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Site Visit Report

Linden Generating Station

4001 South Wood Avenue

Linden, NJ 07036

May 26, 2010

1.0 Background and Objectives

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in the process of developing 

316(b) cooling water intake structure requirements that reflect the best technology

available (BTA) for minimizing adverse environmental impact for all existing 

power plants and manufacturing facilities. As part of this process, EPA staff is 

visiting electric generators and manufacturers to better understand the cooling 

water intake structure (CWIS) technologies in use at facilities, including the sitespecific characteristics of each facility and how these affect the selection and 

performance of CWIS technologies. EPA is also visiting facilities to better 

understand cooling water use and specific issues or technologies that can affect 

316(b) compliance. Linden Generating Station (Linden) was selected for a site 

visit due to its proximity to EPA Headquarters, its use of combined cycle, and its 

use of gray water as makeup for wet cooling towers.1

2.0 Facility Description

The Linden facility is located on approximately 102 acres in Linden, NJ on the 

banks of the Hudson River’s Arthur Kill. The facility is surrounded by a 

saltwater marsh. The facility employs 55 people and is owned by Public Service 

Enterprise Group (PSEG). Linden began operations in 1957 as a cogeneration 

plant to an Exxon refinery - it burned oil and provided steam to the refinery; 

electric power was a secondary product.2 In 2002-2005, the facility repowered to 

combined cycle. Two of the three now-retired generating units and all five stacks 

from the former activities were retired in place; Unit 3 from the old plant was 

leveled to make room for the repowered facility. Four new stacks were built as 

part of the repowering effort. The facility holds NPDES permit number

NJ0000663 which expires June 30, 2013.

3.0 Electricity Generation and Transmission

Linden consists of two active generating units with a total generating capacity of 

1230 MW. In 2002, Unit 1 was repowered to a combined cycle natural gas 

combustion turbine with a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG); Unit 2 was 

similarly repowered in 2005. Each unit has two natural gas combustion turbines, 

two HRSGs, and one steam turbine. The steam turbines produce about 313 MW 

 

1 EPA was unable to provide a copy of this report to the facility for review prior to publication.

2 Linden also maintained a synthetic gas plant at one point which has since been demolished. The facility 

now serves as a primary producer of electricity for the grid and is no longer associated with the refinery.
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each.

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 Duct firing in each HRSG can add another 60 MW per HRSG, however 

this also increases the heat rate.4 

The capacity utilization rate (CUR) for the facility averaged approximately 35%

in 2009 and is trending upwards.

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 Linden provides power to just under 1 million 

homes. Fuel efficiency is estimated at about 65%.

The air flow rate through the gas turbine inlet filters is not constant and is not 

measured. However, facility staff said that the exhaust mass flow of the turbine 

should be somewhat analogous to the inlet flow; the exhaust mass flow maximum 

is around 900-950 lb/sec and varies with combustion needs. Facility staff noted 

that the amount of air allowed through the compressor is based on inlet guide 

vane angle to facilitate gas flow for combustion. 

4.0 Cooling Water System and Intake Structure

Linden does not currently employ a CWIS. Instead, the facility uses reclaimed 

wastewater from the nearby Linden/Roselle Sewage Authority (LRSA) for all its 

cooling water needs. LRSA is a secondary treatment facility; prior to delivery to 

Linden, treated wastewater is exposed to UV light and treated with hypochlorite 

to remove microbes. The wastewater is then passed through a seven bed sand 

filter6to further remove residual oil, grease, and suspended solids and finally

pumped 1 mile to the Linden facility. Approximately 7-8 MGD is pumped from 

LRSA to Linden. After being used for cooling, any remaining water (e.g., cooling 

tower blowdown) is pumped back to LRSA and put through the treatment process 

again. Linden supplements its cooling water supply from LRSA with municipal water 

as needed, however this practice is infrequent. LRSA discharges approximately 2 

MGD through an outfall to the Hudson River about 1⁄2 mile from the treatment plant. 

Linden employs a closed-cycle recirculating cooling system for the entire facility. 

(See Section 6.0 below.) Prior to repowering, Linden used one shoreline CWIS 

with vertical traveling screens and a debris/fish handling system. The CWIS is 

inactive and not tied in to the current configuration.

