Bruce Mansfield Power Plant
| Company type | Power plant |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Defunct | November 2019 |
| Headquarters | Shippingport , United States |
Area served | Pennsylvania |
Key people | D. Bruce Mansfield (namesake) |
| Products | Electricity (coal-fired) |
| Owner | FirstEnergy |
| Parent | FirstEnergy Solutions |
Bruce Mansfield Power Plant was a coal-fired facility with a generating capacity of 2.49 gigawatts (2,490 MW), situated in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, within Beaver County. The plant, operated by FirstEnergy, commenced operations in 1976 and ceased functioning in November 2019.
History
The plant's construction started in 1970 under the management of Pennsylvania Power, a subsidiary of Ohio Edison. Ownership was divided among Pennsylvania Power, Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating, Toledo Edison, and Duquesne Light as part of the Central Area Power Coordination (CAPCO) consortium. Commercial generation began with Unit 1 in 1976; Units 2 and 3 followed in 1977 and 1980, respectively. Each unit contributed 830 MW, resulting in a combined nameplate capacity of 2,490 MW. The facility was named to honor D. Bruce Mansfield, who served as chairman of Pennsylvania Power. Coal supply primarily came from West Virginia mines operated by Murray Energy.
In August 2018, FirstEnergy Solutions announced an intention to retire Bruce Mansfield by June 2021, citing the PJM Interconnection wholesale market’s diminishing dependence on coal and nuclear generation. PJM's evaluation confirmed that closing the plant would not compromise grid reliability. However, due to economic challenges rendering the plant unviable, its closure was expedited to November 2019.
Environmental mitigation
Units 1 and 2 were outfitted with a flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) system aimed at reducing sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. The plant’s main chimney reaches a height of 950 ft. Waste sludge generated was transported via pipeline over a distance of seven miles to Little Blue Run Lake, located on the Pennsylvania-West Virginia boundary. Upon completion of Unit 3 in 1980, an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) system—designed by the Weir Group—was installed to minimize particulate matter emissions; its associated chimney stands 600 ft tall.
To manage scrubber byproducts more effectively, National Gypsum established a nearby manufacturing facility in 1998 that converts synthetic gypsum from Bruce Mansfield into drywall materials. A forced-oxidation gypsum (FOG) system was implemented to supply this gypsum to the drywall producer.
Following a 2012 settlement prohibiting further disposal at Little Blue Run Lake, a $200 million dewatering facility was constructed and completed in 2016. This installation separates water from residual waste and deposits the solid byproduct into a lined impoundment located at Murray Energy’s mine site in Marshall County, West Virginia. Operations at the dewatering plant began in January 2017 but encountered operational difficulties in February that temporarily suspended power generation; normal operations resumed two weeks later.
Incidents
In August 2017, a release of hydrogen sulfide () occurred during pipe maintenance activities at the site, causing two fatalities and injuring four workers. The victims’ families initiated legal action against FirstEnergy seeking compensation. OSHA imposed fines totaling $77,605 on FirstEnergy for workplace safety violations and $129,340 on subcontractor Enerfab for inadequate respiratory protection measures. Subsequently, FirstEnergy settled with a fine amounting to $65,963.
On January 10, 2018, a fire damaged portions of the facility’s roof and duct systems. FirstEnergy reported extensive harm to equipment within Units 1 and 2, leading to an accelerated shutdown schedule for these units—from the original June 2021 date to February 5, 2019.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Energy infrastructure completed in 1976
- Energy infrastructure completed in 1977
- Energy infrastructure completed in 1980
- FirstEnergy
- Former coal-fired power stations in the United States
- Buildings and structures in Beaver County, Pennsylvania
- 1976 establishments in Pennsylvania
- 2019 disestablishments in Pennsylvania
- Former power stations in Pennsylvania