Demolition of Dan River Steam Station underway

EDEN, N.C. -- Duke Energy started demolishing its more than 60-year-old Dan River Steam Station in Rockingham County. The company decommissioned the station's three coal-fired units last year as a new natural gas plant went into service.

The station is one of seven in the state Duke Energy will retire by the end of the year as it modernizes its electricity generation fleet and reduces emissions.

"We retired it in 2012, and now we're going through a multi-phase, multi-year approach to its demolition," said district manager Davis Montgomery.

Crews are removing the tracks once used by rail cars to bring in loads of coal, and they've begun work on the outside of the plant's powerhouse.

"[We're] taking some brick off it because we're going to modify the water intake to be used for the new plant, said Montgomery. That will be taking place over this next year, or so, but in 2015 the old powerhouse will come down completely."

The steam station's more efficient replacement came on line in 2012 and features a pair of combined combustion turbine units.

"They use natural gas as their main fuel source but they have on the backside of them a steam unit that recovers the heat off the combustion process and then uses steam to turn a turbine," Montgomery said.

At its best, the electricity output of the steam station was no match compared to the new plant.

"The old plant had about 360 megawatts worth of power, which is roughly about half what the new plant has, said Montgomery. The new plant can serve about a half million customers, so roughly speaking the old plant could serve 250,000 households."

The steam station has served the region well since the 1940s, but Montgomery said as the population continues to grow, the new cleaner burning, higher output facility would meet a huge need.

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Demolition of Dan River Steam Station underway