Since 1923, the High Bridge power plant has been part of the skyline in St. Paul, Minnesota, providing power to the offices, businesses, and residents of the Twin City community. But the skyline has changed. The plant’s owner, Xcel Energy, replaced the old coal-fired plant with a combined-cycle natural gas facility which is larger, cleaner, and more energy efficient.
The High Bridge plant in St. Paul, which used coal to generate electricity, has been converted to a natural gas-powered facility. The new plant produces twice as much energy and reduces emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter by more than 90 percent. The plant is also designed to eliminate mercury emissions and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 66 percent.
CH2M HILL provided engineering, procurement, and construction services for the new High Bridge plant, which generates more than double the previous output and enough additional electricity to power nearly 300,000 homes. Working with Xcel Energy, the CH2M HILL team built multiple features into the design and construction which provide environmental, financial, and community benefits, including the following:
