Chouteau Power Plant among most efficient gas-based plants
Chouteau Power Plant
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Plant statistics
Units 1 and 2 - 2000 Siemens combined-cycle, gas-based units
Two gas turbines, net capacity of 176 MW each
One steam turbine, net capacity of 170 MW
Operated by Siemens
In 2002, the Chouteau Power Plant was recognized among the top 20 combined-cycle plants in the country for low emissions and efficient performance. The 522-MW plant was ranked 18th most efficient and 15th lowest nationwide for NOx emissions among combined-cycle plants.
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Recognized nationally for its low emissions and efficient performance, AECI’s Chouteau Power Plant is a combined-cycle, natural gas plant with the capacity to provide 522 megawatts of energy to member systems.
In operation since July 2000, the power plant is located in northeastern Oklahoma on 22 acres inside an industrial park. Natural gas is supplied to the plant from a connection on a high-pressure mainline running through plant property. A 161-kV substation connects and transmits power generated by the plant to the integrated transmission system of KAMO Power, one of AECI’s six member-owners.
Under AECI’s direction, Siemens designed and built the plant and provides daily operation and maintenance of the unit. Because the plant is highly automated, only about 20 skilled employees are needed to operate and maintain it.
The Chouteau Power Plant has greater efficiency than a simple-cycle combustion turbine unit because it employs both a steam turbine and a combustion turbine to power the generator.
Chouteau features two heat-recovery steam generators (HRSGs), each measuring about 70 feet by 100 feet, that capture exhaust heat to power a steam turbine. In contrast, hot exhaust from the gas turbine is vented to the atmosphere on a simple-cycle plant.
At Chouteau, exhaust heat enters the HRSG, or boiler, at about 1,085 degrees Fahrenheit and moves through the structure, heating tubes of water to create steam to power the steam turbine, which turns the generator to produce electricity. Afterward, the exhaust is vented from the stack at about 200 degrees.
This heat-recovery system increases the efficiency of the unit to 58 percent, compared with 33 percent efficiency of a simple-cycle plant.
Operating at full load, the plant burns roughly 86 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. Environmental impact of operating the unit is minimal. Its emissions are among the lowest in the state.
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