The Coal Pile

This month’s photo was submitted by David Carter, power generation supervisor at Springerville Generating Station. Readers of POWER may recall that Springerville Unit 3 — the first pulverized coal – fired unit built in the U.S. in more than a decade — was that magazine’s 2006 Plant of the Year. Located in northeastern Arizona, the 450-MW Unit 3 entered commercial service in late 2006.

Carter notes that the photo "shows Unit 3’s tubular coal-handling facilities under construction. The conveyors’ tube-shaped housing design minimizes surface areas that collect coal dust and also facilitate washdowns of the more volatile PRB coal." Coal for Unit 3 is supplied by Peabody Energy, via Burlington Northern rail lines either from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming or Peabody’s Lee Ranch mine in Arizona.

Do you have an interesting, classic, or humorous photograph of a coal-fired power plant — or of anything or anyone inside it? How about a great photo of your own plant? E-mail it to [email protected]. We’ll print the best of the submissions in future issues of COAL POWER. In return, you’ll earn our gratitude and the satisfaction of knowing that your name will forever be enshrined in the archives of COAL POWER. Looking for something more tangible? How about the spiffy COAL POWER baseball hat? Everyone whose photo we publish will get one. Be the first at your plant to cover your head in style.

Dave, one of the first COAL POWER hats off the assembly line is on its way to you.