Pepco Energy to Design and Build $170 Million CHP Plant

By Joel ScanlonMar 8 2012

Pepco Energy Services, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings will design and build a 725 sq.m Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant (AWTP) in DC. The AWTP has a daily capacity of 370 million gal. Pepco Energy will provide the design and construction services for the project amounting to a cost of $80 million.

The company will also be responsible for providing maintenance and on site operations for a value of $89 million over a period of 15 years. The CHP plant is likely to provide 14 MW electric power, which is equivalent to nearly 30% of the power demands of the AWTP.

The CHP plant is part of the new thermal hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion project which will be implemented by DC Water. This project uses high pressure steam from the CHP plant in order to increase the rate of biogas production and reduce the amount of water contaminants. The plant will consist of three solar mercury 50 low nitrogen oxide gas turbines, heat recovery steam generators, backup boiler, digester gas cleaning and compression equipment, duct burners and all electrical equipment required to operate along with the utility grid and other systems. The CHP is expected to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 40% and is also likely to reduce the risk of disposal costs. Construction of the plant is expected to commence by August of this year and is likely to be completed by December 2014.

Source: http://www.pepcoenergy.com