To help reduce Tampa Electric’s carbon footprint, the company launched a project to modernize a 50-year-old coal-fired power station and create a new combined-cycle facility capable of producing 1,090 MW. The facility includes two General Electric model 7HA.02 combustion turbine generators, two heat recovery steam generators and a steam turbine generator in a 2 x 2 x 1 arrangement.
General contractor The Industrial Co. modernized the oldest of the four units, converting it from coal to natural gas. In addition to eliminating the use of coal in Unit 1, the project also reduced the amount of wastewater produced. The increased efficiency of the combined cycle and the retirement of two additional coal-fired units provide a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions up to 3 million tonnes from the previous full coal-fired operation at the Big Bend Power Station.