OPG Ontario Nanticoke 1 coal unit back in service

Ontario Power Generation’s 490-megawatt Unit 1 at the Nanticoke coal-fired power station in Ontario returned to service by early Monday, the Independent Electricity System Operator said in a report.

The province-owned generating company shut the unit by February 2.

The 3,920 MW Nanticoke station, which entered service between 1972 and 1978, is located on the north shore of Lake Erie in the town of Nanticoke, about 80 miles southwest of Toronto. There are eight 490 MW units at Nanticoke.

All of the other units were available for service.

One MW powers about 1,000 homes in Ontario.

Separately, the Ontario government wants to shut all of the coal-fired generation in the province for health reasons.

OPG owns about 6,400 MW of coal-fired generation at four stations.

The company had planned to shut three of the stations (Thunder Bay, Atikokan and Lambton) by the end of 2007 and the eight units at Nanticoke in 2008-2009.

In a discussion paper, the Ontario Power Authority, responsible for ensuring an adequate supply of power, said the province could replace the coal plants by 2011-2012 “under ideal conditions” but should keep about 3,000 MW of coal capacity in service until 2014 to ensure reliable electric supplies in the event of delays in acquiring other sources of supplies.

OPG owns and operates about 22,000 MW of generating capacity and markets power to utilities in Ontario and neighboring U.S. and Canadian electricity markets.

Source: Reuters