$600M scrubber project begins at Monroe Power Plant

Environmentally friendly work hasn’t only begun on the Monroe Power Plant, the foundation is poured and workers bees will start buzzing in earnest now that the wintry weather has broke.DTE Energy is spending $600 million to install two new flue gas desulfurization systems, commonly known as scrubbers, on the coal-fired power plant. The project is expected to create 900 jobs, including 600 in construction, and $300 million in indirect economic activity in the region.It will also significantly reduce the release of toxic and greenhouse gases from the facility. The scrubbers reduce a number of emissions, including sulfur dioxide, by about 97 percent. The power plant consists of four electricity generation units. Two of those received scrubbers earlier this year. This project will cover the other two units.The Monroe Power Plant is the first coal-fired power plant in Michigan to operate with scrubbers and selective catalytic reduction systems, which reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by about 90 percent. When operating together on the same generating unit, the combination also eliminates 75 to 90 percent of mercury emissions.Source: Scott Simons, spokesman for DTE EnergyWriter: Jon Zemke