Construction at Holland Energy Park
April 21, 2015 was a cold and blustery day at the empty field at 7th and Fairbanks, but the mood inside a pole barn on the edge of the property was warm and full of celebration as we broke ground for the future Holland Energy Park. Nearly a decade in the making, the community-inclusive decision to build a natural gas generating facility in Holland was about take shape.
“This is an exceptional community that undertook an exceptional process. Now our task is to carry out the will of the community with the creation of an exceptional facility,” said David Koster, HBPW general manager, during the ceremony.
Since the groundbreaking ceremony, visitors to the site have seen some remarkable changes to the landscape. Barton Malow, the engineering, procurement and construction Contractor, and its partners descended on the plot with a platoon of trailers, heavy equipment and a 600-ton Manitowoc crane. They’ve poured four-foot concrete foundations and received equipment deliveries for the plant’s two combustion turbines, heat recovery steam generators and steam turbine. With a target substantial completion of late 2016, the site is abuzz every day with steel, electrical and engineering crews bringing the pieces together.
Once built, the 145MW natural gas plant will supply Holland with power, hot water for snowmelt, and expand the potential for district heat (using the snowmelt system to heat buildings, like Hope College). The plant will also cut emissions sharply from our existing coal generation output with 99% less SOx, 66% less NOx and half as much CO2.
With over a year left of construction, there’s still plenty of time for visitors to see the crews in action from the site’s viewing deck on 7th Street just off Fairbanks Ave. You can also track progress on live cameras and get the latest news on the official website – p21decision.com.
