Fired Up at Fort Drum

by Howard Smallowitz, Editor of ASCE's Water Rights; Austin, TX,


Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1989, Vol. 59, Issue 3, Pg. 68-70


Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

The U.S. Army's first major privatization contract was signed for design, construction, operation and ownership of the Fort Drum powerplant at the newly constructed base for the 10th Mountain Division in upstate New York. The plant, designed for circulating fluidized bed technology, burns coal as its primary fuel with No. 2 oil as emergency backup. The Army, with an eye to the local economy, had also specified that 20% of the fuel be wood chips. These are trucked into the plant, while the coal is delivered by train on tracks constructed as part of the project. The plant was sized at 49.9 MW because of possible conflict with state environmental regulations that affect plants over 50 MW. The extremely cold winters in the area affected both design and construction. The electrical, generator, powerhouse and baghouse portions of the plant are under one roof, and the coal conveyor is enclosed from storage yard to plant. The plant is owned by the Black River Limited Partnership, a consortium of construction, energy and venture capital companies.

Subject Headings: Power plants | Non-renewable energy | Coal | Fuels | Construction management | Wood and wood products | Winter

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