With construction of the 630 MW, integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) Edwardsport power plant in Indiana virtually complete, testing is under way to prepare for commercial operations next year, Duke Energy said.
The plant has successfully produced electricity using natural gas, and the next phase is testing the coal-gasification equipment. When the coal is converted into a synthetic gas, it is sent to the gas turbines where it is burned to make electricity. If the synthetic gas does not meet certain standards, it is diverted to the gas flare tower on the plant property, where it is ignited and burned safely. The gas flare also is used during each start-up and shut-down of the plant.
Edwardsport is the first major new coal-fired power plant built in Indiana in more than two decades.