The Shaw Group Inc. recently announced it has achieved substantial completion of the new Rodemacher 3 electric generating facility for Cleco Power LLC, a subsidiary of Cleco Corp. The group provided the engineering, procurement and construction contract in August 2005 for two new 330-MW state-of-the-art CFB units supplying high-pressure steam to a single 660-MW steam turbine generator.
As part of substantial completion, the circulating fluidized bed (CFB) petcoke-fired power plant was operated at its rated capacity and efficiency and has been released to Cleco for commercial operation.
The Rodemacher 3 facility, located near Boyce, La., uses petroleum coke (petcoke) to generate power in an environmentally sound and cost-effective process.
Other significant accomplishments of the new power plant include:
*The facility's ability to burn 100% petcoke makes it one of the largest petcoke-fired power plants in the world.
*The 1.5-mile pipe conveyor built to transport solid fuel from the barge unloading dock to the coal crusher house is the longest for this type of application in the U.S.
*The project team's safe work efforts garnered the Voluntary Protection Program STAR site designation from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This program promotes safe and healthful working conditions and recognizes the outstanding efforts of employers and employees who have achieved exemplary occupational safety and health.
"Rodemacher 3 is key to our strategy to be self-sufficient in our power supply and increase our fuel flexibility," said Mike Madison, CEO of Cleco Corp. "Having the capability to use multiple solid fuels including biomass will help us lower customer fuel costs and give us the potential to use alternative fuels to generate power."
