Duke Energy has added the first of four new advanced gas turbines for its new combined cycle plant at the Person County Energy Complex. This addition marks a milestone moment in the growth and development of the Duke Energy infrastructure.
Person County Energy Complex
The Person County Energy Complex is part of Duke Energy’s effort to modernize its generation fleet as older plants approach the end of operation. Person County is transitioning to newer technologies while keeping up with current power demands.
The new turbine, a GE Vernova combustion turbine, generates electricity using natural gas. In a combined-cycle configuration, heat that would otherwise be wasted is captured to produce steam that powers a second turbine, allowing the facility to generate additional electricity more efficiently.
Person County has been home to the Roxboro (Hyco) Plant since 1966 and the Mayo Plant since 1983. Duke Energy is expected to retire the Mayo Plant by 2031 and the Roxboro Plant by 2034.
This new addition to the Person County Energy Complex is the first of many steps in the transition to cleaner energy options in North Carolina.
Turbine Details
The turbine weighs 627,000 pounds (314 tons) and can generate enough electricity to power hundreds of thousands of homes. The final leg of the journey covered 73 miles over three days. The turbine was manufactured in Greenville, South Carolina, transported by rail to Ruffin, North Carolina, and made the final trip to Person County by a specialized heavy-haul trailer as long as a football field.
Original reporting: WRAL Raleigh — read the source article.
