Shawnee Fossil Plant
Balancing efficient power production with environmental protection
Electricity is produced at Shawnees nine active coal-fired units by heating water in a boiler to produce steam. Under extremely high pressure, the steam flows into a turbine that spins a generator to make electricity. Shawnee generates about 8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to supply 540,000 homes.
Shawnee Unit 10, which was converted to an atmospheric fluidized-bed boiler in the early 1980s, was idled by TVA in October 2010. TVA is evaluating the possible conversion of this unit to generating power from biomass, such as wood waste.
Low-cost and cleaner energy
Through 2011, TVA has spent about $5.4 billion on emissions controls at its coal plants to help TVA generate power as cleanly as possible.
View more information about emissions at Shawnee and the steps TVA is taking to control them.
In support of recent environmental agreements, Shawnee units 1 and four will be converted to renewable biomass, controlled by adding scrubbers and selective catalytic reduction systems, or retired by Dec. 31, 2017.