Towns and Nature: March 2022

Thursday, March 31, 2022

South Kearny, NJ: Two PSE&G Generating Stations

1925 Kearny (Hackensack River): (Satellite)

(Passaic River): (Satellite) Technically, this power plant was in Newark, NJ. I could not find its name.

PSE&G = Public Service Electric & Gas

PSEGtransmission, p17
Frigure 14 - Kearny Electric Station nearing end of construction in 1925.
207MW with 5 generators and 15 boilers and 132kv transmission lines
[They have yet to construct the third smokestack.]

This shows Kearny with its original three smokestacks. The bridge is part of the Pulaski Skyway.

HistoricBridges

Metrotrails added

Original Kearny Generating Station on the Kearny Meadows constructed in 1923.

It was  originally built with six coal fired units, which were converted to oil. The last of these units was retired in 2006, and six natural gas fired units went into service in 2012.

Jim Fetchero commented on Bridge Hunter

This photo of the Pulaski Skyway is the only one that I have been able to find of the PSE&G generating station on the Passaic River. I have not been able to find its name, date of construction nor capacity. I wonder if this is the 6-stack generating station that Metrotrails refers to above because the Kearny Station was originally built with just three smokestacks and never had six stacks.

Photo from U of Michigan Lincoln Highway Collection via BridgeHunter
1930s view looking northwest

Was the station on the Pulaski River one of these predecessors to the Kearney Station?

PSEGtransmission, p16

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Stratton, OH: 1959-2023 2.5gw Energy Harbor/Sammis Power Plant

(Satellite)

"Unit 1: 190.4 MW (1959), Unit 2: 190.4 MW (1960), Unit 3: 190.4 MW (1961), Unit 4: 190.4 MW (1962), Unit 5: 334.0 MW (1967), Unit 6: 680.0 MW (1969), Unit 7: 680.0 MW (1971)" Units 6+7 are supercritical. Units 1-4 were retired in Jun 2020. [gem]

It is interesting how different sources have different capacities. This is from babcock.

Fuel: Pulverized coal
Unit 1: 180 MW, Foster Wheeler front-wall fired
Unit 2: 180 MW, Foster Wheeler front-wall fired
Unit 3: 180 MW, Foster Wheeler front-wall fired
Unit 4: 180 MW, Foster Wheeler front-wall fired
Unit 5: 300 MW, B&W opposed-wall fired
Unit 6: 600 MW, B&W opposed-wall fired
Unit 7: 600 MW, B&W opposed-wall fired

Greg Wallace posted
W.H. Sammis plant in its heyday.

PJ Aymar commented on Greg's post

Gary Smith posted
SAMMIS 7 UNITS
Aaron Sisler: At one time, it was the cleanest turbine floor I’ve ever seen!!

Gary Smith posted
7 unit westinghouse 650 mw 3600 throttle 1000f steam temp
Lucas Myer: W.H.Sammis

Charlie Mason posted
WH Sammis, old shot of Unit 5 I believe.

Joe Silver commented on Charlie's post
W H SAMMIS ALL 7 UNITS

Elmer Keiser commented on Charlie's post
here is a view from between 6 and 7 north in a JLG[worker lift].

Gary Smith posted
SAMMIS STILL ALIVE 4 SMALL DRUM BOILERS SHUT DOWN 3 CRITICAL BOILERS STILL SUCKIN COAL

dispatch
It was going to close in 2022, then 2028, then 2023 because the state legislature passed a bailout bill for the two Ohio nuclear plants, and then repealed it.

Robert Bertram posted
W.H. Sammis Plant Stratton Ohio
Joseph Yeater: The tallest stack along with the 3 others to the right of it are capped and no longer in use. According to Wikipedia it’s 1001 feet tall.: The tallest stack along with the 3 others to the right of it are capped and no longer in use. According to Wikipedia it’s 1001 feet tall.
That’s an older picture doesn’t have the scrubber yet

Joseph Yeater commented on Joseph's post

New federal wastewater pollution discharge limits for coal power plants go into effect at the end of 2025. [cleveland]

1:08 video @ 0:24
In addition to the usual issues concerning jobs and property tax for the schools, this article mentions that coal plants can store a 120-day supply of coal, whereas gas-fired plants can't store a contingency supply.

babcock
"In 2005, FirstEnergy embarked on one of the largest environmental retrofit projects in its history. This renovation included new selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems and wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) equipment. The project enabled FirstEnergy to significantly reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. Upon completion of the five-year project, Platts Global Energy recognized the W.H. Sammis project as 2010 Construction Project of the Year."

babcock
Unit 6 SCR reactor under construction.

babcock
Completed SCR inside building

babcock
The modules were built in Mississippi and shipped on barges.

babcock

babcock
Three wet scrubber absorbers are used to handle the flue gas of seven boilers.

rmi
Part of the pollution control equipment added in 2005 was built over OH-7 River Scenic Byway.

