Plant Bowen
| Company type | Power station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Headquarters | near Euharlee, Georgia , United States |
Area served | Southeastern United States |
| Products | Electricity generation |
| Owner | Georgia Power |
| Parent | Southern Company |
| Website | www |
Plant Bowen, also referred to as the Bowen Steam Plant, is a coal-powered electricity generation facility situated near Euharlee, Georgia, approximately west-southwest of Cartersville. Boasting a generation capacity surpassing 3,450 megawatts, it stands as one of the largest coal-fired power stations across North America. The plant is both owned and managed by Georgia Power, which operates under the umbrella of Southern Company, and it connects to the southeastern electrical grid through several 500 kV transmission lines.
Description
The station consists of four generating units with individual capacities of 806, 789, 952, and 952 megawatts, commissioned during the period from 1971 to 1975. The site features four cooling towers, each measuring in height and in diameter, handling cooling water flow rates around per minute. Approximately per minute—or equivalently per day—is lost through evaporation, producing the distinctive white vapor plumes associated with the plant.
Two smokestacks at the facility extend to a height of . Exhaust particulates are captured via electrostatic precipitators to control emissions, with continuous monitoring ensuring adherence to air quality regulations. The installation of Jet Bubble Reactor (JBR) technology on all units has recently been completed to comply with federal clean air and ozone standards. Coal is transported from Eastern Kentucky by CSX Transportation’s Atlanta Division using unit trains that often exceed 120 railcars.
Incidents
On April 4, 2013, an explosion occurred during maintenance operations on Unit 2, causing extensive damage but fortunately no severe injuries. Investigations attributed the event to a hydrogen-air mixture formed due to lapses in procedural compliance. Following this event, OSHA issued multiple citations against Georgia Power for safety violations.
A fire broke out in a transformer located in the switchyard on July 13, 2017, generating considerable smoke; however, no injuries were reported.
See also
- List of coal power stations
- List of largest power stations in the world
- List of power stations in the United States
External links
- Georgia Power: Plant Bowen
- Plant Diagram
- Generation and fuel usage data from the Energy Information Administration Electricity Data Browser
- Articles with short description
- Towers in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Coal-fired power stations in Georgia (U.S. state)
- Buildings and structures in Bartow County, Georgia
- Chimneys in the United States
- Georgia Power
- Energy infrastructure completed in 1975
- Towers completed in 1975
- Industrial fires and explosions in the United States