HEA Holds Groundbreaking Ceremony

4/29/2011

Thursday, HEA held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Nikiski Combined Cycle Conversion Project. The event took place at the HEA generation plant adjacent to the former Agrium facility on the Kenai Spur Highway in Nikiski.

The project is the cornerstone of Independent Light, HEA’s plan for producing its own power when the existing power supply contract with Chugach Electric expires at the end of 2013.

HEA General Manager Brad Janorschke says that the primary component of the Nikiski Combined Cycle Conversion Project is a steam turbine.

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Upon completion of the project, the capacity of the Nikiski Generation Plant will nearly double, from 40 megawatts to as much as 77 megawatts. Because steam is being used as an energy source, the plant will see a 45 percent increase from its original output without using any additional natural gas.