keep the westerly hemisphere ’s single heavy coal - fired top executive plant running nonstop is no easy feat — especially , when the fuel coal is turn up on the other side of the state . Here ’s how Georgia Power does it .
The Robert W. Scherer Power Plant is site in Juliette , Georgia , just northward of Macon . Named for a former chairman and chief executive officer of Georgia Power , the $ 2.1 billion installation has operated since 1982 and consist of four , self - contained 880 megawatt unit . As with other fossil - fuel powered plants , the Scherer plant burn down coal to heat a massive steam boiler in each of the unit to produce steam that drive electricty - generate turbines . Each kettle contact 2800 degrees and can give rise 5.8 million Pound of steam per hour — that ’s 8,000 gallons of H2O evaporated every minute . smoking is emitted from the plant ’s two 1,001 - metrical unit chimneys while a electrical condenser in each unit of measurement converts eat up steam back into water for reboiling .
At full content , the facility burn roughly 1,288 tons of coal every hour—11 million tons a year . To maintain a steady supply of fuel for the plant , ember is continually delivered from the Powder River Basin , 1,800 miles aside in Wyoming , using a sophisticated coal - handling system .
Coal is redeem by BNSF railroad line from the Wyoming mine to Memphis , Tennessee where it is transfer to the plant by Norfolk Southern railroad track in 124 - car - foresightful railroad train . There are no less than thirty - six of these two - mile long coal train en route on the ten - day roundtrip . Between three and five of these mammoth trains offload at Scherer day by day using an air - dump organization . ember is but plunge from doors in the arse of the cars as they jaunt over an unloading trestle . The gear do n’t even have to intercept and leave the plant to discharge a 100 - car train in a half - hour . Once on - site , the coal is stay fresh in a storage sphere next to the generators .
The Scherer plant is the single tumid point - beginning of CO2 in the U.S and the 20th largest worldwide . It bring about 27 million wads of C dioxide annually . If you happen to be fly in to Hartsfield - Jackson Airport in Atlanta , you ‘ ll be capable to see it during your approach shot . The plant sit along the flight path of numerous commercial airlines and is well escort during the day .
[ Georgia Power.pdf – Wikipedia – Daily Wealth – Center for Land Use Interpretation – diagram courtesy ofGeorgia Power ]
Monster Machinesis all about the most particular machines in the humankind , from massive gadgets of destruction to lilliputian machines of preciseness , and everything in between .
you’re able to keep up with Andrew Tarantola , the author of this post , onTwitter , Facebook , orGoogle+ .
Energygeorgia
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , science , and acculturation news in your inbox daily .
News from the future , delivered to your nowadays .
You May Also Like
