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Recovered Energy Generation

Four Recovered Energy Generation (REG) power plants "fueled" by hot exhaust with a total generating capacity of about 22 megawatts (MW) are now providing base load generation to Basin Electric Power Cooperative consumers. Construction on the plants began in September 2005. As each plant was completed, it was put into operation between July and October 2006.

The plant sites are located near St. Anthony, North Dakota and near Wetonka, Clark and Estelline in South Dakota. The power plant equipment for this project was supplied and installed by Ormat Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Israel and Sparks, NV. Basin Electric purchasees the electricity under terms of a purchase power agreement with an Ormat subsidiary, who owns and operates the plants.

First utility in the world to proactively implement REG into network

Commenting on the recovered energy project completion, Dita Bronicki, president and chief executive officer of Ormat Technologies, said, "The completion of these REG plants in the Dakotas is a significant step forward for our recovered energy technology, as this will be our largest recovered energy project to date and the first of its type under our direct ownership. We are excited to be using our recovered energy technology on such a large scale, and equally excited that prominent companies, such as Basin Electric and Northern Border Pipeline Company, see the value and contribution that clean energy technology can make in meeting energy needs. We believe the success of this project will help similar companies see the potential for recovered energy production."

Power plants "fueled" by hot exhaust

Basin Electric purchases the electricity produced by the project and integrates that power with its other generating facilities.

Ron Rebenitsch, Basin Electric's manager of member marketing, said the project involves the use of hot exhaust gases from existing compressor stations located along the Northern Border Pipeline to generate electricity. The compressors are driven by natural-gas fueled turbines. "The heat in the compressor exhaust is recovered using heat exchangers. The recovered heat is then used to vaporize a fluid to drive a turbine/generator set," he said. "The exhaust temperature ranges from 850 to 950 degrees F." The Northern Border Pipeline follows a southeasterly direction across North Dakota and South Dakota, delivering natural gas from Canada to the Chicago area.

Each of the four sites has a generating capacity of about 5.5 MW. He said the projects have minimal environmental impact, with the electric generation considered to have "zero or near zero" emissions. "We consider these plants to be equivalent to renewable energy, given their minimal environmental impact," he said.

In addition, a total of more than 15 miles of 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines and substation interconnections were constructed to distribute the power from the generators to Basin Electric’s members. The lines were constructed and are owned by Basin Electric members, East River Electric Power Cooperative, Madison, SD, and Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative, Flasher, ND. The ability to interconnect with these members is an essential element of the project. Because the new generators will run almost continuously, they are considered to be base load generation.

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• Recovered Energy Generation
• Glossary

2007 Pacesetter Award

The Northern Border Recovered Energy Project won the 2007 Plant Pacesetter Award from Combined Cycle Journal. The link below is their feature article about Basin Electric and its partners' work on the recovered energy project:

• How to Make "Green" Power with a Simple-Cycle Gas Turbine (PDF version)

Lucien Bronicki

"Basin Electric is the first utility in the world to proactively implement this type of recovered energy generation from waste heat on their system."

~ Lucien Bronicki, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Technology Officer, Ormat Technologies