Grand River Dam Authority Begins Construction on Natural Gas-Fired Project

The Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) and Black & Veatch entered the design, procurement, and construction phase for an advanced-class natural gas-fired project near Chouteau in northeast Oklahoma. The are replacing Unit 2, a 492 MW generator from the mid-80s with Unit 4: Mitsubishi Power’s 426 MW J-class simple-cycle combustion turbine. The new unit will be connected to a 345 kV switchyard, delivering operational flexibility and fast start-up times to meet grid demands.

“GRDA’s goal is to continue to deliver reliable, efficient electricity to our customers in the decades to come, and Unit 4 will be a tremendous asset that will allow us to do that,” said Dan Sullivan, the GRDA’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our partnership with Black & Veatch has helped us reshape our generation portfolio by adding new advanced-class natural gas generation units. We look forward to continuing that partnership with Unit 4.”

Black & Veatch also provided air permitting support and developed a cost estimate for GRDA’s 345 kV transmission line and associated structures. Previously, Black & Veatch served as the engineer for GREC Unit 3—a 1x1 combined-cycle power generator finished in 2017.

Grand River Energy Center; Image Credits: GRDA

“This important project extends Black & Veatch’s longstanding relationship with the GRDA and aligns with our shared values of delivering cleaner solutions in a rapidly evolving energy ecosystem,” said Laszlo von Lazar, President of Black & Veatch’s Energy and Process Industries business.

In October of last year, Mitsubishi Power and GRDA came to terms on an agreement for the delivery of a second gas turbine to the Grand River Energy Center in Chouteau, OK. Mitsubishi Power’s M501 JAC is the first turbine operating in simple cycle in the United States, according to the company. Mitsubishi’s Unit 4 gas turbine is hydrogen-capable, allowing the integration of gas blends or, in the future, pure hydrogen.

“By replacing its coal-fired units with our J-Class gas turbines, including Unit 4’s hydrogen-capable turbine, GRDA is demonstrating its continuing commitment to cleaner, more flexible and reliable energy production,” said Bill Newsom, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas. “Our long-term relationship with GRDA was born out of mutual trust and confidence cultivated over nearly a decade.”

GREC held the Unit 4 signing ceremony on Oct. 2, 2023, adding that construction is expected to begin in 2024 and operation will commence in April of 2026. Mitsubishi Power, as a term in both gas turbine agreements, will conduct long-term maintenance, parts supply, and remote monitoring of the units.

Black & Veatch also placed an order with Chart Industries in April 2024 for the supply of critical liquefaction equipment to the Cedar LNG project in Kitimat, Canada. The order includes the supply of natural gas liquefaction cold boxes and brazed aluminum heat exchangers for the floating LNG project.