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Sundance 7 power plant project getting ready to roll


5 of 13 14-03-20 5:15 PM

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By Dave Cooper, Edmonton Journal January 21, 2014

EDMONTON - TransAlta will soon launch a campaign to winapproval for a $1.5 billion, 800-Megawatt, gas-fired power plant beside its existing coal-fired operations south of Wabamun Lake.

Together with Iowa-based MidAmerican Energy Holdings, the TAMA partnership is planning an open house on Feb. 4 at the Sundance 7 plantsite. The partnership plans to apply to the Alberta Utilities Commission for approval in the next few months.

TransAlta will build and operate the plant, and plans to have it operating by late 2018 or early 2019, in time for an expected jump in demand.

“We see 2019 as the first time period when there will be demand for a plant of this size,” said Dean Luciuk, TransAlta’s vice-president of businessdevelopment.

Several coal-fired power plants, with a total output of 1,200 MW, will be retired that year. In addition, power demand in Alberta increases byabout 300 MW each year.

Atco Electric and a Capital Power/Enmax partnership are also planning new gas-fired plants in the Wabamun and Edmonton regions.

Luciuk says Sundance 7 will be a combined cycle facility, essentially a “mid-duty plant” that will have two gas turbines and heat-recovery unitsthat create steam to supply a steam turbine unit. This ensures the best use of the fuel, with about one-third of the electricity being generated bywaste heat.

While coal-fired plants run at fairly constant outputs and supply a base load to the electrical grid, combined-cycle plants can run at a lower range,with their outputs down to just 30 per cent when electricity is not need. But they can ramp up to full output within an hour.

Luciuk says TAMA is planning to use “tried and true” turbine units, not frontier technology. Still, he adds Sundance 7 will be among the topplants in North America and should have greater reliability, and therefore profitability.

“Combined cycle plants are the least cost option, and the best projects are the ones that supply the best priced power to people. And that will beSundance 7.”

TransAlta has assembled a design and construction team for the project, and Luciuk expects that once Sundance 7 is complete, the company willbe looking ahead at building two more plants of the same size.

The partnership is hoping that a good portion of the power from Sundance 7 will be sold under contract, but it intends to build the plant no matterhow much or how little is pre-sold.

The Alberta Electric System Operator has forecast Alberta will need 7,000 MW of new power by 2022 — about 5,000 MW to replace retiringcoal plants and another 2,000 MW to cover increased demand. It assumes 2,206 MW of wind farm capacity will be operational by then.

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Stuart McGrandle · Prone at International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders,Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers

Peter Oilsands do not use and never have used coalEach oilsands mine, upgrader and steam assisted plant use gas powered steam generators

Reply · Like · · January 21 at 8:25pm3

Devin Fraser · West Pictou District High School

Way things are going ledcor will building it

Reply · Like · · January 21 at 8:34pm1

Wade Martinson · King's University College (Edmonton)

Devin Fraser if Ledcor doesget the contract they will be hard pressed to findboilermakers to do it in the economy we are currently in. There is simply moreprofitable work to be had for the Non-union outfits. They will try to keep the hoursdown and so the pay as well, everybody likes money whether they are union or nonunion. They may try to do it with TFW's though because otherwise they won't be ableto man it. Considering the government that has been voted in I see this as somethingthe current government will try to do to break the unions and ordinary Canadians.They love money not people.

Reply · Like · January 22 at 7:32am

Kaia Lamothe · NAIT

Why are we building these power plants again?? Aren't we supposed to pipe the gas to th US orChina, get them to turn it into electricity, then sell it back to us? I thought that was the Albertaway

Reply · Like · · January 22 at 6:26am1

Chris Hollingworth · Saint Albert, Alberta

We're not going to be happy till we can swim at Wabumun in the winter! Bring intropical fish too.

Reply · Like · January 22 at 4:23pm

Denia Baltzer

No, didn't you hear, that's all a lie Neil young made up for PR


Peter Duncan · Top Commenter · University of Alberta/Nait 88

Coal to power the oil sands I have read that with this approach the process to create a barrel ofoil is about 5-10% efficient or less efficient than burning wood to power your car.A world classdisgrace.Why not build efficient gas plants on each project gas is much cleaner than coal and itis abundant everywhere.The best approach to creating a much more efficient system to generatepower is to construct small plants where needed instead of constructing more power grids.Oh Iforgot Transalta owns alberta.


Joe Miller · University of Alberta

Nothing in the article about coal fired power and oil sands. Oil sands projects do notuse coal fired power, they produce their own electricity largely through cogeneration.In fact, they generate more electricity than they use and the excess is transmittedsouth to meet the needs of other Alberta users.



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