Constellation Energy begins scrubber project

20 June 2007 -- Constellation Energy has concluded a nearly three-year planning, engineering and permitting process and has begun construction of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) emissions controls at the company's Brandon Shores Power Plant in Anne Arundel County, Md. Construction of the scrubbers is scheduled to take approximately three years and is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2010. Total cost for the environmental upgrades being made across Constellation's fleet of coal-fired plants in Maryland is approximately $1 billion.

One of the most stringent environmental mandates in the U.S., Maryland's Healthy Air Act was signed into law in April 2006. When compared to a baseline of 2002 emissions, the law requires coal-fired power plants in Maryland to apply emission caps in order to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by about 70 and 75 percent by 2009 and 2012 respectively, reduce sulfur dioxide by about 80 to 85 percent by 2010 and 2013, respectively, and mercury emissions by 80 and 90 percent by 2010 and 2013, respectively.

Constellation Energy's clean air program includes several additional environmental upgrades at the Brandon Shores plant, including the installation of a particulate control system and sorbent injection technology. Constellation Energy also previously installed a selective catalytic reduction system at Brandon Shores. The scrubber installation and other environmental controls being installed at Brandon Shores will remove at least 95 percent of existing sulfur dioxide emissions and 90 percent of existing mercury emissions from the plant. Ultimately, when these environmental control upgrades are completed, Brandon Shores should be one of the cleanest coal-burning power plants of its size in the country.

The Keystone Power Plant, located in Shelocta, Pa., which is co-owned by Constellation Energy, also announced earlier this year the approval of scrubber installations on the plant's two units at a cost of approximately $600 million. Constellation has a 21 percent ownership interest in the Keystone plant. Construction began in fall 2006 and the scrubbers are scheduled to be in operation by 2009.

Source: Power Engineering