61-538: The Tracy Thermal Generating Station is a retired 660-megawatt heavy fuel oil -fueled thermal power station built from 1962 by the Shawinigan Water & Power Company and completed by Hydro-Québec after the buyout of all private electric utilities by the government of Quebec in 1963. Commissioned between 1964 and 1968, the plant is located on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River in
122-536: A Canadian National railroad track 6.5 km (4 mi) upstream from downtown Sorel-Tracy. Quebec utilities were faced with rapid demand growth in the decade that followed the end of World War II , as electricity consumption doubled in the Montreal area served by government-owned Hydro-Québec . The company initiated an ambitious construction program, building the Bersimis-1 , Bersimis-2 , Carillon and
183-685: A 2010 economic assessment prepared by the Quebec Department of Sustainable Development, Environment and Wildlife. With the commissioning of new dams in the James Bay area, the Tracy plant ceased operations prior to the 2010–2011 winter to be kept as a reserve. It was officially retired on March 1, 2011. Dismantlement work is scheduled to begin in January 2013 and will last approximately one year. The C$ 19 million (£12 million) contract
244-478: A 270,000-barrel load in August. When operating at full capacity, the plant consumed 20,000 bpd . The plant's units were put back to service in mid-June 2003 in response to a further decline in reservoir levels after two years of improvement. In October, Le Devoir newspaper reported that three strategic reservoirs ( Manic-5 , LG-2 and Caniapiscau ) reached levels described as "alarming" as of May 2003. With
305-401: A given use. As a result of the wide compositional spectrum, HFO is defined by processing, physical and final use characteristics. Being the final remnant of the cracking process, HFO also contains mixtures of the following compounds to various degrees: "paraffins, cycloparaffins, aromatics, olefins, and asphaltenes as well as molecules containing sulfur, oxygen, nitrogen and/or organometals". HFO
366-441: A pressure of 12.75 MPa (1,850 PSI ) after being forced into the superheater . The plant boilers have been designed to be converted to coal in the event that it became a cheaper solution. Spaces for storing and handling coal were set aside in the planning phase. At its rated power, the plant burned 159,000 litres (1,000 barrels) of heavy fuel oil per hour. Ten 200,000-barrel fuel storage tanks are located behind
427-492: A runoff deficit reaching 23 TWh, the Tracy generating station ran for 11 months out of 12 in 2003. The plant had a record year, generating 1.75 TWh, beating its previous best year in 1990. The very cold temperatures recorded in mid-January 2004 increased domestic demand to record levels and added to the supply problems, even as the thermal plant was kept running at full capacity. In four days, Hydro-Québec broke its historical peak demand four times, twice on January 15 while Montreal
488-462: A sequence monitoring system to avoid missteps. Cooling off a unit after use required precautions to prevent buckling of the main shaft. The plant was easily recognizable by its four 137-metre (449 ft) high red-and-white smokestacks . Framed with safety valves , the chimneys were only 82 m (270 ft) tall when the plant opened in the 1960s, but were raised in 1980 in response to environmental considerations. The plant's maximum annual output
549-847: A specialized arm of the United Nations , adopted into force on 1 January 2017 the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters or Polar Code. The requirements of the Polar Code are mandatory under both the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) . The two broad categories covered by
610-585: A subsidiary, Shawinigan Chemicals Limited. Company officials raised the issue in November 1959 with the minister of Hydraulic Resources, Daniel Johnson , whose response was "mostly negative". The Tracy project, and the planned development of a hydroelectric power station on the Upper Saint-Maurice at Rapide des Coeurs, remained dormant for a while as Quebec was a few months away from a provincial election . The new Premier, Jean Lesage , approved
671-439: Is 12 m (40 ft) long and 9 m (30 ft) wide at its base and rises to 55 m (180 ft), the equivalent of a 13-floor building. At the top, a 16 m (50 ft) long steam drum separates water and saturated steam . The boiler is heated by 16 burners, four in each corner, which can be retracted and tilted to control the steam temperature. The steam becomes an ideal gas at 539.4 °C (1,003 °F) and
