TVA has begun operation of a third scrubber at its Paradise Fossil Plant in Kentucky, which combined with the operation of two other scrubbers will result in a 93-percent reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions from the three-unit plant.
It is the seventh scrubber installed by TVA on its 11 fossil plants throughout the Tennessee Valley to cut sulfur dioxide emissions. Three more scrubbers are under construction at two TVA coal plants in Tennessee and are expected to be in operation by the end of the decade.
A scrubber removes sulfur dioxide emissions by routing gases produced from burning coal through a limestone and water mixture. The mixture removes the sulfur dioxide allowing cleaner gases to be released through the plant stack. If released into the atmosphere, sulfur dioxide gas forms sulfates that can affect regional air quality in several ways. Sulfates can form fine particles, reduce visibility and contribute to acid rain.
The scrubber was added to Unit 3 at Paradise, which is one of TVA’s largest coal-fired generating plants -- providing 14 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. Scrubbers were installed on the other two Paradise units in 1983. The Unit 3 scrubber is the largest single scrubber module in the United States.
“TVA’s commitment to clean air is evident,” said TVA Fossil Power Group Executive Vice President Joe Bynum. “We are one of the nation’s utility leaders in emissions reductions. TVA is reducing its total sulfur dioxide emissions by 82 percent by operating seven scrubbers and burning low sulfur coal. This translates into cleaner air in the Great Smoky Mountains and the entire Tennessee Valley region.”
TVA also operates three selective catalytic reduction systems on its three units at Paradise, which reduce nitrogen oxide emissions during the summer ozone season (May-September) from the plant by more than 90 percent. Paradise has advanced emissions control equipment to reduce nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides installed on all units.
TVA has nitrogen oxide control technology on all of its fossil plants, including 21 selective catalytic reduction systems that operate during the summer. TVA has reduced nitrogen oxide emissions during the summer ozone season by 81 percent since 1995. TVA's emissions of NOx during the summer were the lowest since all 59 coal-fired units have been operating.
Construction on the third Paradise scrubber began in July 2003 and was completed in October 2006. Since October, TVA has conducted a series of tests on the pollution control equipment, which is removing more than 95 percent of the sulfur dioxide from Unit 3.
TVA began operating scrubbers at its fossil plants in 1977. TVA is constructing three more scrubbers on plants in the eastern part of its generating system -- one at Bull Run Fossil Plant near Oak Ridge, Tn., which will be operational in 2009, and two at Kingston Fossil Plant in Kingston, Tn., that will be operational in 2010.
Since 1977, TVA has spent $4.6 billion to reduce its emissions while providing affordable, reliable electricity. By the end of the decade, TVA will have spent about $5.8 billion to reduce emissions.
Paradise Fossil Plant is located on the Green River in Muhlenberg County, Ky., east of Drakesboro.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self-financed. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.7 million consumers in seven southeastern states. TVA also manages the Tennessee River and its tributaries to provide multiple benefits, including flood damage reduction, navigation, water quality and recreation.