POWER October 2011 - 44

TOP PLANTS
Plum Point Energy Station
Mississippi County, Arkansas
Owners: Plum Point Energy Associates, Missouri Joint Municipal
Electric Utility Commission, Empire District Electric Co., East Texas
Electric Cooperative, and Municipal Energy Agency of Mississippi
Operator: NAES Corp.
The new 665-MW Plum Point Energy Station is energizing the Arkansas Delta,
an area that is ready to supplement its farming heritage by promoting new jobs
that offer residents a higher standard of living. But first, the plant's construction
team had to overcome a number of significant challenges related to building a
facility in the New Madrid fault zone.
By Angela Neville, JD
Courtesy: Black & Veatch
M
ississippi County, Ark., has long
been known for agriculture and
the hard-scrabble lives of many of
its residents. The county is part of the First
Congressional District in Arkansas, which
has been ranked as the poorest congressional
district in the U.S.
On May 31, 2006, at the groundbreaking
ceremony for the Plum Point Energy
Station, then U.S. Congressman Marion
Berry commented on the impact the new
plant located in Osceola would have on the
community: " I would submit to you today
that the Delta is moving forward like it
hasn't since cotton seed was first unloaded
here, " he said. " It's like we just discovered
the Mississippi River and all the wonderful
things it brings and businesses just discovered
it, too. "
44
One of the key accomplishments of the
Plum Point Energy Station, which began
commercial operation in August 2010, is
that it is helping to transform this delta
blues region into the center of the new
delta " boom. " The power plant has already
brought additional jobs to the region and is
now providing reliable electricity to support
a growing number of new businesses.
Roger Lenertz, director of major projects
in Black & Veatch's global energy
business, told POWER in August how
construction of the Plum Point Energy
Station has affected the region. " The economic
impact of an investment exceeding
$1 billion reaches and benefits a very large
population, " he said. " The project has had
a very marked and positive impact on the
local community. "
www.powermag.com
The mayor of Osceola was a key driver
in developing the project and helped shepherd
the local business community's interactions
with the project's management.
Big Construction Challenge:
Fault Line
A number of significant construction obstacles
made building the plant a challenge,
according to Lenertz. Most were
related to geological and civil engineering
aspects of the location. " The New Madrid
fault line lies directly below the plant, " he
said. " The design seismic acceleration factors
are greater than any in California. "
The site is adjacent to the Mississippi
River in an area with about 900 feet (deep)
of silty, clayey soil (muck). The water table
is less than 10 feet below the surface.
POWER | October 2011
http://www.powermag.com
POWER October 2011

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