Combined cycle plant approved in Louisiana

The Shaw Group Inc. recently announced it received full notice to proceed on a new dual fuel combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant at Entergy’s Ninemile Point Steam Electric Station near New Orleans, La. The 550-megawatt unit at Ninemile is scheduled to begin commercial operations by the first part of 2015. The cost to construct the unit is currently estimated at $721 million and is expected to provide significant economic benefits to Jefferson Parish and its adjoining communities.

Entergy awarded Shaw an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services contract for the construction of the new unit in June 2011, and Shaw began working under a limited notice to proceed. The notice to proceed fully with the construction, which came after the after the LPSC's March 21 approval, authorizes Shaw to begin EPC services for the plant.

Modern pollution controls

The state-of-the-art combined-cycle gas turbine unit will use modern pollution controls and technology to produce highly efficient, clean and reliable power and could produce fuel savings for customers ranging from $26 million to $53 million per year. Through its advanced pollution-control systems, the unit will be among the cleanest natural gas-fired generating plants in the nation.

Entergy Louisiana and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, which sought certification to construct the unit, together serve more than one million customers. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the companies are part of Entergy Corporation's electric system serving 2.8 million customers in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.