The Orlando Utilities Commission is pursuing an air permit at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for a major upgrade at its coal-fired Stanton Energy Center Unit 2.
The DEP on April 16 released a draft permit for this project. Said a technical support document that went with the draft: “This project is for the replacement of the high pressure and intermediate pressure (HP/IP) portions of the Stanton Energy Center Unit 2 steam turbine blades with improved technology. Unit No. 2 consists of a Babcock and Wilcox boiler/steam generator (Model RB 621) and steam turbine, which drives a generator with a nameplate rating of 468 MW.”
It is expected that this turbine replacement effort will increase the efficiency of Unit 2, providing an increase in power generation output capability without a corresponding increase in fuel consumption or annual generation potential, the DEP added.
“The turbine blades on the Unit 2 turbine generator harness the energy of the steam from the boiler and convert it to rotational energy, which in turn generates electricity,” the agency said. “The turbine project involves replacing the existing HP/IP turbine blades with a new turbine blade design that features several thermal performance and mechanical design improvements, including better blade materials, maximized aerodynamics, and advanced steam pressure and flow control. The Unit 2 turbine project is expected to increase operating efficiency, resulting in approximately 15.1 MW additional generation capacity, without any additional fuel usage or increase in energy output by the boiler.”
Stanton Unit 2 consists of a B&W boiler/steam generator (Model RB 621) and steam turbine, which drives a generator with a nameplate rating of 468 MW. It is fired primarily on bituminous coal and secondarily on No. 6 fuel oil and on-specification used oil for startup and flame stabilization, with a maximum heat input of 4,800 MMBtu per hour.
The overall Stanton facility consists of two fossil fuel-fired steam electric generating units, called Units 1 and 2. In addition, there are Emission Units 025 and 026 (Stanton Unit A) that are nominal 170-MW, General Electric “F” Class (PG7241FA) combustion turbine-electrical generators, fired with pipeline natural gas or diesel fuel oil.
