Brandon Generating Station Explained
Brandon Generating Station is a natural gas-fired power station owned by Manitoba Hydro, located in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. The station was first built to burn lignite from Saskatchewan.
On 1 January 2010, Unit 5, the sole coal-fired unit, was downgraded to emergency use only, per section 16 of the Manitoba Climate Change and Emissions Reductions Act.[1] [2] Unit 5 was permitted to operate as a generator only under certain circumstances:[3]
- To prevent a situation which would lead to a disruption or destabilization of the power supply.
- In drought years where demand exceeds forecasted supply.
- To maintain the generator in a state of readiness and availability.
The last allowance required Unit 5 to operate for 3–4 days each month at 10–15% of maximum capacity. Unit 5 stopped burning coal on August 1, 2018, and was converted to a synchronous condenser.[4]
Description
The station consists of:[5] [6]
- 4 x 33 MW units (In 1996 three units were retired, and the last retired in 2001)
- 1 x 105 MW coal-fired unit. (Added in 1970, and Converted to Synchronous Condenser operation in 2018)
- 2 x 140 MW Alstom natural gas units (installed in 2002).
Notes and References
- Web site: Manitoba Climate Change and Emissions Reductions Act . 2011-06-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111123185826/http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/c135e.php . 2011-11-23 . dead .
- Web site: Brandon Generating Station – Unit 5 Environmental Impact Statement Volume 5 – Amendments to Manitoba Hydro's Environment Act Licence Review Submission . 2011-06-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110818044844/http://hydro.mb.ca/regulatory_affairs/brandon/brandon_eis_vol5.pdf . 2011-08-18 . dead .
- Coal-Fired Emergency Operations Regulation Web site: Archived copy . 2011-06-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120318010236/http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/regs/pdf/c135-186.09.pdf . 2012-03-18 .
- Abigail Turner, "Manitoba no longer using coal for power," Global News, January 9, 2019
- Web site: Plant Description . 2010-03-28 . https://archive.today/20121205091754/http://www.industcards.com/st-coal-canada.htm# . 2012-12-05 . dead .
- Web site: Generating Stations. 16 February 2023.
