FirstEnergy completes demolition of retired R.E. Burger coal station
FirstEnergy Corp. completed the demolition of its retired coal-fired R.E. Burger Power Station in Shadyside, Ohio, on Friday, including the deconstruction of the 854-foot concrete stack and 171-foot boiler house used to generate electricity.
“Today’s demolition is an important milestone that supports future development of the Burger facility,” James H. Lash, executive vice president and president of FirstEnergy Generation, said. “We are working with state and local officials, JobsOhio and PTTGC America to support use of this property for a proposed cracker plant that will bring a vital manufacturing base to the county and many employment and business development opportunities to the region.”
The demolition required 450 pounds of explosives to drop the concrete stack. For weeks prior, FirstEnergy and a professional explosive demolition team from Tulsa worked together on the strategic placement of charges and the removal of excess structures to angle the building’s fall. The teams also placed a network of large fans and water sprayers to contain the trail of dust and concrete particles to the building site.
The building was demolished at 8:30 a.m., taking approximately 10 seconds to fall. FirstEnergy invited community members to watch the event at a designated area across the Ohio River in Moundsville, West Virginia. The U.S. Coast Guard, Ohio State Highway Patrol and other authorities from the area were deployed to ensure public safety. Local highways were also closed for part of the morning.
FirstEnergy and PTTGC America have entered into negotiations to discuss the use of the land site for the development of an ethane gas cracker plant, while FirstEnergy will spend the rest of the year cleaning up the site. PTTGC is expected to give its final investment decision early next year.
