Point Tupper Generating Station
Encyclopedia
The Point Tupper Generating Station is a 150 MW Canadian
electrical generating station located in the community of Point Tupper
in Nova Scotia
's Richmond County
.
A thermal generating station, Point Tupper was opened by then-provincial Crown corporation Nova Scotia Power Corporation
on Peebles Point on the Strait of Canso
immediately south of the community of Point Tupper in 1973. It was designed to burn fuel oil
imported through a deepwater supertanker terminal 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi) south at Wright Point that served a recently opened oil refinery operated by Gulf Oil
.
Following the closure of the Gulf Oil refinery (its onshore tanks and deepwater supertanker terminal remain in operation as a storage terminal) in the early 1980s, Nova Scotia Power converted the Point Tupper Generating Station to burn coal
beginning in 1987. As part of this conversion, an electrostatic precipitator was installed which is reportedly designed to capture 99% of fly ash emissions.
The Point Tupper Generating Station burns coal and features a single boiler and two 70 m (229.7 ft) chimneys. The plant consumes 400,000 tonnes of coal per year and currently generates approximately 6% of the province's electricity, while producing roughly 10.7% of the province's air pollution, including hydrochloric acid
, sulphuric acid, hexachlorobenzene
and mercury
. In 2008 the Point Tupper Generating Station created 1.05 million tons of greenhouse gases.
Following the 1987 conversion to burn coal, the Point Tupper Generating Station was supplied almost exclusively with coal mined from the Sydney Coal Field by the federal Crown corporation mining company Cape Breton Development Corporation
(DEVCO); the coal being delivered to Point Tupper by trains operated first by Canadian National Railway
(CN) and after 1993 by the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway
(CBNS). During the late 1990s, DEVCO began experiencing production shortfalls that led to Nova Scotia Power being forced to import foreign-mined coal from the United States and South America. This coal was delivered to a pier near the Canso Causeway
in Aulds Cove adjacent to an aggregate quarry operated by Martin Marietta Materials and loaded onto rail cars for delivery to the Trenton Generating Station
as well as to the Point Tupper Generating Station. In fall 2001, DEVCO shut down its remaining mine in the Sydney Coal Field, forcing Nova Scotia Power to import all coal for its remaining power plants in the Sydney region; NSP purchased all the surface assets from DEVCO, including the International Pier coal terminal on Sydney Harbour which was used to supply the Lingan Generating Station
and Point Aconi Generating Station
, however it continued to import coal for Trenton and Point Tupper through Aulds Cove to lessen the distance coal for these plants had to travel by rail.
In 2005, Nova Scotia Power opened the Point Tupper Marine Coal Terminal adjacent to the Point Tupper Generating Station. This facility is operated for NSP by Savage Canac Corporation under a long-term contract. It has a 134 m (439.6 ft) long and 13.6 m (44.6 ft) wide docking pier located 500 m (1,640.4 ft) offshore in the Strait of Canso. This pier is linked to a concrete storage pad by a conveyor belt capable of moving 3000 tons of coal per hour. The facility handles coal imported for the Point Tupper Generating Station and the Trenton Generating Station; coal for Point Tupper is transferred into the plant by front end loader
, whereas coal for Trenton is transferred onto rail cars and moved by trains operated by CBNS.
In 2008, Nova Scotia Power installed a 'Low-NOx' combustion firing system in the Point Tupper Generating Station to reduce the plant's nitrogen oxide
emissions.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
electrical generating station located in the community of Point Tupper
Point Tupper, Nova Scotia
Point Tupper is a small rural community located in Richmond County, Nova Scotia on the Strait of Canso in western Cape Breton Island.-History:...
in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
's Richmond County
Richmond County, Nova Scotia
Richmond County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:Named in honour of Sir Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond and Lennox, who was Governor General of British North America 1818-1819, Richmond County was created in 1835....
.
A thermal generating station, Point Tupper was opened by then-provincial Crown corporation Nova Scotia Power Corporation
Nova Scotia Power
Nova Scotia Power Inc. is a power generating and delivery company in Nova Scotia. It is privately owned by Emera and regulated by the provincial government via the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board .-History:...
on Peebles Point on the Strait of Canso
Strait of Canso
The Strait of Canso , is a strait located in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It divides the Nova Scotia peninsula from Cape Breton Island....
immediately south of the community of Point Tupper in 1973. It was designed to burn fuel oil
Fuel oil
Fuel oil is a fraction obtained from petroleum distillation, either as a distillate or a residue. Broadly speaking, fuel oil is any liquid petroleum product that is burned in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power, except oils having a flash...
imported through a deepwater supertanker terminal 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi) south at Wright Point that served a recently opened oil refinery operated by Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
.
