Plants benefit from remote start capability
Expanding on the successful implementation of remote start technology at the Lakefield Junction Station power plant in southern Minnesota, Great River Energy installed remote start capabilities on units at Cambridge and Pleasant Valley peaking stations in 2011.
Prior to installing remote start capabilities, which allows units to be started from Great River Energy’s system operations center, it took up to two hours to dispatch an operator at nights or on weekends, which resulted in lost opportunities to produce energy when needed.
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Great River Energy’s Cambridge Station can be started from our system operations center within 30 minutes thanks to new remote start capability. |
Units can now be started in 30 minutes, which increases opportunities to dispatch peaking plants. In fact, peaking plants with the new technology generated 21,800 megawatt hours in 2011.
“Previously, we missed opportunities to sell power into the market because we couldn’t get the units running fast enough when operators weren’t at facilities,” said Tye Stuart, combustion turbine supervisor, Great River Energy.
The Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator calls on peaking plants to provide energy when it’s needed to serve load, and to provide stability on the electric system. The decrease in time to start units makes them more valuable for both purposes.
Lakefield Junction has been called on 44 times since the technology was installed in early 2011; the Cambridge and Pleasant Valley units have been called on five times since the technology was installed in September.
