Wyoming Plant Shuts Down after Scrubber Is Damaged

The 365-MW Powder River Basin coal–fired Wyodak Power Plant near Gillette, Wyo., shut down last Friday after one of its 140-foot-tall scrubber vessels sustained significant structural damage.

The Gillette News-Record quoted PacifiCorp spokesman Jeff Hymas as saying, “A section of one of the scrubber vessels failed and sustained structural damage near the middle of the vessel.” He noted that corrosion was a possible cause and that the company is also inspecting the plant’s other two scrubber vessels “as a precautionary measure.”

Hymas told the newspaper that all three scrubbers were installed in 1986 and that PacifiCorp had planned to inspect all three scrubbers as part of a maintenance overhaul in 2011.

On Monday, Hyman confirmed that the two remaining scrubbers would suffice temporarily when the plant is brought back online, though he would not comment on when that might be.

Sources: POWERnews, Gillette, Wyo., News-Record