Kemper County energy facility passes first test, generated electricity using clean syngas
Southern Company subsidiary Mississippi Power announced on Wednesday that its Kemper County, Miss. energy facility has successfully generated electricity using a combination of clean syngas and natural gas produced at a Mississippi Lignite facility.
“After decades of research and years of hard work at the site, we are thrilled that the Kemper County energy facility, the world’s most advanced coal plant, has generated electricity using syngas,” Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Thomas A. Fanning said. “The technology at the heart of the first-of-its-kind facility provides a way forward for energy companies in the U.S. and around the world to cleanly generate electricity using an affordable and abundant resource.”
To generate electricity using syngas, the integrated operation of the plant’s gas cleanup system and associated gasifier is required. The clean syngas is then transferred to one of the plant’s combustion turbine electric generators. Electricity will continue to be generated using syngas, natural gas or a combination of both, as testing progresses and commercial operation is approached.
“Today’s accomplishment is a testament to the hard work of the Kemper team, and I am so proud of the results they continue to deliver,” Mississippi Power Chairman, President and CEO Anthony L. Wilson said. “The generation of electricity using syngas is just the latest example of our company’s commitment to deliver on our promise that Kemper will provide Mississippi Power customers with safe, reliable energy for decades to come. Achieving this latest milestone means that we are implementing innovative 21st-century technology right here in Mississippi.”
Utilizing the second gasifier to operate both combustion turbines using all syngas is the next step. Syngas combustion in isolated turbines will then be followed by complete integration into the systems, eventually leading to full commercial operation.
Mississippi Power predicts the remainder of the project to be completed by Nov. 30.
