LOOK INSIDE FOR MORE FACILITY AND COMMUNITY UPDATES
Fourth Quarter 2014
PROGRESS REPORT
SOUTHERN COMPANY SIGNS MOU WITH LARGEST POWER
GENERATION COMPANY IN CHINA
Southern Company has signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s
largest power generation company, making it the third such agreement signed
this year.
United Kingdom and the United Nations.
The MOU with the China Huaneng Group highlights continued international
interest in 21st century coal technologies being deployed at the Kemper
County energy facility.
As the largest power generation company in China, the China Huaneng Group
has more than 140,000 megawatts of installed capacity. Energy demands in
China, India and other parts of Asia continue to grow. Companies in these
regions can benefit from the use of low-rank coal, such as the lignite that will
be used at Kemper. Low-rank coal constitutes half of the world’s coal reserves.
“This memorandum of understanding is another sign that this technology
could be applicable around the world,” Mississippi Power CEO Ed Holland
said. “Coal will continue to be a major factor in energy production worldwide
for decades, and there is a tremendous amount of interest in producing cleaner
energy.”
“The ability to efficiently generate power from low-rank coal is particularly
attractive in places like China, where natural gas prices are much higher than
in the U.S.,” said Southern Company CEO Tom Fanning. “This agreement
with Huaneng reflects our company’s belief that the technology being deployed
at Kemper could help meet the world’s energy needs.”
In fact, over the last year, a growing number of international energy leaders and
government officials have toured the Kemper facility. Those visitors include
representatives from dozens of nations, including China, Japan, Norway, the
Earlier this year, the company signed similar agreements with the Shenhua
Group and The Clean Energy Research Center, an affiliate of Huaneng.
NEW
KEMPER V.P.
MORE PLANT
PHOTOS
INSIDE.
At the top of the gasifier, six baghouses collect dust and reduce particulate emissions.
Piping at the top of the tripper floor, where lignite enters the gasifier.
KEMPER COUNTY COMMUNITY
KEMPER STEAM BLOWS SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED
One of the key activities for the
Kemper County energy facility’s
startup process
has been
completed in less than half the
time originally expected, with
no major issues detected and,
more importantly, no accidents
or injuries.
On Nov. 21, Kemper team
members began a procedure
estimated to last up to 31 days
performing 48 “steam blows,”
the process of blowing steam
through pipes to ensure they are
clean, tight and leak free.
“The steam blows were completed after just 12 days,” Joe
Miller, Kemper project director
said. “The reduced time can
be attributed to exceptional
planning, outstanding team
work, the craftsmanship of
the individuals installing the
temporary piping, the repeated review of the steam blow procedures,
outstanding comm-unication and, more importantly, our insistence that no
shortcuts be taken.”
With the goal of safety and efficiency, Kemper startup team leaders actually
delayed beginning the steam blows due to considerably colder weather in
mid-November – time that
was easily made up as the
effective steam blow process
unfolded.
The operation began on the
gasifier island as steam progressively cleaned piping, and
then the process culminated
with “target” steam blows.
“In target steam blows, polished
steel targets are inserted into
the steam flow for a 20-minute
period,” Miller added. “Then
the target is removed and
assessed to determine if any
material impacted the target.
A new target is inserted each
time until three successive
clean targets are obtained.
This process is an industry
standard that ensures our high
cleanliness specifications are
reached.”
“We are also very pleased no injuries occurred, which is significant when
you consider the amount of hot steam being channeled through 48 different
paths,” said John Huggins, Mississippi Power’s vice president for Generation
Development. “We are proud of the tremendous effort by the entire Kemper
team to accomplish this important milestone.”
KEMPER’S OPERATIONS UNIT REACHES SAFETY MILESTONE
What does it take to get hundreds of people to work together for four years
on one of the busiest, most high profile construction zones in the nation
without a single recordable accident?
Since construction began in 2010, the plant’s cumulative recordable injury
rate is just 0.51 which is “dramatically below” that expected of a project of
this size and scope, Sumner said.
Considering safety as more than a practice, but a fundamental core value,
said Sam Sumner, Kemper County energy facility plant manager.
“There are a lot of firsts here, so as we continue to execute commissioning
and startup, new activities are being performed almost daily,” he said.
The plant’s Operations unit recently celebrated four years without an
accident.
“We’re telling our folks that if you have a concern or lack of understanding
about any task you’re performing or observing, stop the job and get the right
people involved to ensure we continue to work safely. Safety is a fundamental
core value of ours, and we encourage our employees to speak up if they see
something unsafe or know of a way to make something safer,” he added.
“Employees here are not only poised to operate this ‘first of its kind’ power
plant in the world, but they’re also setting outstanding safety standards that
are resonating with each other and throughout our industry,” Sumner said.
The lignite dome as seen from the top of the gasifier.
