Lakeland Electric<\/a> expects to finish burning its remaining coal supplies by April 4, which will signal the start of McIntosh Unit 3’s decommissioning. It will permanently end the city’s coal operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n“It’s the way of the future to stop burning coal,” said Steve Reinhart, LE’s plant manager. “We are progressing forward.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lakeland commissioners unanimously approved the decommissioning of 365-megawatt generator in mid-January. The municipal-owned utility reported spending more than $5 million to fix various issues with the Unit 3 last summer, leading to multiple extended outages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reinhart said he anticipates the last of the city’s coal will be pushed onto conveyor belts that feed the coal plant’s silos sometime on Easter. Each silo mills the coal and it will slowly burn down between Sunday night and Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“How we make power is we generate steam,” he said. “It basically acts like a kettle on a stovetop.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reinhart said that as the last coal in Unit 3 burns down, it will produce less heat, therefore turning less water into steam. This steam is directed through the plant’s turbine, causing it to spin and generate power. As less water is turned into steam, Reinhart said the pressure and steam volume inside the plant decrease gradually, slowing the turbine down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the turbine slows, Reinhart said the plant’s load will begin to drop off until its breaker opens, stopping any further generation of electricity. The utility will use natural gas to help stabilize the generator as this occurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lakeland Electric’s workers will begin a roughly five-month transition process once the generator stops, Reinhart said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We are trying to get the unit into a stable state where it’s safe for my employees in particular and any people who might be on or near the unit,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reinhart said the transition will start with cleaning out any remaining coal, dust and ash from the boiler. The city often sells off coal by-products, such as fly ash, for additional revenue, as it can be used in concrete production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The transition will also include safely draining and removing oil from various mechanical parts in the coal plant, according to Reinhart, and locking moving pieces in place so they can’t be turned back on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The process will be overseen by outside consultant Black & Veatch, a Kansas-based engineering firm hired by the city for $150,000 to oversee the transition and come up with a long-term plan for the site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reinhart said a team of approximately 55 LE employees will carry out the work, some of whom still face looming unemployment. The plant manager said some of the workers have been there more than 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There are certain amount of people who are losing their jobs, and you have to be aware of their feelings and how they are doing,” he said. “We’re all going through a hard time, those who are transitioning and those who are losing friends that have been here a long time. It’s hard on everyone.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of the 55 impacted employees, LE spokeswoman Cathryn Lacy said that 20 have already been placed: 12 will transition to other positions with the utility, seven have left for other jobs and one will take up a job with the City of Lakeland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Our efforts to place employees and support them with resume writing, the job hunt and placement will continue through the next five months,” Lacy said. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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