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Project No.: 0172.07.029.030 DISTRIBUTION 

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Project Name: Steam Electric Detailed Study 

TELEPHONE CALL RECORD 

 Outgoing Call 

Date: 12/3/09 Time: 10:00 am EST 

Company Name: Progress Energy’s Asheville Power Plant

Contact Name: Shannon Langley 

Phone No.: (513-287-2269)

Name: Kurt Blohm Eastern Research Group 

GENERAL SUBJECT : Progress Energy’s Asheville Power Plant Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Systems and FGD Wastewater 

Treatment System

 

TOPICS DISCUSSED AND ACTION TAKEN 

On Thursday, December 3, 2009, I contacted Shannon Langley of Progress Energy’s Asheville Power Plant 

(Asheville). I explained to Mr. Langley that I was contacting him to collect information regarding the operation 

of the FGD system and the FGD wastewater treatment system at the Asheville plant to inform EPA’s decision 

on which plants to sample as part of the effluent guidelines rulemaking for the steam electric industry. He said 

that he would be able to answer some of my questions regarding the FGD wastewater treatment system, but that 

he may need to refer to others at the plant to answer questions he does not know. 

Mr. Langley stated that the plant has two generating units which have a combined capacity of 400 MW. Both 

generating units exhaust to one limestone forced-oxidation FGD system. Asheville does not use additives in the 

FGD system. Mr. Langley stated that no FGD systems are planned to be installed in 2010. 

Mr. Langley stated that Asheville operates SCRs on both units for NOx control and both SCRs are operated on a 

year-round basis. 

Mr. Langley stated that the FGD wastewater treatment system consists of a chemical precipitation system for 

chlorides removal followed by a constructed wetlands treatment system (CWTS) for mercury removal. The 

treatment system is operated continuously. I asked Mr. Langley about the typical flow rate of blowdown to the 

treatment system, but Mr. Langley stated that he would need to check with someone else. 

Mr. Langley provided the following process description of the FGD wastewater treatment system: Blowdown 

from the FGD scrubber enters an equalization tank. The equalization tank effluent is transferred to a clarifier. 

Asheville adds two polymers (Metclear and another polymer) to the clarifier. The underflow from the clarifier is 

sent to a filter press. The overflow from the clarifier is transferred to the equalization basin and diluted with 

plant service water by a factor of 3:1 to reduce the chlorides concentration prior to entering the CWTS. The 

CWTS has a residence time of several days and discharges to the ash pond where it is commingled with wet 

sluiced bottom and fly ash. The ash pond discharges to the French Broad River. 

Mr. Langley stated that the FGD wastewater treatment system has been optimized primarily for mercury 

removal; however, the system also achieves incidental removals of other heavy metals, including arsenic and 

some species of selenium. Asheville is targeting mercury removal in the system through the use Metclear, 
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which is specifically designed for mercury removal. Mr. Langley stated that the permit limit for mercury from 

the ash pond effluent is 0.63 μg/L. 

Mr. Langley stated that the plant has scheduled outages during early spring and fall 2010.