NRG Energy - Somerset Power Plant Retrofit

NRG Energy’s Somerset coal-fired power plant, which produces 110 MW of power, will be the world’s first plasma gasification facility retrofit and will use Alter NRG/WPC plasma gasification technology. The retrofit will result in reduced emissions and ensure that critical baseload power remains available 24/7 to power consumers.

Somerset, Massachusetts Project
Alter NRG’s plasma gasification technology is a critical component in the world’s first gasification retrofit project at Somerset, Massachusetts where NRG Energy is retrofitting a 110 MW coal power plant. The retrofit will result in reduced emissions and ensure that critical baseload power remains available 24/7 to power consumers.

 

Key Facts:

• Received regulatory approval in January 2008 – representing the first commercial scale plasma gasification facility to obtain approval in North America.
• The project will be the largest renewable energy project ever developed in Massachusetts.
  
• This represents an approximately $40 million technology sale to Alter NRG.
• Alter NRG has the option to invest from 10% to 25% in the project.
• Attractive project returns of  ~20%, which has a total capital cost of $200 million.
• In November, 2009, the NRG Energy Somerset Massachusetts 110 megawatt coal retrofit project using Westinghouse Plasma Technology was selected to proceed into the detailed due diligence phase of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Guarantee Program.
• NRG Energy continues to advance the renewable energy project, which will use up to 35% to 100% biomass. The proposed coal retrofit project would provide enough electricity to support approximately 100,000 homes in southeast Massachusetts.

Our Partner
Our partner, NRG Energy, is one of America’s largest independent power producers with approximately 24,000 MW of power generation capacity. They are a leader in development of clean energy and have a division called "NRG Plasma Power" which has an exclusive license for the Alter NRG/WPC technology and is moving forward with Somerset and other projects. NRG Plasma Power states their beliefs in a recent brochure: "Energy experts tell us that coal reserves are America’s most important energy resource. But that is only part of the story. At NRG Energy, Inc., we believe America’s most important resource is innovation – innovation in applying technology that uses solid fuels including coal and biomass in an economic, environmentally prudent manner."

Environmental Benefits
Using plasma gasification to gasify the coal, instead of combusting the coal, has significant environmental advantages. See the table below for a summary of key environmental benefits.

NRG Energy's Press Release - NRG Energy’s Somerset Station Selected for Department of Energy Loan Guarantee for Due Diligence Review