French Island Generating Plant

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French Island Generating Plant
French Island incinerator.jpg
French Island Generating Plant
CountryUnited States
Location French Island, Wisconsin
Coordinates 43°49′45″N91°15′34″W / 43.82917°N 91.25944°W / 43.82917; -91.25944
StatusOperational
Commission date 1941
Owner Xcel Energy
Thermal power station
Primary fuel Refuse derived fuel, Wood fuel
Power generation
Nameplate capacity 228 MW
French Island Generating Plant.jpg

French Island Generating Plant is a waste fired electrical power station located on French Island in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Unit 1 and 2 are boiler / steam turbine units originally constructed in the 1940s operating on coal. They were converted to burn oil in the early 1970s. When oil became too costly, alternative fuels were used. Unit 2 was converted to burn waste wood in an Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustion Boiler in the early 1980s with unit 1 following in 1987.

Contents

RDF

The two boiler units also burn Refuse derived fuel (RDF) diverting solid waste from the municipal landfill. The facility normally burns 50/50 mix of RDF and wood waste. The result of burning RDF is the release of dioxins and dioxin-like compounds into the air. Excessive dioxin releases have forced the shutdown of the boilers as recently as October 2007. [1]

Units

UnitCapacityCommissioningNotes
114.3 MW1940Built for coal, converted to oil then to an Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustion Boiler in 1987
214 MW1948Built for coal, converted to oil then to an Atmospheric Fluidized Bed Combustion Boiler in 1981
3100 MW (#2 fuel oil)1974Westinghouse Model 501B2 Simple Cycle Combustion Turbine
4100 MW (#2 fuel oil)1974Westinghouse Model 501B2 Simple Cycle Combustion Turbine

See also

References

  1. Magney, Reid (8 October 2007). "More problems at French Island power plant". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved 25 March 2024.