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#1732790464693732-476: Is characterized by a maximum density of 1010 kg/m at 15°C, and a maximum viscosity of 700 mm /s (cSt) at 50°C according to ISO 8217. Given HFO's elevated sulfur contamination (maximum of 5% by mass), the combustion reaction results in the formation of sulfur dioxide SO 2 . Since the middle of the 20th century, HFO has been used primarily by the shipping industry due to its low cost compared with all other fuel oils, being up to 30% less expensive, as well as
793-568: Is the result or remnant from the distillation and cracking process of petroleum . For this reason, HFO is contaminated with several different compounds including aromatics , sulfur , and nitrogen , making emissions upon combustion more polluting compared to other fuel oils. HFO is predominantly used as a fuel source for marine vessel propulsion using marine diesel engines due to its relatively low cost compared to cleaner fuel sources such as distillates . The use and carriage of HFO on-board vessels presents several environmental concerns, namely
854-571: The Marine Industries shipyard that has operated there since 1937. Other heavy industries, including foundries and steel mills , have set up shop in town. Tracy merged with Sorel to become the city of Sorel-Tracy in 2000. The property is located at 12125 Marie-Victorin Road. The plant has been built on a 50.6-hectare (125 acres) lot, crossed by Quebec Route 132 (Marie-Victorin Road) and
915-464: The commissioning of the second unit, the utility explains its decision to upgrade the plant by "the urgent need to ensure extra capacity now and the advisability of creating an adequate reserve for future operations", adding that the role of the plant would change over its operating life. Cheaper to build than a hydroelectric power station and located closer to the major load centres, the plant could be used as spare capacity to supply peak-hour energy to
976-421: The radiative forcing of black carbon, combinations of ground and satellite observations suggest a global solar absorption of 0.9W·m , making it the second most important climate forcer after CO 2. Black carbon affects the climate system by: decreasing the snow/ice albedo through dark soot deposits and increasing snowmelt timing, reducing the planetary albedo through absorption of solar radiation reflected by
1037-421: The rotor of an alternator to generate electricity. Condensing water is then reused for another cycle. In the process, water is preheated six times, raising its temperature from 27 °C (80 °F) to 238 °C (460 °F), and goes through a deaerator and an economizer before entering the boiler at a temperature of 340.5 °C (645 °F), close to the boiling point under pressure. Each boiler
1098-547: The 2010–2011 winter and permanently shut down on March 1, 2011. Its dismantlement has started in 2013. The power station is located in the former town of Tracy on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River, 75 km (45 mi) north-east of Montreal, Quebec . Established in 1954, the town is separated from Sorel by the Richelieu River and has a long industrial and shipbuilding history, including
1159-599: The Arctic as the greatest threat to the local marine environment. Being the remnant of the distillation and cracking processes, HFO is characterized by an elevated overall toxicity compared to all other fuels. Its viscosity prevents breakdown into the environment, a property exacerbated by the cold temperatures in the Arctic resulting in the formation of tar-lumps, and an increase in volume through emulsification. Its density, tendency to persist and emulsify can result in HFO polluting both
1220-601: The Polar Code include safety and pollution prevention related to navigation in both Arctic and Antarctic polar waters. The carriage and use of HFO in the Arctic is discouraged by the Polar Code while being banned completely from the Antarctic under MARPOL Annex I regulation 43. The ban of HFO use and carriage in the Antarctic precedes the adoption of the Polar Code. At its 60th session (26 March 2010), The Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) adopted Resolution 189(60) which went into effect in 2011 and prohibits fuels of
1281-480: The area. The two main environmental concerns for HFO in the Arctic are the risk of spill or accidental discharge and the emission of black carbon as a result of HFO consumption. Due to its very high viscosity and elevated density, HFO released into the environment is a greater threat to flora and fauna compared to distillate or other residual fuels. In 2009, the Arctic Council identified the spill of oil in
