Construction of a new 710 MW gas-fired cogeneration plant toreplace a 75-year old powerhouse supplying Ford Motor Company’smassive Rouge complex and Rouge Steel Co. in Dearborn, MI, is goinginto overdrive following the explosion of a boiler Tuesday thatkilled one person, critically injured a dozen others and shut downthe old plant.

Detroit Edison is supplying up to 200 MW currently through twooutlets that were not damaged to get some manufacturing operationsgoing again. A utility spokesman said it was not a strain duringthe winter because Detroit Edison is a summer peaking operation. ByJuly the first unit of the new cogeneration plant funded 70% by CMSEnergy and 30% by DTE Energy Services and built by Duke/FluorDaniel should be in operation.

The plant originally was scheduled to go on-line with 550 MWcapacity in mid-2000, but the CMS/DTE joint venture, DearbornIndustrial Generation L.L.C., turned up a spare turbine inWashington State, allowing them to push the in-service date forsome of the power to mid-1999 and up the total capacity to 710 MW.Originally the plant was slated for two gas turbines and a steamturbine. Now there will be three gas turbines.

Even though the July in-service date “was an aggressive target,”according to CMS spokesman Kelly Farr, “I think we’re going to haveto move even faster than that. It’s going to be difficult. They’rejust putting in the pilings for the foundation now.” CMS isproviding some emergency steam and hopes to be able to increasesupplies later this week.

It will take more than 100 MMcf/d of gas to fuel the cogenproject.

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