Nanticoke Powerhouse Safely Demolished
Demolition of the former coal station now complete
NANTICOKE, ON, Aug. 22, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) safely demolished the powerhouse of the former Nanticoke Generating Station (GS), which was at one time the largest coal-fired plant in the world. The site on the north shore of Lake Erie has been transformed into OPG's first-ever solar facility.
"The closure of Nanticoke Generating Station remains one of North America's single largest climate change initiatives," said Mike Martelli, OPG President of Renewable Generation. "Building and sustaining a clean, low cost electricity system is fundamental to a healthy environment and a strong, low-carbon economy. I want to thank all of the employees that contributed to the legacy of a high performing station and the community for their decades of support and ensure residents that Nanticoke Solar is a continuation of OPG's rich legacy of generating electricity in their backyard."
OPG and its partners, Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, developed the 44-megawatt solar facility on time and on budget. The facility went into service on March 29. Nanticoke Solar is the fourth OPG First Nations partnership.
Located near Port Dover on the shores of Lake Erie, the former Nanticoke Generating Station produced power for more than 40 years and at peak capacity, the facility could power a city the size of Toronto. Nanticoke burned its last piece of coal on Dec. 31, 2013 and demolition of the stacks occurred on February 28, 2018.
OPG is the largest electricity generator in the province, providing almost half the power Ontarians rely on every day. It is also one of the most diverse generators in North America with expertise in nuclear, hydro, biomass, solar and gas.
BACKGROUNDER: NANTICOKE GENERATING STATION
OPG's Nanticoke Generating Station (GS) was once the largest coal-fired power plant in the world, with a total capacity of 4,000 megawatts at its peak operations. This is almost 1,000 megawatts more than the current capacity of Pickering Nuclear GS. Throughout the late 1990s, Nanticoke GS provided a significant amount of Ontario's baseload power. This station employed more than 600 staff and provided essential electricity to southern Ontario's industrial sector.
Replacing coal-fired electricity generation remains the single largest climate change initiative undertaken in North America, and was the equivalent of taking up to seven million cars off the road. Banning coal for electricity generation has contributed to reduced emissions of fine particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, toxic substances such as mercury, volatile organic compounds and black carbon (soot), and has helped reduce the number of smog days in Ontario.
Quick Facts:
Construction timeline: 1967 to 1978
Decommissioned: 2013
Generating capacity: 8 x 500 megawatt unites with a total capacity of 4000 megawatts
Stack height: 198 metres (650 feet) or roughly equivalent to a 60-storey high-rise
Powerhouse size: 491,400 sq. ft. or more than 8.5 football fields
NANTICOKE SOLAR PROJECT:
In 2016, OPG and its partners, Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, were selected by the Independent Electricity System Operator to develop a 44-megawatt solar facility on and near the Nanticoke site. The facility was completed and online on March 29, 2019.
Generating capacity: 44 megawatts
Number of solar panels: 200,000
SOURCE Ontario Power Generation Inc.
Ontario Power Generation, 416-592-4008 or 1-877-592-4008, Follow us @opg
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