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#17327904646931342-644: The arrival of the Régiment de Carignan-Salières in New France . René Gaultier, sieur de Varennes , was given three concessions by intendant Jean Talon in 1672, le Tremblay, la Gabelle and Varennes. Jaques-René, one of his sons, was the second seigneur of Varennes. Five seignories later composed the Varennes parish. They were the seignories du Cap de Varennes, de l'île Sainte Thérèse, de Grand Maison, du Cap de la trinité and du Cap Saint-Michel . The town
1403-557: The assets of the new subsidiary to remain distinct from those of its new parent company. Thermal power plants play a marginal role in Hydro-Québec's system, which is dominated by hydropower . In 2009, non-nuclear thermal generation accounted for 4.4% of nameplate capacity but only generated 446 GWh, 0.3% of total energy production. More expensive to run and more polluting than hydroelectric power plants, thermal plants are used to generate power during peak conditions, but most of
1464-585: The ban is anticipated for 2021, with widespread implementation by 2023. The Clean Arctic Alliance was the first IMO delegate nonprofit organization to campaign against the use of HFO in Arctic waters. However, the phase-out and ban of HFO in the Arctic was formally proposed to MEPC by eight countries in 2018: Finland, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United States. Although these member states continue to support
1525-554: The ban. Varennes, Quebec Varennes is an off-island suburb of Montreal , in southwestern Quebec , Canada, on the Saint Lawrence River in the Marguerite-D'Youville Regional County Municipality . The city is approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) from Downtown Montreal . The population as of the Canada 2011 Census was 20,994. In 2015, the population is listed at 24,000. The history of Varennes starts with
1586-425: The bilateral Air Quality Agreement . In 2004, the power station released 1.2 megatonnes of CO 2 , 6,674 tonnes of SO 2 , and 4,010 tonnes of NO x . That year, the Tracy plant operated for 2,355 hours. Emissions were significantly cut in later years as it ran for 373 hours in 2005, down to only 7 hours in 2010. The Quebec government climate change action plan increased
1647-468: The city of Sorel-Tracy , in the Montérégie Region . Mainly used as a peaker plant , the Tracy facility was usually running during cold spells in the winter. It was sometimes operated year-round to supplement hydroelectric generation during low-water years. Although it was operated only sporadically, the generating station has been criticized for its contribution to air pollution as it
1708-435: The cloud systems, earth surface and atmosphere, as well as directly decreasing cloud albedo with black carbon contamination of water and ice found therein. The greatest increase in Arctic surface temperature per unit of black carbon emissions results from the decrease in snow/ice albedo which makes Arctic specific black carbon release more detrimental than emissions elsewhere. The International Maritime Organization (IMO),
1769-663: The company's thermal plants serve remote communities not connected to the main power grid in Nunavik , on the Lower North Shore , in Haute-Mauricie and in the Magdalen Islands . A thermal power station such as Tracy converts the energy contained in heavy fuel oil into heat , motion , and then into electrical energy . Burning fuel vaporize water and the steam expands to drive a turbine that spins
1830-533: The costs of keeping the plant open. Starting in 2007, the plant's share of the C$ 200 ;million carbon levy for industrial users of fossil fuels was evaluated at C$ 4.5 million. A new air quality regulation passed in 2011 lowered the NO x cap to 2,100 tonnes per year and required the power station to be equipped with a selective catalytic reduction system, a C$ 75 million investment according to
1891-415: The emission of black carbon is the ship load size, with emission factors of black carbon increasing up to six times given low engine loads. Black carbon is the product of incomplete combustion and a component of soot and fine particulate matter (<2.5 μg). It has a short atmospheric lifetime of a few days to a week and is typically removed upon precipitation events. Although there has been debate concerning
Tracy Thermal Generating Station - Misplaced Pages Continue
1952-633: The end of 2011, the Société des traversiers du Québec expressed an interest in moving its Sorel ferry terminal at Bassin Kaskiaik to near the power station as a way to increase traffic. As of October 2012, this scenario is among five options evaluated by a consultant retained by the Quebec government. Heavy fuel oil Heavy fuel oil (HFO) is a category of fuel oils of a tar -like consistency. Also known as bunker fuel , or residual fuel oil , HFO
