took a team to work together to figure that out with some bumps and bruises along the way.” A number of technical concerns also arose from the operations side of things, including understanding how to deal with a new type of ash. To address these issues, several tweaks were made to the plant’s systems, including its ash system. Ash was initially removed by a flapper valve, but OPG found the component had a short lifespan and tended to plug up. It has since been replaced by a more efficient rotary valve. “We had to learn how to run new equipment for the first time in almost 30 years of operation,” Bailey says. “We had to retrain our staff on how to be resilient and how to identify problems.” Atikokan is still a suspension-fired boiler system that fires a burning fuel to create steam, but it’s a different fuel with different fuel-to-air ratios and which burns at different radiance, he adds. He expects there will be other upgrades or sub-system replacements to be addressed within the next 10 to 15 years, including the generator itself, but those are standard for the industry. A CARBON NEGATIVE FUTURE? Although the plant officially supports the communities of Northwestern Ontario, it is a part of the province’s overall power grid. Bailey compares the grid to a large bucket being filled by water from several faucets. “We’re (Atikokan) dumping water into that bucket,” he explains. You can imagine thousands of small holes in the bottom of the bucket as the users of the power grid, he adds. But, “who’s to say that the water from one tap comes out of a certain hole at the bottom?” Bailey says Northwestern Ontario is practically a grid of its own because of the distances involved and the small number of tie lines, adding that there is essentially one large 230-kilovolt tie line between Northwestern Ontario and the rest of the province. “The benefit of this station is fairly regional when it comes to providing the power. It’s essentially here to support the communities of Northwestern Ontario, but at any given time those megawatts may be headed east and south from here,” he explains. But, currently, securing a future for the Atikokan plant is a priority, Bailey says. OPG is in the midst of a power purchase agreement that began in 2014 and continues to July 2024. “In order to operate beyond that, we at OPG need to partner and get an agreement with the IESO (Independent Electricity System Operator) to have an operating agreement beyond 2024,” he explains, adding he’s optimistic this will happen. OPG is also excited about the future of the Atikokan plant and the role it could play in regards to environmental change. The company hopes to make the plant net zero within the next couple of decades, Bailey says. “I think Atikokan generating station is in a very unique and positive position,” he explains. “It’s the only asset we have in our generation portfolio that could become a negative emitter of carbon because our fuel today is neutral. If we were to incorporate any type of carbon capture or carbon sequestration technologies, this site has the potential to become a carbon negative site. I think that is incredibly exciting.” • EXCLUSIVE | Cardinal is the only authorized distributor for Eastern Canada of BM&M Screening g Solutions Ltd products. From single units to complete turnkey systems, CSE Bliss Manufacturing specializes in an industry leading line of hammer mills, rotary feeders, pellet coolers, parts and rebuilds, providing the complete solutions that only the CSE Bliss iss family ca can offer. p S cre en in #1 C hi th A meric a N or Contact us today to f find dt i d out how we can help improve your process efficiency! 580-749-4895 | www.csebliss.com www.cardinalsaw.com [email protected] m Follow us 18 Canadian BIOMASS SPRING 2021
Canadian Biomass Spring 2021: Page 18
