Santee Cooper Proposed Coal-Fired Power Plant

Introduction

This Web site offers information on the air permit application submitted by Santee Cooper to build and operate a new coal-fired power plant on the Great Pee Dee River. The plant would generate up to 1,320 megawatts of electricity. It would be located on a 2,709-acre tract of land 25 miles southeast of Florence, near Kingsburg and Pamplico, in Florence County. To view a map of the proposed location, click here.

The DHEC Bureau of Air Quality invites you to submit comments; attend any scheduled forum, meeting, or hearing; and ask questions of DHEC staff regarding this proposed project. Feel free to share the information found on this Web site with other interested parties. The site will be updated regularly to report new developments related to the Santee Cooper proposal.

Proposed Santee Cooper Project

Santee Cooper has submitted a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) air quality permit application. If approved, the application would allow the company to build a new power plant consisting of two coal-fired boilers. Each boiler would have a maximum rated input capacity of 5,700 million British Thermal Units (BTU) per hour. As proposed, the boilers would be capable of burning a blend of coal and petroleum coke (petcoke), in addition to fuel oil or natural gas, during the startup process. Each boiler would provide steam to a generator to produce a nominal 660 megawatts of electricity.

In addition to the boilers, Santee Cooper has asked permission to install two emergency generators (1500 kilowatts each); a 425 horsepower fire pump; equipment to handle coal, limestone, gypsum, fly ash and bottom ash; and several storage tanks.

Santee Cooper has also proposed a plan to install air pollution control devices. The devices would reduce particulate matter (PM); sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions; and mercury and sulfuric acid emissions. These pollution control processes would be subject to both state and federal air quality regulations and standards.

New! 112(g) Application

Santee Cooper has submitted a Case-by-Case Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT), also called “112(g)”, application. On February 08, 2008, the United States Court of Appeals vacated (i.e., eliminated) the federal Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR) for power plants. The CAMR included a mercury cap and trade program. Until a new mercury regulation is issued by the EPA, each new power plant will have to propose emission limits to control hazardous air pollutants, including mercury. DHEC is required to review the proposed limits and application and make a MACT determination.

All documents are in pdf format.

PSD Permit (Draft) 

All documents are in pdf format.

Comment period for the PSD has ended as of Jan. 22, 2008. If you have questions, please contact one of the individuals listed below.

Sign up for updates

Mr. Joe Eller
Engineering Services Division, Bureau of Air Quality

DHEC
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201.

or:

Ms. Elizabeth J. Basil, Director
Engineering Services Division, Bureau of Air Quality

DHEC
2600 Bull Street
Columbia, SC 29201.

Additional Information on the proposed Santee Cooper Pee Dee Generating Station may be found at Santee Cooper.

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If you need help navigating this Web site, please contact Ms. Karen Lee at (803) 898-4055 or by e-mail at: leeka@dhec.sc.gov.