885-Megawatt Combined-Cycle Facility
Scottsville, Virginia
The Tenaska Virginia Generating Station, an 885-megawatt natural gas-fueled, combined-cycle electric generating facility began operation in May 2004. It is located in Fluvanna County, near Scottsville, Va.
Tenaska developed the power project and formed Tenaska Virginia Partners, L.P., to build and own the facility. The Tenaska project has a long-term energy conversion agreement with Shell Energy North America (US), L.P. (Shell) for the entire electrical production of the generating station. Under this long-term agreement, the Tenaska facility converts fuel owned and supplied by Shell into electricity, which Shell markets throughout Virginia and the regional wholesale power market.
The Tenaska Virginia Generating Station uses state-of-the-art technology designed to maximize efficiency, generating electricity using the least amount of fuel. It includes three General Electric Frame 7FA gas turbines and one General Electric steam turbine.
Through its construction and ongoing operation, the project provides significant economic benefits to the local region and the state. Tenaska will pay millions of dollars in property taxes over its operating life. The area benefited from numerous construction and trade jobs during the two-year construction period. Tenaska Operations, Inc. hired a 28-member operating staff, 21 of whom were from Virginia.
In 2010, employees at Tenaska Virginia achieved the nation’s highest safety designation, the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star Worksite, a program administered by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry in cooperation with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Only 2,300 out of 7.2 million worksites nationwide and 42 in the Commonwealth of Virginia have achieved the VPP star designation. In addition, the Tenaska Virginia Generating Station is the only natural gas-fueled power plant in Virginia to receive this prestigious award
Tenaska Virginia also won a 2009 Best Practices award from leading industry magazine Combined Cycle Journal in Safety for establishing an employee-driven safety culture. Tenaska Virginia shared in a ‘Best of the Best’ award from Combined Cycle Journal with other Tenaska-owned plants for successfully implementing a state-of-the-art performance monitoring program for critical plant processes to reduce operating costs, help identify potential problems and increase overall consistency among the plants in 2007.
Tenaska Virginia employees were the recipients of the 2008 Virginia Governor’s Volunteerism and Community Service Award for their involvement in local school tutoring programs and the Virginia Department of Education regional 2008 Creating Excellence Award for their support of career and technical education.
The Tenaska Virginia Generating Station provides Fluvanna County with substantial financial benefits. In addition to the construction jobs previously provided, the facility provides 25 to 30 well-paid, permanent positions and generates an annual payroll, including subcontractor services and vendors, of approximately $4.3 million per year. The plant is the county’s largest property taxpayers, providing revenue that can be used for roads, law enforcement and basic services. However, it does not require a large number of permanent workers who would increase demands for schools, roads, fire protection or other services.
In 2007, “POWER” magazine named the Tenaska Virginia Generating Station one of six model natural gas-fired generating plants worldwide, recognizing it for its excellent operations record and good corporate citizenship. In addition to its involvement in community organizations, the magazine cited Tenaska Virginia for a training program that has “shortened the plant’s start-up time and elevated its availability, making it much more dispatchable and profitable.”
Tenaska Virginia also won two awards from the National Safety Council for its excellent safety record and successful safety programs in 2009. The awards are the Occupational Excellence Achievement Award and the Perfect Record Award.
