Comanche Unit 3
Construction on Xcel Energy’s first new coal-fired electric generation unit in approximately 30 years is well under way and on schedule for its fall 2009 in service date. Comanche Station near Pueblo, Colorado, is the site for our 750-megawatt generating unit. The new unit will use a highly efficient supercritical boiler and all units will have state-of-the art emission controls. We will more than double the plant's electricity output while improving overall air quality.
Now, the plant is entering a trial operation phase. One of the initial activities in the trial operation phase is to conduct ''steam blows,'' which means cleaning residual manufacturing and construction debris out of the high-pressure steam lines with blasts of steam. The steam blasts are vented into temporary mufflers located outdoors on the plant site. It's a necessary procedure in the start up of any coal plant, but it can attract attention.
During the venting, people who live near the plant might periodically see or hear activity. Depending on weather conditions, there may be a plume of steam rising from the plant. On occasion, the rush of steam exiting mufflers might be heard. The sound level at our property line is estimated to reach peaks of 90 decibels, or roughly the loudness of a lawnmower.
The steam blows will be conducted periodically, beginning in early July and continuing into the first part of August."
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| Photo simulation of Comanche station, with the proposed Unit 3 at right |
Construction on Unit 3 is coming to completion and commissioning of the unit is well underway. First fire in the boiler for steam blows is scheduled for early July, with steam to the turbine to allow for first synchronization to the grid scheduled for September. The unit is scheduled to be commercial by the end of the year. The new emission upgrades - new burners for nitrogen oxide (NOx) control and scrubbers for sodium dioxide (SO2) control - to Units 1 and 2 have been completed and the equipment has been placed into service and is meeting its new required emission limits.
For more information on Comanche 3, visit the links below:
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| Installing the new rail. |
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| View of the back of the baghouse and Air Quality Control System. |
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| Comanche Unit 3 construction. |
Plant Partners and Contractors
As with any major construction project, Comanche 3 will be built through the expertise and teamwork of Xcel Energy, its partners, and contract specialists such as these.
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Intermountain Rural Electric Association
Intermountain Rural Electric Association (IREA) of Sedalia, Colo., will own about 25 percent of the output, estimated to be about 190 megawatts. |
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Holy Cross Energy
Holy Cross Energy is another project partner. It will own about eight percent of the output, estimated to be about 60 megawatts. |
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Shaw Stone & Webster
The contract for the engineering, procurement, and construction portion of Comanche 3 has been awarded to Shaw Stone & Webster of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Shaw’s contract includes the erection of the steam turbines, and supplying and erecting associated plant systems, including piping, pumps, heat exchangers, and electrical equipment. In addition, Shaw will be involved with the engineering and installation of concrete foundations and other civil and electrical works for the plant. |
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The Babcock & Wilcox Company
The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W) has received a contract for engineering, materials, and start-up commissioning of three dry flue gas desulphurization (FGD) units. B&W will supply the FGD systems, commonly called scrubbers, for each unit, including mercury removal sorbent injection systems, ash recycle systems, flue work, and structural steel, as well as a common pebble-lime unloading and storage system and a common lime-slaking system. B&W also will supply a pulse jet fabric filter and induced draft fans will also be supplied as well as construction services. |
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ALSTOM
Xcel Energy has awarded ALSTOM the contract to design, supply, erect and commission a high-efficiency, supercritical boiler for the company’s planned 750 MW Comanche 3 generating unit. Alstom is a global leader in power generation and rail transport infrastructure. |
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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
We’ve also selected Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to supply the turbine for Comanche 3. MHI is a global provider of products and services for the power and engineering, transportation and security, and other industries. |
Hiring Information
For information about construction jobs building Comanche 3, contact the Colorado Building and Construction Trades Council at 303-936-3301.
Project Timeline
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Xcel Energy announced plans to build Comanche 3 in Least-Cost Resource Plan |
April 30, 2004 |
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Colorado Public Utilities Commission approved Comanche 3 |
January 21, 2005 |
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Xcel Energy requested permission to build new transmission link |
February 16, 2005 |
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Labor Agreement reached |
June 9, 2005 |
| All necessary permits received |
September 30, 2005 |
| Site preparation work begins |
September 2005 |
| Primary contractor selected |
January 2006 |
| Construction begins on unit 3 |
January 2006 |
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Construction begins on unit 1 and 2 emissions controls |
Fall 2006 |
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Units 1& 2 emissions controls installed |
November 2008 |
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Transmission line in service |
May 2009 |
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Unit 3 construction complete and in-service |
Fall 2009 |
Environmental Controls
Comanche Unit 3 will feature state-of-the-art emission controls. We will also install additional emission controls both on the two existing units at the plant. As a result, overall sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions at Comanche Station will be lower than they are today, even when electric generation at the entire facility more than doubles.
For more information about the environmental controls planned for Comanche 3, download the air permit fact sheet (439K PDF) or the environmental settlement fact sheet (44K PDF). For complete information about air emissions performance please see the Comanche Station Air Emissions page.
Low Water Use
A low water use system for Comanche Unit 3 will use both water and air for cooling, which reduces water use by about half. The Pueblo Water Board has determined that adequate water supplies are available for the new unit.
Local Economic and Environmental Benefits
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Project cost |
$1.3 billion |
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Labor costs |
$250 million |
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Costs for additional emissions controls on existing units 1 and 2 |
$127.9 million |
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Construction jobs |
1,000 |
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Additional full-time plant jobs |
40 |
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Total Annual air emissions reductions |
10,000 Tons Sulfur Dioxide
2,5000 Tons Nitrogen Oxide |
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Initial tax payment to the City of Pueblo |
$13 million |
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Annual tax payments to Pueblo during the first ten years of operation |
$10 million |
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Current annual taxes to Pueblo (includes County, City, special districts and schools) |
$4.5 million |
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Donation for school districts for diesel emissions reductions on buses |
$250,000 |
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Donation to Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for mercury reduction efforts at Rocky Mountain Steel |
$100,000 |
Power Use
The new unit at Comanche Station will serve customers in Colorado. That includes Xcel Energy’s residential and business customers as well as our wholesale customers, including: Aquila in Pueblo, Holy Cross Energy in Glenwood Springs, Grand Valley Power in Grand Junction, Yampa Valley Electric in Steamboat Springs, Intermountain REA in Sedalia, and the cities of Julesburg, Burlington and Center.