An environmental review by TVA has concluded there will be no significant environmental impacts with construction and operation of a heat recovery steam generator located at TVA’s Johnsonville plant site. The generator will provide steam for cogeneration use after the coal plant closes in late 2017.
The review considered the environmental effects of two alternatives: A) take no action or B) add a heat recovery steam generator that would take heat from an existing gas turbine and convert it to steam for an offsite customer.
A nearby factory, which makes titanium dioxide for the coatings, paper and plastics industries, has long relied on byproduct steam from the Johnsonville power plant. It is a cogeneration relationship unique among TVA’s coal plants.
But with TVA retiring the last of Johnsonville’s 10 coal units by the end of 2017 under a clean-air agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, a new steam source had to be found.
TVA proposed to continue providing steam by constructing and operating a heat recovery steam generator integrated into one of 20 gas-fired combustion turbines that will continue to make electricity at the Johnsonville site.
The environmental review determined the proposed location would provide important benefits by using existing, previously constructed assets and previously disturbed lands, thereby minimizing environmental impacts.
The Final Environmental Assessment is available online at the TVA website at http://www.tva.com/environment/reports/johnsonville_congeneration/index.htm