Trenton Generating Station
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Trenton Generating Station is an operating power station of at least 310-megawatts (MW) in Trenton, Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Trenton Generating Station | Trenton, Pictou, Nova Scotia, Canada | 45.62042, -62.646992 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 5, Unit 6: 45.62042, -62.646992
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 5 | operating | coal - bituminous | 152 | subcritical | 1969 | 2028 (planned) |
| Unit 6 | operating | coal - bituminous | 158 | subcritical | 1991 | 2029 (planned) |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner |
|---|---|
| Unit 5 | Nova Scotia Power Inc [100.0%] |
| Unit 6 | Nova Scotia Power Inc [100.0%] |
Background
A thermal generating station, Trenton was opened on the bank of the East River of Trenton by then-provincial Crown corporation in 1969. It was designed to burn coal mined nearby in Pictou County, Nova Scotia as well as on Cape Breton Island.
The plant burns coal and features two boilers and two chimneys; one 152 m (500 ft) and one 92 m (300 ft).[1].
The plant consumes 0.8 million tonnes of coal per year and currently generates approximately 12% of the province's electricity and produces roughly 10% of the province's air pollution, including hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, hexachlorobenzene and mercury.[2]
From its inception in 1969 until 2001, Trenton's coal was largely sourced on Cape Breton Island from the Cape Breton Development Corporation (DEVCO). Coal was transported to Trenton from Sydney, Nova Scotia by rail using Canadian National Railway and later the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway.
During the fall-winter-spring of 1991–1992, the generating station burnt locally mined coal from the Westray Mine, located several kilometres south of the plant; the mine was permanently closed on May 9, 1992 after a disastrous methane gas explosion destroyed the mine, killing 26 workers.
Trenton GS burns coal from the nearby Stellarton Surface Coal Mine which is part of a reclamation project for land that was previously the location of an underground mine.[3]
Plant Retirement
Nova Scotia Power has stated that it is aiming to shut down the 152 MW Trenton Unit 5 generator by 2023.[4] As of February 2021, Nova Scotia Power has not presented a timeline for the closure of Trenton Unit 6.[5] In January 2022, Nova Scotia Power announced that it was delaying retirement of Unit 5 to 2024.[6]
In their 10-year system outlook published in June 2023, NS Power listed that Trenton Unit 5 was expected to retire in 2027–28 and Unit 6 was expected to retire in 2028–29.[7][8]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Environment and Climate Change Canada – NPRI Data Search". ec.gc.ca. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- ↑ Pollution Watch, "Dirty Air from Power Plants Fuels Health Problems in Nova Scotia, September 23, 2003
- ↑ Noble, Russell (1 May 2010). "Coal mine fits right in with the community". Canadian Mining Journal. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- ↑ 2020 Integrated Resource Plan, Nova Scotia Power, Nov. 27, 2020
- ↑ Aaron Beswick, 30 million slated for coal power generation as green deal waits, Saltwire, Feb. 12, 2021
- ↑ Nova Scotia Power delays closing coal-fired unit at Trenton station, CBC, Jan. 27, 2022
- ↑ "2023 10-Year System Outlook," Nova Scotia Power, June 30, 2023
- ↑ "Nova Scotia Power plans to burn heavy fuel oil at phased-out coal plants," CBC News, July 4, 2023
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.
