Xcel Energy completes Twin Cities Metro Emissions Reduction Project

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10/8/2009

Final power plant project to be dedicated

 MINNEAPOLIS - Xcel Energy will celebrate the successful completion of the Metro Emissions Reduction Project (MERP) with the dedication of the repowered Riverside plant on Oct. 13. 

 Located in northeast Minneapolis, Riverside was converted from a coal-fired to a natural gas-fired generating facility. It is the last of three Twin Cities’ power plants to go on-line as part of an ambitious project to protect the environment and produce cleaner energy in the metro area. (See below for new metro emissions statistics related to MERP.)
  
In May 2002, Xcel Energy voluntarily proposed the Minnesota Metro Emissions Reduction Project (MERP) to significantly reduce air emissions from three Twin Cities coal-powered generating plants while increasing the amount of electricity they produce. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved the plan in December 2003.

MERP projects included adding state-of-the-art emissions controls to the coal-fired Allen S. King plant in Oak Park Heights, Minn., replacing the coal-fired High Bridge plant near downtown St. Paul with a natural gas-fired combined cycle plant and repowering the aging coal-fired Riverside plant in northeast Minneapolis with natural gas-fired combined-cycle units.

Upgrades at the King plant were completed in 2007. The new High Bridge plant began commercial operations in May 2008. The newly repowered Riverside plant began commercial operations on May 1, 2009.

The $1 billion MERP package of improvements increased capacity at the three plants by a total of 300 megawatts.

Improvements through MERP collectively reduce air emissions from the A.S. King, High Bridge and Riverside plants by the following amounts (2005 vs. 2009 emissions):

MERP Emissions Reductions

5,902,764

4,814,686

5,718,296

4,448,925

39,402

27,824

17,615

12,291

1,477

28,872

19,161

19,061

11,402

1,499

245

187

149

117

46

Emissions Results

3.4 million tons/yr

40 percent reduction

38,000 tons/yr

96 percent reduction

27,000 tons/yr

95 percent reduction

199 lbs/yr

81 percent reduction

1,390 tons/yr

90 percent reduction

C0₂Carbon Dioxide-S0₂Sulfur Dioxide-N0_xNitrogen Dioxide

Carbon dioxide reductions at the three MERP plants are the equivalent of removing 592,213 cars from the road.

The Minnesota Legislature in 2001 passed legislation that provided a mechanism for electric utilities to recover the costs of voluntary emissions reduction projects through an increase on customer bills. The impact of MERP on customer rates is phased in. By 2010, MERP construction costs will increase a typical residential customer's bill by approximately $2.73 per month.

Riverside Plant Repowering
One of the oldest plants in Xcel Energy’s system, Riverside began serving Minneapolis in 1911.  Through MERP, the company replaced the existing coal-powered facility with natural gas-fired combustion turbines and heat recovery steam generators.

The combined cycle technology is more efficient than a traditional coal-fired steam plant. At the same time, electricity output from Riverside was increased by 80 megawatts, from 386 megawatts to 466 megawatts – which is enough electricity to supply almost 355,000 typical homes. The Riverside plant conversion cost $230 million.

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News Source : Xcel Energy completes Twin Cities Metro Emissions Reduction Project