Rock River Generating Station was an
electrical
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
power station
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...
located north of
Beloit, Wisconsin
Beloit ( ) is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 36,657 people. Beloit is a principal city of the Janesville, Wisconsin, Janesville–Beloit metropolitan statistical area (Rock Co ...
in the
town of Beloit at 827 (West Beloit Rock) W. B. R. Townline Road on the west bank of the
Rock River. The facility was owned and operated by
Wisconsin Power and Light, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Alliant Energy.
History
The facility opened in the early 1950s and consists of two
Babcock & Wilcox
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. is an American energy technology and service provider that is active and has operations in many international markets with its headquarters in Akron, Ohio. Historically, the company is best known for their stea ...
cyclone
boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, centra ...
s each with one
steam turbine
A steam turbine or steam turbine engine is a machine or heat engine that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam and uses it to do mechanical work utilising a rotating output shaft. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Par ...
. Originally designed to burn Illinois Basin
bituminous coal
Bituminous coal, or black coal, is a type of coal containing a tar-like substance called bitumen or asphalt. Its coloration can be black or sometimes dark brown; often there are well-defined bands of bright and dull material within the coal seam, ...
supplied by rail car or barge, the site switched to natural gas or lower sulfur
Powder River Basin
The Powder River Basin is a geologic structural basin in southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming, about east to west and north to south, known for its extensive coal reserves. The former hunting grounds of the Oglala Lakota, the area is very ...
coal. Additionally, a 30 MW
combustion turbine was added in 1967 and two 50 MW combustion turbines were added between 1972 and 1977. As of 2000, the boilers were capable of operating on a variety of fuel sources, including natural gas, Powder River Basin coal, #2
fuel oil
Fuel oil is any of various fractions obtained from the distillation of petroleum (crude oil). Such oils include distillates (the lighter fractions) and residues (the heavier fractions). Fuel oils include heavy fuel oil (bunker fuel), marine f ...
and tire-derived fuel. Coal has not been burned at the site since 2007 because the facility closed the landfill it had used for
fly ash
Coal combustion products (CCPs), also called coal combustion wastes (CCWs) or coal combustion residuals (CCRs), are byproducts of burning coal. They are categorized in four groups, each based on physical and chemical forms derived from coal combust ...
.
Coal burning boilers, Unit 1 and 2, were officially retired April 1, 2010. Electricity was generated via steam turbines and process water was taken from the Rock River.
On June 25, 2016, a worker was killed as the plant was being demolished. Demolition was expected to be completed by the end of 2016.
Adjacent facilities
An Alliant maintenance facility, Southern Area, and
Riverside Energy Center, a 603 MW
combined cycle
A combined cycle power plant is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem from the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy. On land, when used to make electricity the most common type is called a combined cycle gas turb ...
natural gas facility, formerly owned by
Calpine, are located adjacent to the station.
A second combined cycle natural gas plant was approved for construction March 31, 2016 at Riverside Energy Center, just west of the Rock River Generating station.
Gallery
Image:Rock River Gen Sta 1.jpg
Image:Rock River Gen Sta 3.jpg
Image:Rock River Gen Sta tanks.jpg
Image:Beloit Township Power plants.jpg, Wide angle view from south west of the site. Riverside Energy Center is adjacent to the west.
See also
*
List of power stations in Wisconsin
This is a list of electricity-generating power stations in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, sorted by type and name. In 2023, Wisconsin had a total summer capacity of 17,580 MW through all of its power plants, and a net generation of 62,548&nb ...
References
External links
*{{HAER , survey=WI-119 , id=wi0816 , title=Rock River Generating Station, 935 West B R Townline Road, Beloit, Rock County, WI , photos=48 , data=20 , cap=7
Energy infrastructure completed in 1952
Energy infrastructure completed in 1953
Buildings and structures in Rock County, Wisconsin
Historic American Engineering Record in Wisconsin
Natural gas-fired power stations in Wisconsin
Alliant Energy