Gleason Combustion Turbine Plant

 

The Gleason Turbine Plant is located in Weakley County in west Tennessee. This 60-acre facility in Tennessee farm country helps reduces the need for TVA to purchase higher-priced power from external sources during periods of high demand. It is one of 12 combustion-turbine sites in the TVA power system.The facility was added to TVA’s fleet because it is connected to both the TVA transmission system and a natural gas pipeline.

Efficient power production to help meet peak demand

Gleason has three combustion turbines that run on natural gas and are designed to start quickly to meet the demand for electricity during peak operating periods. They can reach full power in just 20 minutes.

Combustion turbines operate on the same general principle as a jet engine. Air entering each unit is compressed, mixed with natural gas or oil, and ignited. The hot gas then expands through turbine blades to turn generators and produce electricity.

State-of-the-art emission controls and noise management make the Gleason units more environmentally friendly than older types. When the units run on natural gas, nitrogen-oxide emissions are less than 10 percent of what they were 30 years ago.