Document ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0667-1264
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2011-04-20T04:00Z

Site Visit Report

	Linden Generating Station

	4001 South Wood Avenue

	Linden, NJ  07036

May 26, 2010

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
site-specific 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.

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.  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.

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 each.   Duct firing in each HRSG can
add another 60 MW per HRSG, however this also increases the heat rate.  

The capacity utilization rate (CUR) for the facility averaged
approximately 35% in 2009 and is trending upwards.   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.  

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 filter to 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 ½ 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.

Impingement and Entrainment Information

No impingement or entrainment information was provided since the
facility does not withdraw water for cooling from a surface waterbody.

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, 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

Debris Handling

There are no issues with debris handling, as no water withdrawn for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

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. 

Cooling Ponds

	

There are no cooling ponds on site.

Ownership

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

316(a)

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

Ash Handling

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

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.

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

		

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

Attachment C--Site Visit Photos

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

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

 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.

 Facility staff stated that the temperature of steam produced in the
steam turbine is approximately 1050oF; steam at the stack is about
200oF.

 Without duct firing, the heat rate is about 7000-7200 btu/KWh; with
duct firing, the heat rate increases to approximately 7500 btu/KWh.

 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.

 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.

 Each riser has its own shut-off valve.

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