rain.[30] The protestors spent three days on top of the smokestack. They were charged with criminal trespass. The judge fined both protestors $250 and were sentenced to three days in jail.[31]

In July 2004, a tank exploded burning two workers. They would later die from their injuries.[32] AEP determined the cause was due to a sudden release of molten slag that overpressured the tank.[33]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Hayhurst, Leonard L. (April 30, 2020). "AEP Conesville reaches end of era". Coshocton Tribune. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Top Executives Tell of Conesville Power Plant". Coshocton Tribune. July 5, 1955. p. 6. Retrieved June 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Hayhurst, Leonard (August 24, 2017). "AEP Conesville still fired up after 60 years". Coshocton Tribune. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "2 units at AEP Conesville plant to be shuttered". Columbus Business First. October 3, 2005. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  5. ^ "Conesville Power Plant Began Operating in 1958". Coshocton Tribune. August 20, 1961. p. 9. Retrieved June 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Waitkus, Dave (January 7, 2013). "End of an era". American Electric Power (AEP). Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  7. ^ "Conesville Unit 4". DPL Inc. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  8. ^ "Conesville power plant constructed". The Times Reporter. January 27, 1971. p. D-3. Retrieved June 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b "C&SOE Initiates Newest Electric Generating Unit". Coshocton Tribune. April 24, 1977. p. 8C. Retrieved June 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "C&SOE's Leppla Met Challenge Of Past Winter". Coshocton Tribune. April 30, 1978. p. 2B. Retrieved June 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Interconnection Service Agreement (PJM Queue #Y1-018) (PDF) (Report). PJM Interconnection. October 1, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  12. ^ Savenije, Davide (August 22, 2014). "Dynegy to buy 12,500 MW for $6.25B". Utility Drive. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  13. ^ Knox, Tom (February 24, 2017). "AEP, Dynegy swap Ohio power plant ownership". Columbus Business First. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  14. ^ a b Sweeney, Darren (October 8, 2018). "AEP plans to shut down Conesville coal plant in Ohio by 2020". S&P Global Market Intelligence. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
  15. ^ "Conesville Unit 4 Contributing To CSOE Operation". Coshocton Tribune. April 28, 1974. p. 18-A. Retrieved June 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ McHenry, Melissa (June 17, 2005). "AEP announces additional environmental investments at five plants in four states". AEP. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  17. ^ a b McHenry, Melissa (January 17, 2008). "News Releases". AEP. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  18. ^ Dickerson, Kathie (May 14, 2009). "New unit ready to go online". Coshocton Tribune. p. 1-A. Retrieved June 25, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Hunt, Spencer (July 11, 2011). "Failing Pollution Scrubbers – 'Aggressive' decay eats at power plants". The Columbus Dispatch. p. 1A. Retrieved June 26, 2018 – via Newsbank.com.
  20. ^ "Firm Awards Contract". The Times Recorder. October 15, 1975. p. 10-B. Retrieved June 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Governor Blasts Federal EPA". The Circleville Herald. Associated Press. June 5, 1978. p. 11. Retrieved June 24, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ a b "AEP to test nitrogen oxide control technology". Power Engineering. March 8, 2001. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  23. ^ a b "THERMALONOx demonstration project at AEP's Conesville Plant suggests need for additional laboratory research". Power Engineering. September 28, 2001. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  24. ^ "Coal Data Browser – Shipments to Conesville". Energy Information Administration (EIA). Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  25. ^ a b Hayhurst, Leonard (October 5, 2018). "AEP Conesville Plant to close by May 2020". Coshocton Tribune. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  26. ^ Dickerson, Kathie; Whiteman, Doug (June 10, 2011). "AEP may close six sites". Coshocton Tribune. p. 1A. Retrieved June 20, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ Dickerson, Kathie (January 13, 2013). "Conesville plant labeled as a top-5 metal polluter". Coshocton Tribune. p. 3A. Retrieved June 20, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ Sweeney, Darren (May 13, 2019). "AEP to retire 750 MW of coal capacity at Conesville plant". S&P Global Market Intelligence. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  29. ^ "Towers at Former AEP Plant Come Down". December 19, 2021.
  30. ^ "Smokestack sitters extend vigil without any regrets". The Plain Dealer. The Associated Press. February 11, 1982. p. 17-A. Retrieved June 26, 2018 – via Newsbank.com.
  31. ^ Weidner, Nolan (February 12, 1982). "Protestors Sentenced To Jail". Coshocton Tribune. p. 1. Retrieved June 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ "AEP Employee Dies 2 Weeks After Conesville Explosion". The Columbus Dispatch. July 29, 2004. p. 8C. Retrieved June 26, 2018 – via Newsbank.com.
  33. ^ Douglas, Kristy (August 12, 2004). "AEP officials determine cause of fatal accident". The Times Reporter. Retrieved June 26, 2018 – via Newsbank.com.

External links[edit]

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