Minnesota Power 2025 IRP power station
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Minnesota Power 2025 IRP power station is an announced power station in Minnesota, United States.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Power 2025 IRP power station | Minnesota, United States | 46.2807, -94.3053 (approximate)[1] |
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 IRP | Announced[2][1][3] | fossil gas: natural gas[2][1][3] | 750[2][1][3] | combined cycle[2][1][3] | 2035 (planned)[2][1][3] | no |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Operator | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 IRP | Minnesota Power[2][1][3] | Minnesota Power [100%][2][1][3] | ALLETE Inc [100.0%] |
Impacts
Potential emissions and details on the project's status and permit applications can be viewed on Oil and Gas Watch page here.
The Oil and Gas Watch database, created by Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), is a free, public-facing tool designed to track the rapid expansion of fossil fuel and petrochemical infrastructure in the United States. Oil and Gas Watch maps new and expanding oil, gas, and petrochemical infrastructure projects across the country and monitors each project’s construction status so the public can stay informed about major oil and gas developments being proposed in their communities. We track key environmental approvals companies must obtain before starting construction or operations and provide access to thousands of government records and permits unearthed by our analysts.
Existing Coal Plants
Coal-fired steam plants account for about 65 percent of MP’s generation:[4]
| Plant | State | Year(s) Built | Capacity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay Boswell Energy Center | MN | 1958, 1960, 1963, 1980 | 1,073 MW | Unit 3 and 4 Operating |
| Taconite Harbor Energy Center | MN | 1957, 1967 | 252 MW | Retiring in 2020 |
| Syl Laskin Energy Center | MN | 1953 | 116 MW | Converted to Natural Gas |
Other generation Sources:[5]
- Square Butte is the designation of a high voltage direct current transmission line between the Milton R. Young Station near Center, North Dakota and the Arrowhead converter station near Adolph, MN. Under contract expiring at the end of 2026, MP gets about 50 percent (322 MW) of output of the 455-MW coal-fired unit near Center, N.D.
- Rapids Energy Center is a 30 MW biomass/coal facility in Grand Rapids that provides Blandin Paper Company with steam, compressed air, and electrical energy. Wood waste material (biomass) from the paper mill and local forest product companies is burned in conjunction with coal in two high pressure boilers to produce steam.
Boswell Upgrade
In September 2009 MP began a $240 million upgrade to its Boswell Energy Center in Cohasset, including eight stories of scaffolding inside a huge boiler and a new $13 million high-pressure turbine. Expectations are for mercury emissions to be reduced by 90 percent, nitrogen oxides by 81 percent, sulfur dioxide by 90 percent and its particulate matter by 93 percent, according to Minnesota Power's vice president of generation Al Rudeck Jr.
In response, the National Parks Conservation Association joined a formal request for Minnesota to change its haze-reduction plan, requiring plants to update pollution controls and curb air emissions when making upgrades to better protect public lands and area residents.
Most of the costs for Boswell has already been passed to MP's customers in the form of higher rates, but Rudeck said the utility still aims to recoup some of its investment through another rate increase, which it will seek next year, the size of which has yet to be determined.[6]
Contact Info
Minnesota Power
30 West Superior Street
Duluth, Minnesota 55802
Phone: 218-723-7400
Website: http://www.mnpower.com/
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 https://www.mnpower.com/EnergyForward.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 https://www.power-eng.com/business/minnesota-power-proposes-coal-exit-90-renewable-portfolio-by-2035/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 https://mn.gov/puc/activities/economic-analysis/planning/minnesota-power-irp/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Minnesota Power" Allete Website, September 2009
- ↑ "Minnesota Power Regulated and Unregulated Generation Sources" Minnesota Power Website, August 2009.
- ↑ Peter Passi "Minnesota Power coal plant upgrade stimulates Iron Range economy" Duluth News Tribune, September 6, 2009
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of gas-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
