In reaching this major milestone, Unit 1 passed the required performance and emissions compliance tests. Unit 2 is scheduled for completion in mid of this year.
At the height of the project, site-based personnel employed by Fluor peaked at nearly 2,400 workers. Oak Grove Units 1 and 2, when complete, will have lower emission rates than any existing lignite plant in Texas and are expected to be at least 70% lower than the average coal plant in the US, the company claimed. The two units will be capable of generating 1,600MW, enough to power nearly 850,000 Texas homes.
The company said that in addition to environmental control equipment that will reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter, Oak Grove is also a pulverized coal plant fueled by lignite to utilize new activated carbon sorbent injection technology to remove mercury.
Dave Dunning, president of Fluor, said: ”As the engineering, procurement, and construction EPC contractor for Luminant’s Oak Grove complex, we are pleased that the first of the two units is now substantially complete.
”This accomplishment, to align with our long-time client on an aggressive 30-month schedule, was supported by a tremendous engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning effort while accentuating focus on health, safety & environmental excellence in all phases of our project execution.”
Mike Williams, chief fossil officer of Luminant, said: ”Achieving this critical step signals the end of construction and the beginning of Luminant’s operation of another significant source of base load generation for Texas. Our operations team is fully engaged in the day-to-day management of the unit, which will generate needed electricity to help meet Texas’ growing power demands.”
