Supporting research efforts
Great River Energy supports and relies on numerous research efforts to ensure we have the best available information when making decisions about our future. We face many challenging decisions in planning our future generation resources.
For example, if we utilize agricultural residuals and wastes as a fuel source, we must consider the effect on soil conditions in the farm fields and the price of livestock feed. If we install additional air emission controls on an existing coal-fired power plant, we must consider the effects of those alterations – additional waste may be generated or additional electricity may be required to operate the controls. Following are some of our current research efforts and partnerships.
EPRIThe Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) provides comprehensive research on all aspects of electric energy planning, power systems design and operations, and environmental controls and impacts. We have partnered with EPRI to test numerous mercury emission control systems at our plants in North Dakota and continue to follow its mercury research at other plants.
In 2008, Coal Creek Station employees participated with EPRI and RMB Consultants in an industry-wide effort to confirm the accuracy of elemental mercury emissions calibrators. Typically, the National Institute of Standards and Technology takes the lead in developing calibrator standards; however, given the complexity of elemental mercury calibration, it was unable to perform the task. Coal Creek Station was one of several sites around the country that volunteered to test the new calibrator and work on procedural refinements so this technology will operate accurately.
Coal Fleet for TomorrowA senior engineer for Great River Energy serves as chair of the Coal Fleet for Tomorrow program, which assesses opportunities and roadblocks to developing new coalbased power plants. Some of the drivers for the work conducted under the Coal Fleet for Tomorrow program are high natural gas prices, energy security concerns and reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, while keeping the price of electricity affordable.
Great River Energy continued its participation in the Plains CO2 Reduction (PCO2R) partnership, a joint effort with North Dakota’s Energy and Environmental Research Center, the U.S. Department of Energy and nearly 60 partners. The partnership is testing CO2 sequestration, which removes exhaust gas and injects it into depleted oil and gas reservoirs. When sited properly, CO2 injection can be used to extract oil and natural gas, presenting a potentially valuable oil-and-gas recovery tool. Great River Energy has sponsored all three phases of PCO2R’s studies. The latest phase features three smallscale geologic CO2 sequestration projects and the development of multi-year, commercial-scale CO2 sequestration demonstration projects. A key goal of the PCO2R Partnership is helping determine best practices for carbon sequestration.
