AES Warrior Run Generation Plant
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AES Warrior Run Generation Plant is an operating power station of at least 229-megawatts (MW) in Cumberland, Allegany, Maryland, United States.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| AES Warrior Run Generation Plant | Cumberland, Allegany, Maryland, United States | 39.595591, -78.745402 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1: 39.595591, -78.745402
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal - bituminous | 229 | subcritical | 1999 | 2024 (planned) |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner |
|---|---|
| Unit 1 | AES WR Ltd Partnership [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): Job #3 (JB minerals), Cabin Run (Beechwood Coal), Carlos Surface (Beechwood Coal)
Background
The plant was listed among the 151 “proposed and new” coal plants in the May, 2007, National Energy Tech Lab database.[1]
As of January 2020, the power station burned coal from Job #3 (JB minerals), Cabin Run (Beechwood Coal), and Carlos Surface (Beechwood Coal).[2]
Retirement plans
In November 2023, AES announced that it planned to retire the Warrior Run coal plant in June 2024.[3][4]
Emissions Data
- 2006 CO2 Emissions: 1,590,528 tons
- 2006 SO2 Emissions:
- 2006 SO2 Emissions per MWh:
- 2006 NOx Emissions:
- 2005 Mercury Emissions:
The following table gives more info on this plant's SO2 emissions levels, as well as on whatever SO2 emissions "scrubbers" (Flue Gas Desulfurization units, or FGDs) have been installed at the plant. Each of the plant's units is listed separately, and at the bottom overall data for the plant is listed.[5][6]
| Unit # | Year Built | Capacity | MWh Produced (2005) | SO2 Emissions (2005) | SO2 Emissions per MWh (2005) | Average Annual Coal Sulfur Content | FGD Unit Type | FGD In-Service Year | FGD SO2 Removal Efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 1999 | 229 MW | 1,557,998 MWh | 16,949 tons | 21.76 lb./MWh | 1.79% | none installed |
Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from AES Warrior Run
In 2010, Abt Associates issued a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization, quantifying the deaths and other health effects attributable to fine particle pollution from coal-fired power plants.[7] Fine particle pollution consists of a complex mixture of soot, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Among these particles, the most dangerous are those less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which are so tiny that they can evade the lung's natural defenses, enter the bloodstream, and be transported to vital organs. Impacts are especially severe among the elderly, children, and those with respiratory disease. The study found that over 13,000 deaths and tens of thousands of cases of chronic bronchitis, acute bronchitis, asthma, congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, dysrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, chronic lung disease, and pneumonia each year are attributable to fine particle pollution from U.S. coal plant emissions. These deaths and illnesses are major examples of coal's external costs, i.e. uncompensated harms inflicted upon the public at large. Low-income and minority populations are disproportionately impacted as well, due to the tendency of companies to avoid locating power plants upwind of affluent communities. To monetize the health impact of fine particle pollution from each coal plant, Abt assigned a value of $7,300,000 to each 2010 mortality, based on a range of government and private studies. Valuations of illnesses ranged from $52 for an asthma episode to $440,000 for a case of chronic bronchitis.[8]
Table 1: Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from AES Warrior Run Generation Plant
| Type of Impact | Annual Incidence | Valuation |
|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 18 | $130,000,000 |
| Heart attacks | 29 | $3,200,000 |
| Asthma attacks | 280 | $15,000 |
| Hospital admissions | 13 | $320,000 |
| Chronic bronchitis | 11 | $4,800,000 |
| Asthma ER visits | 14 | $5,000 |
Source: "Find Your Risk from Power Plant Pollution," Clean Air Task Force interactive table, accessed March 2011
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ “Tracking New Coal-Fired Power Plants,” National Energy Tech Lab, May 1, 2007, page 14. (Pdf)
- ↑ "EIA 923 January 2020" EIA 923 2020.
- ↑ "Maryland On Track To Be Coal-Free by 2025 with Announced Retirement of Warrior Run Plant," Sierra Club, November 15, 2023
- ↑ "Western Maryland coal-burning power plant to retire in 2024, becoming state’s last to announce closing," The Baltimore Sun, November 15, 2023
- ↑ Coal Power Plant Database, National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy, 2007.
- ↑ EIA-767, Energy Information Administration, 2005.
- ↑ "The Toll from Coal: An Updated Assessment of Death and Disease from America's Dirtiest Energy Source," Clean Air Task Force, September 2010.
- ↑ "Technical Support Document for the Powerplant Impact Estimator Software Tool," Prepared for the Clean Air Task Force by Abt Associates, July 2010
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
