The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is taking comment until March 8 on draft air permitting that covers an application by PSEG Fossil to build a new, gas-fired Unit 7 at its Sewaren Generating Station in Sewaren, New Jersey.
The facility’s current operating permit was approved in September 2014. The original Prevention of Significant Deterioration permit was issued in March 2014. This PSD permit modification application was received on June 22, 2015.
This significant modification is for obtaining a PSD Permit and a significant modification of a Title V State Operating Permit and a modification to the Acid Rain Permit for construction and operation of a new 585 MW (gross) project at Sewaren. Said a department fact sheet on this permitting: “The ‘Project’ would be a 1-on-1 (1 combustion turbine and a single steam turbine) combined-cycle electric generating unit (Unit No. 7) including its ancillary equipment. The electric output of the combined-cycle combustion turbine at ISO conditions will be about 345 MW and the approximate output of the steam turbine at these conditions and with 100 percent supplemental heat input will be 240 MW.”
The project will consist of one GE 7HA.02 CCCT nominally rated at 345 MW at ISO conditions without duct firing. The CCCT will be equipped with a heat recovery steam generator with a natural gas-fired duct burner (maximum rating of 730 MMBtu/hr) for supplemental firing. The primary fuel for the turbine will be natural gas. Backup ultra-low sulfur diesel equivalent to 30 days per year will be used in order to supply the grid when natural gas supply is curtailed.
The turbine will be equipped with a combustion system for control of NOx and carbon monoxide. Post-combustion pollutant controls for the turbine will be via a Selective Catalytic Reduction system for further reduction of NOx, as well as an oxidation catalyst for control of CO and volatile organic compounds.
It also includes:
· one 80 MMBtu/hr natural gas fired auxiliary boiler;
· one 2.60 MMBtu/hr, 360 brake horsepower, emergency diesel fire pump;
· one 19.1 MMBtu/hr, about 2,000 kW emergency diesel generator; and
· a 3-cell, 13,000 gallon per minute auxiliary wet mechanical draft cooling tower.
As part of the project, PSEG Fossil will permanently retire the four existing Sewaren utility boilers at Emission Units U1-U4, as well as the two ancillary house-heating boilers at U5 and U6 and emergency fire pump at U8 when the shakedown period, not to exceed 180 days, of the new turbine (equipment ID E701 at Emission Unit 701) ends.
Emission Unit U7 consisting of eight FT4 turbines has already been retired. The currently permitted turbines at U13 and emergency fire pump at U14 as well as the auxiliary cooling tower at IS21 will not be constructed and are being removed from the permit.
General Electric announced in September 2015 that it has a deal with Public Service Enterprise Group to replace this aging plant with 7HA.02 gas turbine technology. PSEG Power, a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group, has ordered GE’s 7HA.02 gas turbine and associated equipment for its new Sewaren 7 combined-cycle plant in New Jersey.
“Our new Sewaren 7 plant and the 7HA.02 gas turbine will help provide the market with more reliable and cleaner power at a lower cost of generation while also supporting the local economy with employment opportunities and tax revenues,” said Rich Lopriore, president of PSEG Fossil, the business that operates PSEG Power’s portfolio of natural gas, coal, and oil-fired generating units.
