Northwest Pipeline LLC (Northwest) has requested US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission authorization for its Kemmerer Horsepower Replacement Project in Lincoln County, Wyoming. Specifically, the project would include the abandonment in place of four existing reciprocating compressor units and one legacy gas turbine compressor unit to be replaced with one new Solar Mars 90 turbine-driven unit and additional ancillary facilities and piping at the Kemmerer Compressor Station.
The project is expected to reduce the Kemmerer Compressor Station’s NOx emissions by an estimated 99%, or 115 tons per year, and potential methane emissions by an estimated 94%, or 101 tons per year.
Northwest will abandon in place three 6000 hp (4476 kW) Cooper GMWC-6 reciprocating engine compressors (units 1, 2, and 3); one 2500 hp (1865 kW) Cooper V6-250 reciprocating engine compressor (unit 4); and one 4700 hp (3506 kW) Solar Centaur 40 turbine-driven compressor (mobile unit).
Northwest requests authorization to replace the existing units of its Kemmerer Compressor Station with one 13,220 hp Solar Mars 90 turbine-driven unit paired with a C65 compressor.
The new turbine-driven compressor will be outfitted with SoLoNOx emissions combustion technology and include a seal gas recovery unit. As currently configured, the total certificated horsepower of the Kemmerer Compressor Station is 9637 hp (7189 kW) site-rated hp and 13,200 ISO-rated hp (9847 kW). After the existing units are replaced, the total certificated horsepower of the Kemmerer Compressor Station will decrease to 8936 site-rated hp (6666 kW) and 13,220 ISO-rated hp 99862 kW). The slight reduction in site-rated horsepower will not impact the design delivery capacity or customer contractual obligations.
The project is part of Northwest’s Modernization and Emissions Reduction (MER) Program 1 which involves the replacement of 22 vintage natural gas reciprocating compressors and turbine engines with gas turbine-driven compressors with low emissions technology over a period of six years. The MER Program is expected to reduce Northwest’s nitrogen oxide emissions by 93% and potential methane emissions by 89%. The reduction in site-rated horsepower at the Kemmerer Compressor Station will not affect the design delivery capacity or customer service obligations.
