Conoco Launches 420-Megawatt Cogeneration Plant
Conoco Energy Solutions has announced the startup of a 420-megawatt cogeneration power plant at a DuPont chemical plant in Orange County, Texas.
Conoco Energy Solutions has announced the startup of a 420-megawatt cogeneration power plant at a DuPont chemical plant in Orange County, Texas.
Conoco will supply natural gas to the power plant, which will provide steam and power to the DuPont Sabine River Works facility. The power plant, owned jointly by Conoco and NRG Energy, Inc., will generate more power than the DuPont facility requires, and the excess power will be sold into the Texas electricity market.
Power plants that produce both useful steam and electricity are known as cogeneration plants, or combined heat and power (CHP) plants. They achieve a much higher efficiency than typical stand-alone power plants.
To spur greater investment in CHP plants, a recent report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) concluded that an investment tax credit was the best option. Another recent report suggested establishing special emission standards for CHP plants.
In Other CHP News...
Even without such incentives, two CHP plants are currently planned for California. In late October, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved the construction of the Valero Cogeneration Project, a 102-megawatt facility proposed for the Valero refinery in Benecia.
The $100 million plant will consist of two combustion turbine generators that will produce enough electricity to run the refinery, in effect taking it off the state's electrical grid. Steam produced by the power plant will be used in refinery processes, allowing the retirement of three older boilers. Refinery gas will fuel the facility, freeing natural gas for other users.
The Valero Refining Company said it expects to complete the facility by the end of 2002.
EREN Network News contributed to this report.
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RELATED LINKS:
Cogen Europe
GreenBiz Essentials: Climate Change
GreenBiz Essentials: Energy Efficiency
GreenBiz Essentials: Greening Your Business: A Primer for Smaller Companies
International Cogeneration Alliance
Conoco will supply natural gas to the power plant, which will provide steam and power to the DuPont Sabine River Works facility. The power plant, owned jointly by Conoco and NRG Energy, Inc., will generate more power than the DuPont facility requires, and the excess power will be sold into the Texas electricity market.
Power plants that produce both useful steam and electricity are known as cogeneration plants, or combined heat and power (CHP) plants. They achieve a much higher efficiency than typical stand-alone power plants.
To spur greater investment in CHP plants, a recent report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) concluded that an investment tax credit was the best option. Another recent report suggested establishing special emission standards for CHP plants.
In Other CHP News...
Even without such incentives, two CHP plants are currently planned for California. In late October, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved the construction of the Valero Cogeneration Project, a 102-megawatt facility proposed for the Valero refinery in Benecia.
The $100 million plant will consist of two combustion turbine generators that will produce enough electricity to run the refinery, in effect taking it off the state's electrical grid. Steam produced by the power plant will be used in refinery processes, allowing the retirement of three older boilers. Refinery gas will fuel the facility, freeing natural gas for other users.
The Valero Refining Company said it expects to complete the facility by the end of 2002.
EREN Network News contributed to this report.
------------------------
RELATED LINKS:
Cogen Europe
GreenBiz Essentials: Climate Change
GreenBiz Essentials: Energy Efficiency
GreenBiz Essentials: Greening Your Business: A Primer for Smaller Companies
International Cogeneration Alliance