2013-520: The following characteristics: IMO's Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) tasked the Pollution Prevention Response Sub-Committee (PPR) to enact a ban on the use and carriage of heavy fuel in Arctic waters at its 72nd and 73rd sessions. This task is also accompanied by a requirement to properly define HFO taking into account its current definition under MARPOL Annex I regulation 43. The adoption of
2074-521: The historically lax regulatory requirements for emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) by the IMO. For these two reasons, HFO is the single most widely used engine fuel oil on-board ships. Data available until 2007 for global consumption of HFO at the international marine sector reports total fuel oil usages of 200 million tonnes, with HFO consumption accounting for 174 million tonnes. Data available until 2011 for fuel oil sales to
2135-461: The initiative, several countries have been vocal about their resistance to an HFO ban on such a short time scale. The Russian Federation has expressed concern for impacts to the maritime shipping industry and trade given the relatively low cost of HFO. Russia instead suggested the development and implementation of mitigation measures for the use and carriage of HFO in Arctic waters. Canada and Marshall Islands have presented similar arguments, highlighting
2196-683: The international marine shipping sector reports 207.5 million tonnes total fuel oil sales with HFO accounting for 177.9 million tonnes. Marine vessels can use a variety of different fuels for the purpose of propulsion, which are divided into two broad categories: residual oils or distillates. In contrast to HFOs, distillates are the petroleum products created through refining crude oil and include diesel, kerosene, naphtha and gas. Residual oils are often combined to various degrees with distillates to achieve desired properties for operational and/or environmental performance. Table 1 lists commonly used categories of marine fuel oil and mixtures; all mixtures including
2257-417: The low sulfur marine fuel oil are still considered HFO. The use and carriage of HFO in the Arctic is a commonplace marine industry practice. In 2015, over 200 ships entered Arctic waters carrying a total of 1.1 million tonnes of fuel with 57% of fuel consumed during Arctic voyages being HFO. In the same year, trends in carriage of HFO were reported to be 830,000 tonnes, representing a significant growth from
2318-464: The main power grid in 2011 – except for three gas turbines in Bécancour, La Citière and Cadillac — and it was the utility's main source of air pollutants for most of its operational life. During the last 30 years of its operational life, the Tracy thermal generating station was faced with increasingly more stringent environmental rules. The Canada-US Agreements on acid rain , new regulations lowering
2379-696: The new plant in May 1961, conditional to a commitment to build both the hydroelectric generating station at Rapide des Coeurs and the petrochemical plant in Varennes. The construction of the generating station and the petrochemical plant were announced on July 31. Work on the first phase of the Tracy plant started in March 1962 with United Engineers and Constructors of Philadelphia as the lead contractor . The work site employed 800 people. The first two units were completed after Hydro-Québec's hostile takeover of SW&P and every other investor-owned public utility in
2440-511: The operation of the Tracy plant was seen by many observers as evidence of low reservoir levels. A few months later, the company was forced to admit levels of its reservoirs were low. After being idle for two years to complete repairs, the plant was run at capacity for 5 weeks, from June 14 to July 23, 2001, to take advantage of high prices on neighbouring electricity markets and cheap fuel and generated close to 200 GWh. That summer, Hydro-Québec took delivery of 480,000 barrels of heavy oil, and
2501-400: The plant and were supplied with fuel from the Montreal and Lévis refineries by tanker or by rail . Each unit was designed to "hot" start within 20 or 30 minutes. A cold start can take between three and four hours. It is a delicate operation, since moving parts must be relatively uniformly warmed to prevent damage. The success of this operation involves more than 70 steps and is controlled by
