Humboldt Bay Power Plant
PG&E's Humboldt Bay Power Plant (HBPP) is located just south of Eureka near the mouth of Humboldt Bay, in Humboldt County, California. There are three projects planned or underway at HBPP: construction of the Humboldt Bay Generating Station; decommissioning of the nuclear plant; and dismantling of the fossil-fueled plant. Completion of these projects will span a period of several years. PG&E and its contractors pledge to complete them as professionally and as safely as possible.
On June 4, 2009, the Humboldt Bay Power Plant Nuclear and Fossil organizations, represented by Paul Roller (HBPP Director/Plant Manager - Nuclear, left) and Roy Willis (HBPP Plant Manager - Fossil, right), received the Sibley Award, PG&E's highest acknowledgment for safety and health performance.
Prior to construction of the units at the Humboldt Bay Plant site, power to the Eureka area was supplied by a small steam plant fueled by lumber mill and logging waste. It was supplemented by the steam electric plant of the SS Donbass III, a World War II Russian Lend-Lease tanker that had broken in half. The stern of the tanker was tugged down to Eureka, beached, cleaned up, and wired into the Eureka electric system. The General Electric Co. turbine-generator was in excellent shape, and in January 1947, the SS Donbass III powerhouse went on line.
Humboldt Bay Generating Station (HBGS)
Construction has begun on the HBGS that will provide cleaner and more reliable electricity to Humboldt County. The Generating Station will consist of 10 reciprocating engines (model 18V50DF, manufactured by Wärtsilä). With 163 MW total output, HBGS will be able to provide power to approximately 120,000 homes. HBGS will be 33 percent more efficient than the existing HBPP fossil fuel Units 1 and 2 with 83 percent fewer ozone precursors and 33 percent fewer CO2 emissions. It will use a closed-loop cooling system with negligible water usage, eliminating the need to use water from Humboldt Bay for once-through cooling. The Wärtsilä reciprocating engine technology is ideal for providing a reliable backup to intermittent renewable resources such as wind and wave power that are currently being developed in the region. HBGS will normally run on natural gas with ultra-low sulfur diesel as its backup fuel.
As of June 9, 2009, the piles to support the HBGS foundation slabs were in place, and construction of the concrete foundation had begun.
Nuclear Plant Decommissioning
The project to decommission and remove the nuclear plant (Unit 3) will begin during construction of the HBGS and will be completed following the removal of Units 1 and 2.
The Kickoff celebration for the HBPP Decommissioning Project was held on May 1, 2009.
Fossil Fueled Plant Dismantlement
The existing fossil-fueled Humboldt Bay Power Plant Units 1 and 2 are more than 50 years old. After the new HBGS units are in service, Units 1 and 2 will be removed to permit completion of the Unit 3 Nuclear Decommissioning.
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