Atikokan Generating Station is a biomass power plant owned by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) located north of Atikokan, Ontario ( west of Thunder Bay). The plant employs 90 people. The Atikokan Generating Station began operation as a coal fired station in 1985 and underwent an overhaul in the autumn of 2003.
Until 2012, it had one coal-fueled generating unit with low nitrogen oxide (NOx) burners, providing a peak output of 230 MW fuelled by low-sulfur lignite coal from the Ravenscrag Formation in Southern Saskatchewan.
In late 2012, the facility powered down and underwent renovations, due to the Ontario government's initiative to eliminate all coal-fired electricity generation.Montgomery, James. Sneak Peek: Inside The Atikokan Biomass Plant Conversion. Renewable Energy World. 2013-09-12. It is the first generating station to be converted by OPG to be fueled by biomass,"Ontario coal-fired power plant to switch to biomass", CBC News, January 21, 2009. Retrieved January 21, 2009. and is North America's largest purely biomass-fueled power plant. The conversion came at a cost of C$200 million, and the plant was re-opened on 10 September 2014."$200M conversion coming for Atitkokan coal plant", CBC News, July 19, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
Annual production at the plant is approximately 900 million kilowatt-hours (kWh), enough energy to supply approximately 70,000 households for one year. The station occupies an area of . The plant's chimney is tall, and the steam temperature is . This plant is connected to the provincial power grid via several 230,000-volt transmission lines.
Emissions + Greenhouse Gases (2012) Greenhouse gas Sum (tonnes) Sum (tonnes CO2e*) CO2 46,684 46,684 CH4 1.22 26 N2O 0.92 286 Total - 46,996 *Calculated figures for CO2e are rounded to the nearest tonne.
+ Total emissions, 2004-2020 Year Emissions (tonnes CO2e)20041,181,12220051,108,4372006851,0942007754,1482008413,6392009200,3932010501,830201178,078201246,9962013020140201548,070201629,219201718,138201819,645201917,022202017,104
See also
Thunder Bay Generating Station Kakabeka Generating Station List of power stations in Canada List of tallest smokestacks in Canada
References
External links Ontario Power Generation: Atikokan Generating Station