Brandon Shores Generating Station

Brandon Shores Generating Station
Brandon Shores Generating Station viewed from the south
Country United States
Location Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Coordinates 39°10′53″N 76°32′16″W / 39.18139°N 76.53778°W / 39.18139; -76.53778Coordinates: 39°10′53″N 76°32′16″W / 39.18139°N 76.53778°W / 39.18139; -76.53778
Status Operational
Commission date Unit 1: May, 1984
Unit 2: May, 1991
Owner(s) Talen Energy
Thermal power station
Primary fuel Bituminous coal
Cooling source Chesapeake Bay
Power generation
Units operational 2
Nameplate capacity 1370 MWe
Website

The Brandon Shores Generating Station is an electric generating station located on Fort Smallwood Road north of Orchard Beach in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, near Glen Burnie, and is operated by Raven Power Holdings, Inc. Brandon Shores consists of two Babcock & Wilcox coal-fired boilers and two General Electric steam turbines with a combined nominal generating capacity of 1370 MWe.[1] Unit 1 went into operation in May 1984 and Unit 2 in May 1991.[2]

The station shares a 483-acre (195 ha) site adjacent to the Patapsco River with the Herbert A. Wagner Generating Station. The Brandon Shores plant dominates the site with its 700-foot (210 m) exhaust and 400-foot (120 m) flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) system stacks.

Coal delivery

The Brandon Shores and Wagner Generating Stations consume approximately 4.8 million tons of coal annually.[2] Coal for both stations is delivered by barge. Although there is a railroad spur into the site, it is unused and would require improvements to restore it to an operational state.

Renovation

In order to meet Maryland requirements for reductions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and mercury, the plant was substantially renovated between 2007 and 2010. A new 400 feet (120 m) twin FGD stack was built to replace the existing 700 feet (210 m) stacks, which have been capped and are inoperative. Flue gas from the boilers is routed through the emissions control system that sprays the exhaust with a limestone slurry and collects gypsum for use in wallboard and fly ash for use in concrete. The system uses treated municipal wastewater[3] from the Anne Arundel County Cox Creek wastewater treatment plant as the source of water for making the limestone slurry.[2]

2012 sale

The plant was originally constructed by a predecessor company of Constellation Energy, which was later purchased by Exelon in 2012. On August 9, 2012, Exelon announced that it had reached an agreement, subject to regulatory approvals, for the sale of the Charles P. Crane, Brandon Shores, and Herbert A. Wagner Generating Stations to Raven Power Holdings LLC, a newly formed portfolio company of Riverstone Holdings LLC, for approximately $400 million.[4] Exelon had committed to divest the plants as condition for regulatory approval of its merger with Constellation Energy to alleviate concerns regarding potential market power in the regional wholesale electricity market. The sale was completed on November 30, 2012.

Dispatch of electricity

The electrical output of Brandon Shores Generating Station is dispatched by the PJM Interconnection regional transmission organization.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2006" (Excel). Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
  2. 1 2 3 "Environmental Review of Proposed Air Pollution Control Project at Brandon Shores" (pdf). Maryland Department of Natural Resources. February 5, 2007. Retrieved 2008-12-30.
  3. ↑ Peltier, Robert (2010). "Brandon Shores Generating Station, Pasadena, Maryland". Power. 154 (10): 30–32. ISSN 0032-5929.
  4. ↑ "Exelon Agrees to Sell Three Maryland Coal Plants to Raven Power Holdings LLC" (Press release). Exelon. Aug 9, 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
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