Mississippi Power’s Kemper Power Plant uses new technology to take advantage of Mississippi’s abundant lignite coal for energy and keep Mississippi a leader in innovation.
Such technology will enable Mississippi to lead the world in meeting the world’s increasing energy demands. The building is one of the tallest in Mississippi — you gotta check it out!
According to MIT: “(Mississippi Power’s) Kemper County IGCC plant is situated in close proximity to an estimated 4 billion tons of mineable Mississippi lignite. Mississippi lignite is a low rank coal with high moisture of high ash content. Southern Energy owns the lignite fields which will supplu Kemper County. These type of coals make up half the proven reserves in the US and worldwide. It is estimated that 160 million tons of coal will be needed for Kemper IGCC to operate for 40 years. Lignite coals also have a very steady cost projection which make them a dependable fuel source for cost projection. The project is also located very close to mature Mississippi oil fields.”
According to Mississippi Power: “Today, Mississippi Power customers are benefiting from nearly 70 percent of their electricity being fueled by natural gas due to current low prices. However, being too dependent on any one source, particularly one with such historical price spikes, leaves customers vulnerable to high bills directly associated with fuel costs.
“Adding lignite as a fuel source to the company’s energy mix will add even greater flexibility and control over future fuel cost because compared to natural gas, lignite is even less expensive. Our customers will reap the benefit the first day the facility begins generating electricity.
“The United States has more coal than any other fuel – more, in fact, than the rest of the world combined has oil. It is the fuel that accounts for about 45 percent of the nation’s electricity generation.
“Coal continues to remain a low cost and less volatile-priced fuel source than others. However, rising transportation costs (rail and shipping) tied to the price of diesel have also increased the cost of using coal. The Kemper County energy facility provides additional stability and savings by tapping Mississippi’s 4-billion-ton reserve of low-cost lignite and using a mine-mouth operation which avoids transportation costs.”