Operations employees in the control room.
KEMPER PROGRESS REPORT
SPOTLIGHT
CHIP TROXCLAIR NAMED VICE PRESIDENT OF KEMPER DEVELOPMENT
Mississippi Power recently named Emile “Chip”
Troxclair vice president of Kemper development,
responsible for leading the Kemper County energy
facility project through the final stages of construction
and startup and into ongoing commercial operation.
Combined Cycle power plant. In this role, he was
responsible for all operational aspects of the design,
commissioning, startup and commercial operation of
the plant, and was later promoted to the position of
vice president of gasification.
Troxclair brings more than 34 years of industry
experience, primarily in gasification and power
generation, to Mississippi Power. He has held numerous
leadership positions throughout his career, including
serving as vice president for the gasification technology
business for CB&I. Prior to CB&I, Troxclair held
similar leadership roles with responsibility for licensing,
engineering and operations for gasification technology,
which is used to convert coal or petroleum coke into
a hydrogen rich, synthesis gas for power generation,
substitute natural gas production and chemicals
production.
“As we move closer to full operation at Kemper, Chip’s
vast experience in gasification technology development
and deployment, as well as his leadership in startup,
operational readiness and plant operations will be
instrumental to our ongoing success,” said Mississippi
Power CEO Ed Holland. “As a proven leader in
managing teams and gasification projects, he
understands the complexities associated with IGCC
startup and first-of-a-kind projects. Chip will bring
that experience to Mississippi Power and lead the team
responsible for bringing Kemper online to provide
clean, safe and reliable energy to our customers for
Troxclair was also involved in the design, startup and operations of Dow
Chemical’s first commercial coal gasification facility, and later served as
plant manager for Destec Energy’s Wabash River Integrated Gasification
decades to come.”
Troxclair holds a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Louisiana State
University. He is a native of White Castle, La.
MEET KEMPER PROJECT DIRECTOR JOE MILLER
Joe Miller was recently named the project director of Kemper startup. In this role, Miller
will oversee startup operations at the plant.
“My role is to have a big-picture view of the project and deal with commissioning of
the project’s components,” Miller said. “I also help coordinate construction and startup
activities and oversee budget and staffing.”
Miller began his career with Southern Company in 2002 at Southern Power. He joined the
Kemper County team in 2011. Prior to joining Southern Company, he worked as a quality
leader at General Electric, focusing on process improvement.
Originally from New York, Miller says he actually feels right at home in the South.
“I’m from rural western New York so this part of Mississippi really reminds me of my
home,” Miller said.
Miller believes the Kemper facility will be recognized for its innovative technology and is a
path forward for the continued use of coal in electricity generation. If he wasn’t working in
generation development, he knows exactly what he’d be doing.
“Umpiring baseball, absolutely,” Miller said. “After my kids go to college, I will start to
officiate baseball again. I’ve done umpiring from Division 1 college all the way down
to Little League.”
Workers near the interior of the plant in the gas cleanup area.
Piping inside the gasifier. There are more than 900,000 linear feet of aboveground piping at the facility.
KEMPER PROGRESS REPORT
Fourth QUARTER 2014
PLANT VOLUNTEERS DONATE COATS, ADOPT ANGELS
Since officially starting up this summer, the Plant
Ratcliffe chapter of Community Connection has
already undertaken several projects to introduce
themselves to their Kemper neighbors.
Ahead of temperatures dropping into the low 20s in
November, the chapter collected and donated nearly
300 coats to the Kemper County School District.
“We heard from Superintendent Jackie Pollock about
children in the district needing coats this winter,” Tripp
Ward, chapter president, said. “This was a great project
for us to take on that will have an immediate impact in
the community.”
About 75 gently worn jackets were collected on-site and
the chapter bought 100 new jackets. G&K Services,
which provides fire retardant clothing to employees,
donated another 100 coats.
“When they found out about the coat drive, the team
at G&K Services stepped in and asked how they
could help,” Ward said. “It’s great that our vendors at
the plant want to make a positive impact in Kemper
County too.”
When the coats were delivered to the Kemper
County School District Office, Pollock said this was
the first time a private business had organized a coat
drive for students in the county.
“This is the first time that we’ve had this type of partnership in Kemper County and we’re excited about it,”
Pollock said. “This means a lot to us and we’re thrilled
Mississippi Power employees deliver coats to the Kemper County School District.
about the support we’re receiving from Community
Connection.”
The coats were distributed to students at West
Kemper Elementary, East Kemper Elementary and
Kemper County High School.
In December, plant employees took part in the
Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Adoption Program.
Mississippi Power employees have participated in
the program, designed to assist local youth and their
families, for several years.
In 2014, plant employees adopted 30 angels in
Kemper County and delivered clothes, bicycles,
toys and other gifts to their angels.
Fourth Quarter 2014
PROGRESS REPORT
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