Huntington power plant is getting new emission system

PacifiCorp said on Friday that it had awarded contracts to construct new emission control systems at its Huntington Canyon plant, a coal-fired power plant located in Emery County, about 140 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.

When completed in 1974, Huntington Unit 2 was not required to install a scrubber to control sulfur dioxide emissions, PacifiCorp said in a prepared statement. The plant did comply with environmental standards at the time and has been in compliance with environmental requirements since.

The new project will reduce sulfur dioxide, particulate and nitrogen oxide emissions from Unit 2 at Huntington, a 450-megawatt plant.

A megawatt is enough power to light up 513 homes.

PacifiCorp, which operates in Utah as Utah Power, has awarded the contract to Huntington Environmental Partners, a joint venture of Barton Malow Co., Detroit; Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. Inc., Kansas City, Mo.; and Sentinel Constructors Inc., a Zachry Group Co., San Antonio, Texas.

Sentinel is the lead joint venture partner and construction manager for the project. Under subcontracts to HEP, the scrubber will be provided by Babcock Power Environmental Inc. and the bag house by Hamon Research-Cottrell.

In addition, PacifiCorp has contracted with Alstom, an international energy and transport company, to supply a low nitrogen oxide system on the Huntington Unit 2 boiler, which will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. Both portions of the project are scheduled to be complete by the end of 2006.

Emission improvements once the upgrades are complete will include:

• A wet-lime scrubber, which will reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by about 95 percent, or approximately 15,000 tons per year.

• A Pulse Jet Fabric Filter, commonly called a bag house, which will replace the present electrostatic precipitator and will further reduce particulate emissions about 80 percent, or approximately an additional 1,000 tons per year. This will virtually eliminate any visible emissions from the Unit 2 stack.

• Low nitrogen oxide burners, which will reduce nitrogen oxides by about 40 percent, or approximately 2,500 tons per year.

The addition of these emission controls is expected to reduce mercury emissions and allow Huntington Unit 2 to meet anticipated mercury regulations.