Mark Dietrich Sr., Sep 2009

USACE

Owen Nesslage posted
Here’s a loaded NS Coke train passing the Sammis power plant in Stratton, Ohio.

Google Maps did not have a 3D satellite view available. So I captured this 2D view while the storage lot still had a coal pile. The ash pond next to the dam is evidently unlined and the EPA refused to extend its exemption beyond 2025. Its current rating is 1,491mw. [UtilityDive]

Satellite

The New Cumberland Locks and Dam is next to the upstream side of this plant.

safe_image for a 2:19 video
Paul Pj Wright: For every coal plant we shut down China builds 3 new ones. It isn't helping the environment. Just destroying the US.

Clay Adams posted
New Cumberland locks..the highway goes through the middle of the plant.

Chris Lemley posted
W.H. Sammis (Energy Harbor now) on the Ohio river, Stratton Ohio. Ash pond in the foreground, scrubber stack on the left, retired stacks on the right. U5 U6 and U7 remain. 290, 600, and 600MW’s, respectfully. With 345kv Beaver Valley line tower.
Tim Stokes: Didn't one of the units blow up there about 25 years ago? I seem to remember something like that.
Chris Lemley: Tim Stokes I’ve been told it was an H2 incident, not the unit. Was before my time there. Wish I had more info for ya.
Tom Posey: Chris Lemley September 1986, Unit 6 tripped off-line with no oil or DC power. 21 people went to the hospital but no fatalities.

Jason Zalewski posted
Sammis Plant

Bob Miller posted, cropped
Looking up from limestone unloader . Sammis
[Limestone is used to remove the sulfur from the flue gas and create gypsum, which is sold to produce drywall.]

David Mullane posted
Ed Lowe: Unit 6 it was only one with 3 LP turbines.
Mike Stover: I hated sweeping that floor. I fought hard to get hired there so I could move back to my home town. I worked there 10 months and quit to return to my old job as a controls engineer. I might be the only person to actually walk off the job at Sammis. It was wild to be working there on August 14th 2003 just before the East Coast Blackout. Jeremy Maze and I spent the day cleaning up fly ash under unit 5. Every time we went to the control room for water or a break, it was white shirt managers and high stress. Frequency and voltage on the line were swinging all day.
[Practical Engineering has a 20:38 video describing the technical causes of the 2003 outage.]

Wayne Karberg posted
A hydrogen cooled generator, after "putting in the pickle". Sammis Unit #2. A crossview stereo view

Brian Granville commented on Wayne's post
Same thing being cut up during demo.
Tommy Dixon: Brian Granville I guess 1&2 really aren’t coming back.
Brian Granville: Tommy Dixon nope

Gary Smith provided four photos of a turbine replacement with the comment: "6 MILLION DOLLAR PUPPY."

Gary Smith: SAMMIS 7

Elmer Keiser posted
A little IP work at Sammis
[May 31, 2023 is the last day for imployees.]

Toom Warner commented on Elmer's post

Charlie Mason posted four photos with the comment: "Aftermath of a hydrogen explosion in the exciter housing on Sammis Unit 6. Mid 1980’s I believe."

[Hydrogen gas was used as a coolant.]

Ron Fiedler: I always wondered if those hydrogen cooled generators had any explosion potential!

Tom Posey: Ron Fiedler when they leak and have an ignition source. Unit came off line with no oil and the bearings were sparking.

Wayne Karberg: Tom Posey THAT event will wipe out the shaft hydrogen seals, and away she goes!

Joe Finamore: Ron Fiedler , yes, when the purity would drop below 93%, it could get hairy!

John McNamara: Joe Finamore 93%??? Never heard that one.

Joe Finamore: John McNamara , if Your purity level is falling below 93%, it means that it is leaking somewhere and will continue to fall, so we always kept it way above that level, and of course you will be loosing money! The level for explosiveness is 4 to 74, but You better make sure Your purity meter is exact, if You are anywhere around that, thus I said it could get hairy if it gets below 93%. We would always take a unit offline if it would get below that!

[The comments continue to discuss oil seals, which is way over my head.]

Michael Empey: September 5 1986 at ~ 08:20 AM is reported date/time in numerous newspapers, they also reported 25 employees injured. 1 in critical condition at the Ohio Valley Hospital (think he had puncture wound to neck, smoke inhalation, and fluid in lungs), another was sent to Mercy hospital in Pittsburgh. By September 7 they were only 2 remaining hospitalized. As a power plant Fire Protection Engineer would love to hear more info on causes.

Rick Krause: I will never forget that day and the day the shaft blew out of the cunno filter on the main oil reservoir spraying 300psi oil on the steam line above. Horrendous fire.

Bob Ciminel: And we want to use hydrogen in cars?!