Humboldt Bay Generating Station
Construction has begun on the HBGS, which will consist of 10 Wärtsilä model 18V50DF reciprocating engines, with 163 MW total output. This would provide power to approximately 120,000 homes. The 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.
The image places a model of the plant over a 2006 aerial photo of the site. The HBGS is in the foreground (blue colored structures), with the fossil (yellow) and nuclear (magenta) units in the background.
Related Information
