History
Meredosia Plant generated its first kilowatthour of electricity on June 1, 1948. As originally planned, Meredosia Power Station would have been a two-unit, 50-megawatt generating facility. Plant construction, begun in early 1941, was halted by the U. S. War Production Board in 1942. Plant construction materials were redirected to support America’s military needs. The turbo-generator and related equipment initially destined for Meredosia Station were shipped by the War Production Board to a World War II ally of the United States–Russia.
Units 1 and 2 were placed in service in 1948 and 1949, respectively; Unit 3 went into commercial operation in 1960. Unit 4, the plant’s oil-fired unit, was placed in service in 1975.
Operation
After delivery to the plant, coal eventually travels through pulverizers which grind it into the consistency of talcum powder; the powdery coal is blown into the boiler furnace. At full capacity, the plant’s five coal-fired boilers burn more than 160 tons of coal per hour to produce three million pounds of steam per hour. Boiler 6 can produce 1.5 million pounds of steam per hour.
In greatly simplified terms, electricity is made as the boiler heats water to create steam that flows into a turbine. The turbine turns a shaft. On the end of the shaft is a magnet that revolves inside a coil to create electricity.
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