|
Craig Station
Craig Station is Colorado's largest coal-fired generating station. Operated by Tri-State, approximately 300 people work at the 1,274-megawatt plant. Craig Station Units 1 and 2 make up the Yampa Project, owned by Tri-State and four other regional utilities. Tri-State is the sole owner of Unit 3.
In 2002, the association embarked on its largest environmental project upgrade in its 50-year history at Craig Station. It marked the beginning of a $121 million, multi-year retrofit to Units 1 and 2 to address opacity concerns and the mitigation of particulate matter. The upgrades were prompted by a settlement agreement reached between the Sierra Club and the five owner utilities of the Yampa Project.
Plant Statistics
Plant operator |
Tri-State G&T |
Plant construction |
1974 to 1984; construction was completed on Unit 2 in 1979,
Unit 1 in 1980 and Unit 3 in 1984 |
Total project cost |
$1.2 billion |
Total capacity |
1,274 megawatts (net);
Tri-State share - 623.4 megawatts (24 percent of Units 1 and 2; 100 percent of Unit 3) |
Coal source |
Trapper, Colowyo and other mines in the region |
Plant site size |
1,120 acres |
Stack height |
600 feet (each) |
Water source |
Yampa River; supplemental allocations from Elkhead Creek Reservoir (Units 1 and 2) and Yamcolo Reservoir (Unit 3) |
Environmental
controls |
A wet limestone scrubber system removes 90 percent of the sulfur dioxide produced for Units 1 and 2, while a dry lime system is used for Unit 3; fabric-filter baghouse collects 99 percent of fly ash; state-of-the-art low-NOx burners reduce the formation of nitrogen dioxide; a continuous 24-hour emissions-monitoring system assures that flue gas emissions comply with federal and state laws |
Coal Supply
Craig Station receives its coal supply primarily from two sources: Trapper Mine, located one mile south of the plant and Colowyo Mine sited about 30 miles southwest of the station.
Trapper Mine, which is owned by Tri-State and certain members of the Yampa Project, delivers coal to the plant via 100-ton haul trucks from the mine site. Colowyo Mine delivers coal to Craig Station daily by train.
The station also augments these two sources of coal with spot coal purchases from other mines in northwestern Colorado.
Trapper Mine Statistics
Ownership |
Trapper Mining, Inc. |
Mine site size |
12 square miles |
Annual yield |
1.5 million tons |
Daily production |
7,000 to 10,000 tons |
Estimated life span |
Through at least 2014 |
Colowyo Mine Statistics
Ownership |
Rio Tinto Energy America |
Mine site size |
7,500 acres |
Annual yield |
2.3 million tons |
Daily production |
10,500 tons |
Estimated life span |
2017 |
|
