Ribbon-cutting ceremony at Lansing Generating Station celebrates completion of project, cleaner air
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday, August 18 at the Alliant Energy Lansing Generating Station celebrating completion of an air quality improvement project at the Lansing facility that includes a scrubber unit (a portion of which can be scene in the photo background above) that will reportedly reduce sulfur dioxide emissions from the facility by approximately 90 percent. Construction of the project at the Lansing facility began about a year ago, and the project is estimated to have cost $55 million. Photo by B.J. Tomlinson.
A year-long construction effort of an air quality improvement project at Alliant Energy's Lansing Generating Station has now come to completion and is expected to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions at the facility by approximately 90 percent. Alliant Energy held a ribbon-cutting event at the Lansing plant Tuesday, August 18 to mark the end of construction and official start-up of a scrubber system that was added to Lansing Unit 4, with current and former Alliant energy employees, project contractors, labor leaders and community officials in attendance.
The scrubber system involves a post-combustion process that injects lime or lime slurry into the stream of gases leaving the generating facility boiler to remove sulfur dioxide and capture it in a solid or liquid waste by-product. A scrubber typically removes more than 90% of the sulfur dioxide emissions, according to company and project officials.
“Completion of this air quality improvement project furthers our company’s efforts to provide reliable, efficient and responsible energy for our customers,” said Doug Kopp, President of Alliant Energy’s Iowa utility. “We are working to ensure that Iowa has the energy it needs to grow while minimizing our impact on the environment. The strong partnership we had with labor, our contractors and the community was impressive and made this a quality and environmentally responsible project.”
The estimated final project cost is approximately $55 million, and the project employed an average of 50 workers during installation. The scrubber system project is the second major air quality improvement project added to the Lansing Generating Station. In 2010, the company installed environmental technology at the facility to reduce emissions of mercury, filterable particulate matter and nitrogen oxide.
Prior to the ceremony, Lansing Plant Manager Matt Cole, Alliant Energy President Douglas Kopp and Lansing Mayor Mike Brennan all addressed the crowd of approximately 50 attendees. Cole reported that the project was completed on schedule and under budget and that the new scrubber reduces sulfur dioxide emissions by 90%. Kopp expressed thanks to the many individuals who contributed to the successful completion of the project, particularly the 51 local plant employees.
In turn, Mayor Brennan expressed his appreciation to Alliant Energy for its contributions to the City of Lansing in such ways as boosting the local economy, donating to Lansing's ball diamond and helping the fire department purchase EMT equipment. Brennan said these projects could not have been completed without Alliant's assistance, and that the people of Lansing especially appreciate Alliant's commitment to a clean environment and the beauty of the area.
