Electricity from Clean Texas Natural Gas™
ORIGIN OF THE PROJECT
Registered Professional Engineer John Gordon had observed the changes to the generation mix on the ERCOT grid and also watched the increasing problems that utilities were facing in siting and building power plants. He had also observed that a new 138-KV electrical substation had been built in an undeveloped area between Hutto and Taylor Texas. Based on his knowledge of generating technology, its economics, and the geography of the area, John became convinced that building an electrical generating plant in Williamson County would be a sound financial venture.
In the fall of 2012 a group of individuals who now numbering seventeen formed a Texas Corporation to specifically build a power plant in the area between Hutto and Taylor, Williamson County, Texas. The corporation was named Frame Switch Energy, Inc for the area of Frame Switch which lies along US Hwy 79 and the Union Pacific Railroad.
Factors on the need for a power plant
ERCOT has had several close calls in maintaining the stability of the grid within the last few years. The most significant factor affecting the security of the electric grid in Texas is the rise in the amount of Wind Generation installed on the grid.
FACTOR #1 – As installed Wind Generation capacity continues to grow beyond 10,000 MW, more fast response capacity must be added to protect against system grid collapse.
FACTOR #2 – Since Wind Generation continues to produce high output during periods of low demand, the revenue for high-capital-cost, base-load power plants is severely affected.
FACTOR #3 – Increasing customer peak loads, erratic production from Wind Generators, and aging power plants require new “peaking” capacity to be built.
Factors supporting the location at Frame Switch
Williamson County has grown from a population of 80,000 in 1980 to 150,000 in 1990, to 250,000 in 2000, to 425,000 in 2010. Its population is now approaching 515,000. During that period of population growth, electricity consumption has grown at an equal or greater rate. Williamson County is the most populated county in the State of Texas without a single significant electrical generating facility. Its peak load is approaching 1,500 MW.
FACTOR #4 – A power plant built in Williamson County would be located adjacent to a large customer load base and therefore would not be subject to problems of transmission line congestion.
FACTOR #5 – A power plant built in the vicinity of Frame Switch, Williamson County, would be “electrically” close to large transmission lines which could easily transport the output of the power plant to other customers on the ERCOT grid in areas such as Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, or Houston.
Land acquisition
The FSE Board purchased 11.2 acres of open farm land adjacent to the West Taylor 138-KV substation owned by ONCOR. Since the plant is adjacent, no transmission line will be needed to connect the output of the plant to the substation.
Physical characteristics of the power plant
The management of Frame Switch Energy determined that the facility should have a total capacity in the range of 300 MWe to avoid the need for ONCOR to have to build additional transmission lines. Their current transmission lines with dual-circuits and bundled conductors could handle up to 500 MWe in each direction.
MAXIMUM PLANT CAPACITY ~ 300 MWe (Built in three phases of near equal capacity)
INITIAL PHASE CAPACITY ~ 90 MWe
FUEL – Texas Natural Gas
MODE OF OPERATION – “Peaking” unit with full output less than 10 minutes – Operating 1000 hrs to 1300 hrs per year
TECHNOLOGY – Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engine (RICE) fired by Natural Gas
Supplier of the technology
The management of Frame Switch Energy reviewed contract proposals from multiple suppliers on multiple sized RICE units. Based on the proposals, Wärtsilä was selected to supply five (5) 18V50SG engine-generators. The operational characteristics of the 18V50SG unit are:
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Eighteen piston, 4 cycle, 50 cm diameter piston, spark-fired, natural gas fueled
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Unit nominal output of 18.3 MWe net at 104 degrees Fahrenheit
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91.5 MWe at 104 F plant output
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Net heat rate of 8,400 BTU/KWH at 104 degrees Fahrenheit
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Standby to full power in automatic start mode in 5 minutes.
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Number of starts, essentially unlimited
SUPPLIER - Wärtsilä
Environmental permitting
WATER PERMIT – Not Needed, No Water Usage
CHEMICALS – Non-Toxic Chemicals Used in the Environmental Controls
TCEQ AIR PERMIT – Standard Permit Issued 1/13/2014
HOURS OR OPERATION AUTHORIZED ANNUALLY – 1,300
EPA FILING – Not Required
Interconnection to the electric grid
The 90 MW of electrical power coming from the Frame Switch power plant would be but a small component of the overall power in the area. In reality much of the power of the Frame Switch Energy power plant would be “consumed” by the customer loads around the Taylor, West Taylor, and Hutto 138-KV substations.
ADDITIONAL TRANSMISSION LINES NEEDED - None
Supply of natural gas
The Frame Switch Energy plant site is located 2.1 miles (12,000 feet) from Atmos Energy’s “P” gas transmission line. Fortunately for Frame Switch Energy, three major pipeline transporters – Energy Transfer, Kinder Morgan, and Enterprise - connect with the Atmos Energy’s “P” line in southeast Austin and all three additional pipeline companies have offered to supply natural gas to Frame Switch Energy.