Midland Cogeneration Venture
| Company type | Limited partnership |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Midland , United States |
| Products | Electricity, steam |
| Owner | Midland Cogeneration Venture Limited Partnership |
The Midland Cogeneration Venture (MCV) operates as a combined natural gas-fueled electricity and steam generation facility located in Midland, Michigan. It is owned by Midland Cogeneration Venture Limited Partnership. Upon commencing operations in 1991, it held the distinction of being the largest steam recovery power plant powered by natural gas worldwide.
Initially, the site was intended to serve as the Midland Nuclear Power Plant, featuring two Babcock & Wilcox pressurized water reactors with capacities of 460 MWe and 808 MWe respectively. However, the project was halted when it was approximately 85% finished after Consumers Power discontinued construction in 1984. This decision followed structural complications, such as foundation subsidence caused by inadequate soil compaction, alongside regulatory reforms triggered by the 1979 Three Mile Island incident. Additionally, environmental protests contributed to the postponements. By that point, investments had reached $4.3 billion over a span of 17 years. To manage this asset amid financial strain, Consumers Power established a holding entity named CMS Energy (later rebranded as Consumers Energy).
Efforts by Consumers Power to finalize the nuclear facility faced opposition from the Michigan Public Service Commission and Attorney General Frank J. Kelley, who resisted passing escalating expenses onto consumers.
In 1986, the conversion process commenced to transform the installation into a natural gas cogeneration plant at an expenditure of $500 million—almost twice the originally projected cost. The plant began electricity generation in 1990, supplying 1,560 MW of power to Consumers and providing Dow Chemical with approximately 1.35 million pounds per hour of industrial steam. This output accounted for about 10% of power consumption in Michigan’s lower peninsula. Subsequently, capacity was enhanced to reach 1,633 MW and steam production increased to 1.5 million pounds per hour.
In July 2002, an unused reactor vessel head from Unit 2 was transported to the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station in Ohio for use as a replacement part.
Until 2006, Consumers maintained a 49% ownership share in MCV, while eight other entities collectively held the remaining interest. Borealis Infrastructure purchased MCV in December 2012, followed by Global Strategic Investment Alliance (GSIA) acquiring a 33% share in 2013. Borealis Infrastructure was renamed OMERS Infrastructure Management Inc in 2017. Since August 2013, under President and CEO Peter Milojevic’s leadership, MCV has pursued plans to augment its capacity by roughly 800 MW to compensate for permanent closures of other Michigan power stations, aiming for a total capacity near 2,400 MW.