The parasitic load from the use of reclaimed wastewater was not quantified, but is 

expected to include the energy required to pump the wastewater through the sand 

filter and the 1 mile distance from the treatment plant to the facility.

 

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Facility staff stated that the temperature of steam produced in the steam turbine is approximately 1050oF; 

steam at the stack is about 200oF.

4 Without duct firing, the heat rate is about 7000-7200 btu/KWh; with duct firing, the heat rate increases to 

approximately 7500 btu/KWh.

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Facility staff noted that the CUR for June 2009 was 55%. They also noted that the CUR for the facility is 

steadily increasing, as the low price of natural gas and the facility’s high efficiency make it an attractive 

plant to operate.

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Silica sand provided by US Silica is used in the sand filter. Linden leases the space used for the sand 

filter from LRSA and is responsible for the filter’s operation and upkeep.
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5.0 Impingement and Entrainment Information

No impingement or entrainment information was provided since the facility does 

not withdraw water for cooling from a surface waterbody.

6.0 Cooling Tower Feasibility

As noted above in Section 4.0, Linden repowered to combined cycle in 2002-2005

and retrofit to mechanical draft cooling towers during this time. The 10 cell 

towers are arranged in a back-back 2x5 configuration; facility representatives 

stated this arrangement was necessary due to space constraints. The fiber 

reinforced plastic (FRP) cooling towers use corrugated plastic fill material and 

drift eliminators. Each cell tower has 10-12 blades; the blade pitch is adjusted 

seasonally to gain more efficiency. The towers include drift eliminators; no 

plume or noise abatement was deemed necessary by the permitting authority and 

facility staff noted that fogging has not been an issue. 

Chemical treatment for the cooling towers includes chlorine, acid and antifoam; 

the towers operate at approximately 3 cycles of concentration (COC). Cooled 

water is pumped back through the system by two main circulating pumps; two 

auxiliary pumps are used for other cooling water needs. Water is returned to the 

towers from the condenser via an 84” pipe. The cooling towers can be operated 

independently,

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although it is common for all ten cells to be operating during hot 

days or during peak generation.

The total parasitic load of the cooling towers was estimated by facility staff at

about 4.2 MW per unit. This estimate is comprised of the following:

 10 fans on each cooling tower: approximately 1.1 MW/unit

 2 main circulating pumps on each cooling tower: approximately 2.1 

MW/unit

 2 auxiliary cooling pumps on each cooling tower: approximately 0.5 

MW/unit

 Riser valves and chemical equipment: approximately 0.5 MW/unit

7.0 Debris Handling

There are no issues with debris handling, as no water withdrawn for cooling.

 

7 Each riser has its own shut-off valve.
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8.0 Repowering/Future Uses

Linden was fully repowered in 2002-2005 as a state of the art facility. No 

additional modifications or facility expansion is expected in the near future.

9.0 Cooling Ponds

There are no cooling ponds on site.

10.0 Ownership

Linden is owned by PSEG, an investor-owned company.

11.0 316(a)

There are no section 316(a) requirements since there is no thermal discharge from 

the facility.

12.0 Ash Handling

There is no ash handling at the facility since it does not burn coal.

13.0 Air Emissions Controls

The facility uses selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to reduce NOx emissions 

from each unit. NOx emissions are measured at 2 ppm. Other air emission 

control efforts were not discussed.

14.0 Additional Information

The administration building was recently remodeled as a “green building.” 

Linden is applying for LEED gold certification for the building.

Attachments

Attachment A List of Attendees

Attachment B Aerial Photos

Attachment C Site Visit Photos
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Attachment A--List of Attendees

Paul Shriner, EPA Headquarters

Erik Helm, EPA Headquarters

Tom Born, EPA Headquarters

Kelly Meadows, Tetra Tech

Shari Goodwin, Tetra Tech

Mark Strickland, PSEG

Carmine DeNicola, PSEG

Guy Rivera, PSEG

Ryan Paley, PSEG

Ed Majeski, LRSA
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Attachment C--Site Visit Photos

Please see DCNs 10-6557B through F accompanying this document.