Coal system improvements at Union Electric's Labadie Plant

Union Electric's Labadie Plant is a 2,400 MWe (4 x 600) coal-fired power generating station. It is located 35 miles west of St. Louis. The four units were commissioned between 1970 and 1973. Units No. 1 and 2 have individual stacks, while Units No. 3 and 4 have a common stack. In response to the lower sulfur requirements of Clean Air Act Amendments, a fuel switching project was implemented in 1991. The plant was originally designed to burn a bituminous, Midwestern coal from the Illinois Basin. This fuel is characterized as a relatively high Btu, high sulfur coal. To met sulfur emission standards, Union Electric modified the boilers, precipitators, and coal handling system to accommodate Powder River Basin (PRB) coal. PRB coal has a lower heating value, 8,500 Btu/lb, versus 12,000 Btu/lb. for the Illinois coal. It is more economical than the available high Btu, low sulfur coals. A switch from Illinois coal to PRB coal has helped the Labadie Plant meet new air quality standards and minimize fuel cost. The increased belt speeds and inherent characteristics of PRB coal amplified handling problems. Dust, spillage increased and the impact on plant operations was more severe. To combat these problems, Unionmore » Electric implemented an ongoing improvement program. As experienced was gained, a number of solutions were initiated through several engineering/construction programs and a number of solutions contributed by coal yard personnel. While many of these improvements were a direct result of the switch to PRB coal, they would also be useful on systems handling bituminous coal. New ideas were needed to meet plant objectives of doing more with fewer people. The improvement at Labadie is apparent throughout the coal yard, in access, safety, and cleanliness. Plant improvement is a continuing task. Additional areas within the coal yard are being more closely examined to determine if they can benefit from new techniques that might be applied.« less