LEPA power plant to feed Plaquemine

MORGAN CITY - The Louisiana Energy and Power Authority (LEPA) recently announced that it has completed the sale of $120,770,000 in revenue bonds for the final stage of design and construction of a new natural gas fired electrical power plant.

The plant, which will be located in Morgan City, will be a 64-megawatt nominal rated natural gas fired combined-cycle gas turbine generating plant (CCGT). The new plant is the first power plant to be built in the southern region of Louisiana in some 40 years.

Six LEPA member municipalities including Morgan City, Houma, Jonesville, Plaquemine, Rayne and Vidalia have committed to participate in the project by entering into long-term power sales agreements for the plant's power output.

LEPA expects to award a contract for the engineering, procurement and construction of the plant in January with construct to begin in April and completion set for 2015.

The plant will be located adjacent to the Joseph Cefalu Municipal Steam Plant in Morgan City and will be equipped with an emergency diesel generator to provide for the ability to restart the facility without relying on other generating facilities or external sources of power.

LEPA has selected and is currently in the process of contracting the major equipment suppliers for the plant's gas turbine generator, steam turbine generator, heat recovery steam generator and step-up transformers. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality issued environmental operating permits for the plant on Sept. 23.