State Power Plant to Barge Coal More Quickly

Charleston Gazette
7 August 2014
By The Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Upgrades could help a Putnam County power plant save $10 million annually by moving coal more quickly on barges.

The $6 million investment at Appalachian Power’s John E. Amos Power Plant reduces the time to change a barge from 45 minutes to five minutes.Parent company spokeswoman Tammy Ridout says the company can now unload a full barge while an empty barge is pulled away. The technology became operational in April.

She says the added capability lets Appalachian Power buy more barge coal, and less delivered by trains. The savings will be $5 per ton of coal.The company can now buy an additional 2 million tons by barge instead of rail each year.

Ridout says the change ultimately benefits power customers.

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