Mar 20 2008
Allegheny Energy, today announced that it has completed a $105 million construction project to reduce emissions at its 1,300-MW Pleasants Power Station located in Willow Island, W.Va.
The project, which began in 2005, will remove an additional 30,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions annually by sending 100 percent of the flue gasses through the station’s flue gas desulfurization equipment (scrubbers). Previously, 85 percent of the flue gasses at Pleasants were scrubbed. The project is part of Allegheny’s environmental stewardship initiative, which also includes installing scrubbers at its Fort Martin Power Station near Morgantown, W.Va., and Hatfield’s Ferry Power Station near Pittsburgh, Pa. With the completion of these projects in 2009, Allegheny will reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 70 percent from 2005 levels, transforming the company’s power plant fleet into one of the cleanest in the United States with respect to sulfur dioxide.
“Our coal-fired plants are critical to the region’s energy infrastructure and we are committed to operating them in an environmentally sound manner,” stated Paul Evanson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allegheny Energy. “The completion of this project represents a major milestone in our initiative to improve air quality and reduce emissions.”
The Pleasants project included installing new emissions monitoring equipment, fabricating new flue gas duct systems and constructing the new 640-foot tall chimney. In addition to reducing SO2 emissions, scrubbing all of the Pleasants’ flue gasses will mitigate the periodic discharge of fly ash from the plant and reduce mercury emissions.