During design and construction of the power plant, Ziegler Cat will work with Fagen Inc. which was selected as the engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) contractor. The new facility will be built on the current power plant site in Huron.
“When complete, it will have a smaller footprint and a larger setback than the current building,” developers pointed out.
The Huron Generation Station is the fourth application of Cat G20CM34 generator sets in the U.S. Along with the gas gensets, Caterpillar will deliver and install selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emissions systems, switchgear, exhaust stacks, and control solutions.
NorthWestern Energy is reshaping is power plant portfolio and nearly 58% of its energy is currently provided by wind and solar power installations. Hence, the new fast-start plant at Huron is vital to provide the utility with efficient backup power at varying load levels to help balance intermittent renewable energy supply.
Load acceptance, multiple fast starts per day
The Cat G20CM34 generator set are based on a turbocharged and aftercooled gas engine that offers ultrafast start times and load acceptance, while allowing for multiple fast starts per day. The engines can deliver high operating efficiency with low emissions, even under partial loads.
Jim Williams Jr., NorthWestern Energy’s director of thermal & wind generation said: “Caterpillar offers equipment with a successful history of quality and performance, and the generator sets will meet the energy needs of our South Dakota customers for decades.”
Based in Montana and South Dakota, NorthWestern Energy’s electricity utility business includes generation, transmission and distribution. Its service area in Montana covers approximately 107,600 square miles or about 73% of the states’ land area. In South Dakota, it operates as a vertically integrated generation transmission and distribution utility, with the exclusive right to serve an area in comprised of 25 counties.