A man works Wednesday on one of three combustion engines that will power the combustion powered turbines at the Paradise Combined Cycle Plant in Muhlenberg County. Two of the coal towers are expected to be retired, with one remaining, after the natural gas plant opens. (Miranda Pederson/photo@bgdailynews.com)

DRAKESBORO — Tennessee Valley Authority is constructing its sixth plant that uses a combination of natural gas and steam, but winter weather and river levels have hampered progress.

The plant will replace two of three coal-fired generating units at the Paradise Fossil Plant in Muhlenberg County, said Bob Deacy, TVA’s senior vice president of generation construction and projects.

“TVA’s pretty well positioned when it comes to being an advanced utility of the future,” Deacy said Wednesday during a tour of the site. “I think TVA has all those things that we need. We have wind, we’re increasing our solar, and TVA has one of the largest hydro plants in the nation.”

TVA provides power for many utilities in southcentral Kentucky, including Bowling Green Municipal Utilities and Warren Rural Electric Cooperative Corp.

Construction of the plant began in late February and weather conditions immediately delayed progress.

“We got our permit at the end of February, which is about the time it started snowing on a routine basis,” said Roger Waldrep, TVA’s general manager of major projects. “So February and March were really tough with snow. Through the spring and summer, it’s been wetter than average. It’s been difficult to work through logistically and (with the) mud and gravel.”

Waldrep said the big concern was river levels for barge deliveries, but it eventually leveled out and the project received its first barge delivery in August.

The facility will consist of three combustion turbines and one steam turbine capable of using exhaust for simple cycle operation (gas only) or a heat recovery steam generator for combined cycle operation (gas and steam).

“Gas turbines are like jet engines on steroids, but instead of fuel, they’re burning natural gas,” project manager Jamie Cook said.

Waldrep explained that air goes through the gas turbine and it will have a large filter housed above it just like a car. It then comes in through the compressor stage and gas enters through the combustion cans, just like a jet engine.

The gas and steam plant will produce less than half the toxins of a coal unit, Scott Brooks, with TVA’s public relations, said. This will help ensure power system stability and reliability while meeting environmental regulations.

“These are tremendously efficient,” Waldrep said. He explained that the gas turbines are cleaner than coal units by producing less carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide.

Natural gas will be transported to the site by Texas Gas through a 24-inch pipeline more than 20 miles long. The pipeline will provide the gas needed to run through the turbines and produce electricity. 

Construction is about 20 percent complete with 475,000 man hours worked to date. A total of 480 personnel are onsite, with 450 workers during the day and 30 on nights, making building the structure a 24-hour venture.

When the plant is in full operation, 30 to 35 permanent staff members will run daily management. That is considerably less than were required at the plant when it was fully coal fired.

The project is estimated to cost $1.12 billion with all Kentucky-based subcontracts totaling $69.6 million, total onsite labor around $7.3 million, and combined Kentucky and out-of-state small businesses estimated to spend $26.8 million through the life of the project.

“This project is the biggest daily spending at TVA right now,” Waldrep said.

Construction is projected to be completed in spring or summer of 2017. The two units of the coal plant will be retired at that time.

“We’ll still have one coal plant running – I call it the big horse on the block,” Deacy said. “We have a new energy facility, it’s got dual fuel, you have coal plants and natural gas plants. It’s going to keep TVA in this community for a long time coming. So it’s a win-win for the community and the surrounding areas.”

— Follow faith/general assignments reporter Simone C. Payne on Twitter at twitter.com/_SimonePayne or visit bgdailynews.com.