Power

Hanam Canada Corporation

Coal & Gas Fired Power Stations in Canada

There are 25 coal fired power stations in Canada dominated by three large plants in Ontario and one in Alberta. The potential for improving the overall energy efficiency of these plants depends mainly on potential improvements to the three Ontario stations especially the Nanticoke power station. Except for the coal fired plants in Alberta, most of Canada’s coal fired power plants have not received significant new investments and their efficiency is lower than international benchmarks.

Exhibit 1. Coal Fired Power Stations in Canada

Company		MW
Transalta	Sundance	1,987
	Wabumun	569
	Keep Hills	754
Atco	Battle River	735
	Sheerness	735
Maxim	Grande Cache	140
Epcor	Genesse	800
Alberta			5,720
Sask Power	Boundary	875
	Poplar	592
	Shand	372
Subtotal			1,839
Manitoba Hydro	Brandon	232
	Selkirk	132
Ontario Hydro	Thunder Bay	423
	Nanticoke	4,096
	Lakeview	2,400
	Lambton	2,020
	Atikokan	230
Subtotal			9,533
NB Power	Belledune	440
	Dalhousie	236
	Grand Lake	82
Subtotal			758
Nova Scotia Power	Lingan	682
	Glace Bay	116
	Trenton	750
	Point Acton	165
	Point Tupper	150
Subtotal			1,863
Total			19,713

In these thermal power stations, coal is burned to heat water in a boiler and convert it to high-pressure steam. The high-pressure steam is directed into a steam turbine which turns the turbine shaft. This shaft is connected to an electrical generator which produces electricity.

A condenser converts the steam exhausting from the turbine back into water which is reused in the boiler. The condenser contains tubes which have water circulating through them to cool the steam. The water is supplied by a nearby reservoir or river. This condensing process increases the efficiency of electricity generation.

Coal for the generating stations is often extracted from a nearby coal mine. The mined land is reclaimed, often to a level better than its original state. For example, the Sheerness Generating Station works with the local mining company to ensure that the mined land is returned to levels of productivity as good or better than existed previous to mining.

Maxim’s 150 MW coal-fired power station near the town of Grande Cache, Alberta, has been in continuous operation since 1972.

HR Milner, Alberta

Gas fired Power stations related to Oil Extraction From Tar Sands

There are eight steam and electricity generating plants in the Fort McMurray area as listed in Exhibit 2. TransAlta Power owns the largest cogeneration power plant at Poplar Creek near Suncor’s oil sands plant and an older 70 MW utility plant. Surplus power is sold to the Alberta grid. Atco Power operates a large generating station for Shell’s oil sands operations. At least four additional large power stations are being planned. At present all of these the power stations use natural gas fuel and therefore do not require stack gas scrubbers.

Exhibit 2 Power Plants in Fort McMurray area

Power Plant Owner	Customer	Power plant	MW Operating		MW Planned
Syncrude		Mildred Lake	190
		Aurora North	86
		Aurora South	250
Subtotal				526	500
TransAlta	Suncor	Poplar Creek	360
Suncor		Tar Island	144
		Firebag			85
		Stage 3			170
Subtotal				504
Atco	Shell	Muskeg River	160	160	100
TransCanada	PetroCanada	MacKay River	190	190	150
Encana	Encana	Foster Creek	85	85	100
CNRL		Horizon		0	101
Total Petroleum		Joslyn		0	85
				1,015	1,291

muskeg2

Atco Power plant operated for Shell, Muskeg River

Other Gas Fired Power Stations

BC has two major gas fired power stations: one in Fort Nelson and the other at Campbell River. Both of these are cogeneration systems.

Alberta has more than 100 gas fired generating stations most of them cogeneration systems. Gas-fired plants generate 38 per cent of Alberta’s electricity. At the current rate of expansion of tar sands plants, the proportion of energy generated from gas is expected to increase to 50%.