Coal news and updates

The fate of North Dakota’s largest coal-fired power station and the 740 jobs it supports should be decided in the next few months and any new ownership of the plant likely would involve pioneering technology.

 

Officials have been scrambling to find a new owner for Coal Creek Station, whose owner announced in May that it will shut down the 1,100-megawatt plant in the fall of 2022 if new ownership can’t be found.

 

Making the plant economically viable likely would involve adopting innovative technologies with possibilities including capturing carbon emissions, harnessing hydrogen from the lignite coal, or using new forms of electricity storage, said John Weeda, director of the North Dakota Transmission Authority, who's been part of the state’s efforts to save the plant, which sits about 50 miles north of Bismarck.

 

Four or five prospective new owners have expressed interest in the Coal Creek Station site, and all are from companies that have a solid track record, he said. Many of the proposals, he added, hinge on emerging technologies.

 

“I’m optimistic,” Weeda said. “I know there have been bid submissions and there are discussions ongoing.”

 

Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford, who has been spearheading the state's efforts to save Coal Creek Station, confirmed that multiple parties are expressing serious interest in taking over the plant.

 

“Due diligence and serious dialogue is ongoing with numerous legitimate prospects,” Sanford said.

 

Many have questioned how a new owner could make Coal Creek Station financially viable, given the struggles many coal-fired plants are facing because of climate concerns and competition from natural gas and wind.

 

“There are many opportunities that can be done,” said Weeda, a mechanical engineer and longtime manager at Great River Energy, which owns Coal Creek Station. “That’s why I’m optimistic.”

 

The North Dakota lignite industry has long been working to make carbon capture and storage economically viable, with a demonstration project called Project Tundra in development at the Milton Young Station, owned by Minnkota Power Cooperative.

 

 

Source : https://www.jamestownsun.com/business