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2562-572: The plant but temporarily closed two units. Natural gas conversion was also shelved as it was "not beneficial at the moment". Hydro-Québec restarted the plant during the massive ice storm of January 1998 . In July, the utility signed a one-year contract with the Ultramar refinery in Lévis for heavy fuel oil deliveries at $ C13 per barrel, a price "never seen before", according to the company's CEO, André Caillé . Despite denials by Hydro-Québec officials,
2623-728: The potential impacts on Arctic communities (namely remote indigenous populations) and economies. To appease concerns and resistance, at its 6th session in February 2019, the PPR sub-committee working group developed a "draft methodology for analyzing impacts" of HFO to be finalized at PPR's 7th session in 2020. The purpose of the methodology being to evaluate the ban according to its economic and social impacts on Arctic indigenous communities and other local communities, to measure anticipated benefits to local ecosystems, and potentially consider other factors that could be positively or negatively affected by
2684-440: The power plant." After meeting a delegation of Sorel-Tracy citizens led by mayor Marcel Robert on March 29, 2004, company officials pledged to stop operating the plant past May 31, 2004, and limit its future use to peak periods only. The decision met both Quebec's and regional authorities demands, including the preservation of local jobs. The Tracy generating station was the only major thermal power station owned by Hydro-Québec on
2745-423: The province, as part of Quebec's nationalization of electricity policy. Shortly after the 1963 buyout, Hydro ordered a second set of two units, to be built next to the first two, and gave the construction contract to Shawinigan Engineering. Work started in March 1965, and the last unit was delivered in February 1968. In a booklet published by the public relations branch of Hydro-Québec in August 1965, shortly after
2806-497: The remnants or residual of petroleum sources once the hydrocarbons of higher quality are extracted via processes such as thermal and catalytic cracking . Thus, HFO is also commonly referred to as residual fuel oil. The chemical composition of HFO is highly variable due to the fact that HFO is often mixed or blended with cleaner fuels; blending streams can include carbon numbers from C 20 to greater than C 50 . HFOs are blended to achieve certain viscosity and flow characteristics for
2867-492: The reported 400,000 tonnes in 2012. A report in 2017 by Norwegian Type Approval body Det Norske Veritas (DNV GL) calculated the total fuel use of HFO by mass in the Arctic to be over 75% with larger vessels being the main consumers. In light of increased area traffic and given that the Arctic is considered to be a sensitive ecological area with a higher response intensity to climate change, the environmental risks posed by HFO present concern for environmentalists and governments in
2928-508: The risk of oil spill and the emission of toxic compounds and particulates including black carbon . The use of HFOs is banned as a fuel source for ships travelling in the Antarctic as part of the International Maritime Organization 's (IMO) International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code). For similar reasons, an HFO ban in Arctic waters is currently being considered. HFO consists of
2989-411: The sulfur content of fuel and greenhouse gas emissions regulations gradually constrained its operational flexibility outside of peak hours. The power station was operated 4,500 hours in 2003 and emitted 11,316 tonnes of SO 2 and 6,284 tonnes of NO x , which was above the 5,000-tonne cap for the southern Quebec Pollutant Emission Management Area (PEMA) under the 2000 Ozone Annex of
3050-502: The supply needs of its own retail customers were just barely met. SW&P then began planning for a 300-megawatt thermal power plant in Tracy to be built at a cost of C$ 45 million. The plant was designed to increase the company's peaking capacity to supplement its hydroelectric generation on the Saint-Maurice. It was slated to burn residual fuel oil , a by-product of a petrochemical plant to be built in nearby Varennes by
3111-420: The system, supplement hydro production in low-water years, and could come on-line during power outages or act as synchronous condensers , providing reactive power to control the voltage on the grid. Transition between the former and the new owner during construction hit a few snags. The first two units are separated from the two units ordered by Hydro-Québec by a wall, because SW&P bond holders required