Following the closure of the Gulf Oil refinery (its onshore tanks and deepwater supertanker terminal remain in operation as a storage terminal) in the early 1980s, Nova Scotia Power converted the Point Tupper Generating Station to burn coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
beginning in 1987. As part of this conversion, an electrostatic precipitator was installed which is reportedly designed to capture 99% of fly ash emissions.
The Point Tupper Generating Station burns coal and features a single boiler and two 70 m (229.7 ft) chimneys. The plant consumes 400,000 tonnes of coal per year and currently generates approximately 6% of the province's electricity, while producing roughly 10.7% of the province's air pollution, including hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid is a solution of hydrogen chloride in water, that is a highly corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. It is found naturally in gastric acid....
, sulphuric acid, hexachlorobenzene
Hexachlorobenzene
Hexachlorobenzene, or perchlorobenzene, is a chlorocarbon with the molecular formula C6Cl6. It is a fungicide formerly used as a seed treatment, especially on wheat to control the fungal disease bunt...
and mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
. In 2008 the Point Tupper Generating Station created 1.05 million tons of greenhouse gases.
Following the 1987 conversion to burn coal, the Point Tupper Generating Station was supplied almost exclusively with coal mined from the Sydney Coal Field by the federal Crown corporation mining company Cape Breton Development Corporation
Cape Breton Development Corporation
The Cape Breton Development Corporation, or DEVCO, was a Canadian federal government Crown corporation. It ceased operation on December 31, 2009, after being amalgamated with Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation ....
(DEVCO); the coal being delivered to Point Tupper by trains operated first by Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
(CN) and after 1993 by the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway
Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway
The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway is a railway operating in Nova Scotia between Sydney and Truro with spurs at Sydney, Point Tupper, Trenton and Stellarton....
(CBNS). During the late 1990s, DEVCO began experiencing production shortfalls that led to Nova Scotia Power being forced to import foreign-mined coal from the United States and South America. This coal was delivered to a pier near the Canso Causeway
Canso Causeway
The Canso Causeway is a rock-fill causeway in Nova Scotia, Canada.The causeway crosses the Strait of Canso, connecting Cape Breton Island by road to the Nova Scotia peninsula...
in Aulds Cove adjacent to an aggregate quarry operated by Martin Marietta Materials and loaded onto rail cars for delivery to the Trenton Generating Station
Trenton Generating Station
The Trenton Generating Station is a 310 MW Canadian electrical generating station located in the town of Trenton, Nova Scotia.A thermal generating station, Trenton was opened on the bank of the East River of Pictou by then-provincial Crown corporation Nova Scotia Power Corporation in 1969...
as well as to the Point Tupper Generating Station. In fall 2001, DEVCO shut down its remaining mine in the Sydney Coal Field, forcing Nova Scotia Power to import all coal for its remaining power plants in the Sydney region; NSP purchased all the surface assets from DEVCO, including the International Pier coal terminal on Sydney Harbour which was used to supply the Lingan Generating Station
Lingan Generating Station
The Lingan Generating Station is a 600 MW Canadian electrical generating station located in the community of Lingan in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
and Point Aconi Generating Station
Point Aconi Generating Station
The Point Aconi Generating Station is a 165 MW Canadian electrical generating station located in the community of Point Aconi, Nova Scotia, a rural community in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. A thermal generating station, the Point Aconi Generating Station is owned and operated by Nova...
, however it continued to import coal for Trenton and Point Tupper through Aulds Cove to lessen the distance coal for these plants had to travel by rail.
In 2005, Nova Scotia Power opened the Point Tupper Marine Coal Terminal adjacent to the Point Tupper Generating Station. This facility is operated for NSP by Savage Canac Corporation under a long-term contract. It has a 134 m (439.6 ft) long and 13.6 m (44.6 ft) wide docking pier located 500 m (1,640.4 ft) offshore in the Strait of Canso. This pier is linked to a concrete storage pad by a conveyor belt capable of moving 3000 tons of coal per hour. The facility handles coal imported for the Point Tupper Generating Station and the Trenton Generating Station; coal for Point Tupper is transferred into the plant by front end loader
Front End Loader
Front End Loader is an Australian rock band consisting of Davis Claymore , Bowden Campbell , Richard Corey , and Peter Kostic . Peter also drums for Regurgitator and The Hard-Ons.-History:...
, whereas coal for Trenton is transferred onto rail cars and moved by trains operated by CBNS.
In 2008, Nova Scotia Power installed a 'Low-NOx' combustion firing system in the Point Tupper Generating Station to reduce the plant's nitrogen oxide
Nitrogen oxide
Nitrogen oxide can refer to a binary compound of oxygen and nitrogen, or a mixture of such compounds:* Nitric oxide, also known as nitrogen monoxide, , nitrogen oxide* Nitrogen dioxide , nitrogen oxide...
emissions.