2023-10-23 19:40:56
PowerSouth Energy Cooperative and Mitsubishi Power are celebrating the start of operations of the new 693-megawatt (MW) Lowman Energy Center (LEC), located in Leroy, Alabama.
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Aerial view of the Lowman Energy Center (LEC), located in Leroy, Alabama. (Photo credit: PowerSouth Energy Cooperative)
The LEC, which began construction in 2020, is replacing the now-retired 556 MW Charles R. Lowman coal-fired power plant. Fully operational in late September, the new plant is designed to meet the growing energy needs of PowerSouth distribution members in Alabama and northwest Florida using cleaner, more efficient natural gas technology.
The LEC is a state-of-the-art combined cycle plant that produces enough energy to power 300,000 homes annually. The 693 MW plant features Mitsubishi’s most advanced air-cooled gas turbine, the M501JAC. The M501JAC gas turbine is characterized by excellent operability, including reduced start-up time and reliable long-term performance. Mitsubishi Power will also provide service and maintenance for the turbine under a long-term service contract.
“At full power, the LEC delivers 693 MW of reliable, 24-hour power that will satisfy the needs of our distribution members for decades,” said PowerSouth President and CEO Gary Smith. “This capability is important to our enduring mission of reliability and affordability, which is being challenged by a rapid push toward intermittent and renewable generation. The LEC is vital to our ability to keep the lights on.”
Because the LEC uses excess heat to boil water for the steam turbine unit, energy can be captured that would otherwise be wasted. This means a more efficient plant and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. “Technology in this sector is evolving rapidly, but we are at the forefront of these advances,” said Smith. “We are proud to be able to utilize Mitsubishi Power’s latest high-efficiency technology to support our members and the people they serve. I am proud of this project and what we have achieved together.”
“The Lowman Energy Center is yet another example of how cooperatives and utilities are recognizing the need for advanced, cleaner energy generation technology to meet the needs of their members and customers,” said Bill Newsom, President and CEO from Mitsubishi Power Americas. “At Mitsubishi Power, we have the technology to support this transition and we are grateful to PowerSouth for choosing us for this important project.”
The LEC joins PowerSouth’s portfolio of reliable generating facilities operating on natural gas, including the McIntosh (McIntosh, Alabama), McWilliams and Vann plants (both in Gantt, Alabama).
Sobre a PowerSouth Energy Cooperative
PowerSouth is a generation and transmission cooperative that meets the wholesale power needs of 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems in Alabama and Northwest Florida. Collectively, members provide electrical services to homes, businesses and industries in 39 Alabama counties and 10 Florida counties.
About Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc.
(Mitsubishi Power), headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida, employs more than 2,700 experts and professionals in power generation, energy storage and digital solutions. Our employees are focused on empowering customers to combat climate change cost-effectively and reliably, while promoting human prosperity throughout North, Central and South America. Mitsubishi Power’s power generation solutions include gas turbines, steam and aeroderivatives; transmission mechanisms and power islands; geothermal systems; development of solar photovoltaic projects; environmental controls; and services. Energy storage solutions include green hydrogen, battery energy storage systems and services. Mitsubishi Power also offers smart solutions that use artificial intelligence to enable autonomous operation of power plants. Mitsubishi Power is a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, MHI is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of heavy machinery, with engineering and manufacturing businesses spanning power, infrastructure, transportation, aerospace and defense sector. For more information, access the site da Mitsubishi Power Americas and follow us on LinkedIn.
The original language text of this announcement is the official authorized version. Translations are provided as a facility only and must refer to the text in the original language, which is the only version of the text that has legal effect.
View original version on businesswire.com:
Contact:
Baynard Ward
Communications Manager at PowerSouth Energy Cooperative
+1 334-427-3330
[email protected]
Christa Reichhardt
Mitsubishi Power Americas
+1 407-484-5599
[email protected]
Source: BUSINESS WIRE
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