Client:
Lansing Board of Water & Light

Location:
Lansing, Michigan

Prime Consultant:
​The Christman Company

Sub Consultant:
NTH Consultants, Ltd.

Client Name/Contact:
Mark Matus, Manager,  Environmental Services

Project Start:
2010

Project Completion:
2013

NTH’s Value Added:
NTH was retained by BWL to prepare the air permit and negotiate final conditions; we were later retained by BWL’s Prime Contractor to perform materials testing and special inspections.

REO Town Cogeneration Plant

Environmental & Geotechnical Consulting Services

Project Overview
The Lansing Board of Water and Light (BWL) undertook an award-winning project located in Downtown Lansing that included development of a new power plant and administrative offices.  The Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant comprised of two natural gas-fired combustion turbines equipped with heat recovery steam generators, condensing steam turbines with associated cooling tower. The plant is located in the historical REO Town and was considered to be adjacent to the existing Eckert and Moores Park Station in Lansing, Michigan.  The facility consists of a 6-story, 115,000 ft2 office/plant building with cooling tower located on the roof.

The CHP plant operates on natural gas exclusively and replaced four coal-fired stroker boilers used for steam production supplied to city and industrial customers previously from Moores Park.

Project Scope
NTH first developed an air use permit application for the installation of the CHP Plant and the decommissioning of the Moores Park boilers. The existing Eckert and Moores Park Station is a major source for criteria pollutants.
​
Therefore, the project was subject to review under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) New Source Review (NSR) regulations. NTH demonstrated through a netting analysis that the project would not result in a “net increase” of pollutants, and was not subject to further complicated PSD requirements. To complete the permit application, NTH conducted a dispersion modeling 

analysis for expected pollutants for comparison to the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), PSD Class II increments, and toxic air containment screening levels per Michigan Air Toxics Rule. NTH actively participated in all interactions with the MDEQ to ensure timely issuance of a permit allowing for maximum operating flexibility.

During construction, NTH was selected by BWL’s prime contractor to perform certain construction observation, special inspection and materials testing.  These included utility installation, foundation construction, concrete pouring, structural steel placement, and masonry and asphalt paving.  We also inspected for floor flatness, and tested calcium chloride moisture.

The BWL CHP Plant received an air permit in December 2010. NTH provided BWL support in completing two minor modifications to the approved permit, issued in August 2011 and March 2013, as well as providing appropriate forms in support of the facility Acid Rain and CSAPR Permits. The facility commenced operation July of 2013.

After startup, NTH performed an extensive performance testing program for the new equipment and evaluated results against air permit limits.