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#17327904646933172-790: The third phase of the Beauharnois generating stations to keep up. After commissioning the Beaumont generating station in 1958, the Shawinigan Water & Power Company had exhausted most of its potential for the significant expansion of hydropower on the Saint-Maurice River and turned to Hydro-Québec to secure additional supplies. In February 1959, the Crown corporation informed officials at SW&P that it would be unable to supply incremental blocks of firm power because
3233-487: The water column and seabed. The following HFO specific spills have occurred since the year 2000. The information is organized according to year and ship name and includes amount released and the spill location: The combustion of HFO in ship engines results in the highest amount of black carbon emissions compared to all other fuels. The choice of marine fuel is the most important determinant of ship engine emission factors for black carbon. The second most important factor in
3294-555: Was awarded to US-based firm EDS Decommissioning, a subsidiary of the Silverdell Environmental Group . EDS will be in charge of decommissioning and dismantling the plant, including asbestos removal , tearing down the structures and selling reusable assets. The contractor expects to market "approximately 37,000 tonnes of reusable plant, equipment and metals" for resale. Future use of the riverfront property owned by Hydro-Québec has not yet been finalized. At
3355-624: Was captured by the British in 1760 during the Montreal Campaign . It was part of the Province of Quebec (1763–1791) , then of Lower Canada , before it returned to being part of Quebec again in 1867 due to Canadian Confederation . Varennes gained the status of city in 1972. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Varennes had a population of 21,198 living in 8,412 of its 8,538 total private dwellings,
3416-577: Was freezing under −30 °C (−22 °F) weather. On that day, system demand reached 35,818 MW at 7:18 am and climbed to 36,279 MW at 5:30 pm. The year-round use of the thermal power station fostered a strong discontent among people living nearby, who began registering complaints with the company and their elected officials. During the summer of 2003, a few people's houses and property were soiled with mysterious reddish droplets for which Hydro-Québec paid compensation, recognizing that these droplets could be related to "possible releases from
3477-544: Was limited to 2.6 TWh due to air pollution regulations. The transmission towers near the plant is part of a 735 kV transmission line crossing the Saint Lawrence River. They are 174.6 m (573 ft) high, making them the tallest in Canada . The power station's terminal substation is linked to the power grid by four 230 kV lines to Boucherville, Varennes, Contrecoeur, Carignan (lines 2320 and 2322) and Sorel-Tracy (lines 2332 and 2336). The Tracy Thermal Generating Station
3538-405: Was one of Quebec's major sources of carbon dioxide ( CO 2 ), sulfur dioxide ( SO 2 ), nitrogen oxides ( NO x ) and particulates (PM). Some commentators have accused Hydro-Québec of unnecessarily operating the Tracy thermal plant to export electricity by taking advantage of low fuel prices at certain times. The Tracy Thermal Generating Station was kept as a reserve during
3599-431: Was one of four peaking power plants on the Hydro-Québec grid. It was primarily used in winter to boost capacity, as required by the widespread use of electric heating in Quebec. It was also sporadically operated as a base load power plant between 1989 and 1991, in 1998 and in 2003–2004 to mitigate low water conditions in the company's reservoirs. Since the 1980s, calls for the closure of the plant were heard each time it
3660-402: Was run for an extended period. Nearby residents mainly complained about noise and odours from the generating station. In December 1990, Quebec's Minister of Energy, Lise Bacon , asked Hydro-Québec to consider converting the plant to natural gas to lower sulfur dioxide emissions as well as a cost-saving measure – at the time, heavy fuel oil was sold at $ C28/barrel while the equivalent natural gas
3721-422: Was selling for C$ 18. In 1992, Hydro-Québec announced a C$ 300 million refurbishment program to upgrade the boilers to burn natural gas or heavy fuel oil by 1995. The plant was seldom used between 1992 and 1997 and the modernization program was scaled down from C$ 165 to C$ 130 million. Retiring the plant was considered as a cost-cutting measure in the summer of 1996. Hydro-Québec decided against shutting down
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