1,598.9-Megawatts of Coal-Fired Power


In the month of June 2022, I visited the LaCygne Power Plant located in LaCygne, Kansas to capture a loaded coal train entering the power plant. Built in 1973 (Unit 1), and 1977 (Unit 2), LaCygne generating station supplies electricity to the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Roughly one loaded coal train a day makes the trek to the power plant for the Powder River Basin in Wyoming.


Powder River Basin Mines:

  • Caballo Mine
  • Cordero Rojo Mine
  • North Antelope Rochelle Mine
  • Black Thunder Mine


Industrial Facts:

  • Coal Type Sub Bituminous and Bituminous
  • Unit 1 - Supercritical
  • Unit 1 - Tentatively scheduled for retirement in 2032
  • Unit 2 - Subcritical
  • Unit 2 - Tentatively scheduled for retirement in 2039


Starting in 2011, the La Cygne Generating Station underwent a coal environmental retrofit that included the installation of two Hitachi wet flue gas desulfurization scrubbers and new Hamon fabric filters on Unit 1 and Unit 2. A selective catalytic reduction system, low-nitrous oxide burners and over-fire air system on Unit 2 of the facility were installed. The entire environmental retrofit was completed in 2014 making the LaCygne generating station one of the cleanest coal burning power plants in the United States.


Photography


Man vs Nature was the theme behind these shots. The LaCygne generation station is located in a beautiful valley surrounded by rolling hills making for a unique industrial green landscape. The awesome machinery generation high amounts of power in both electricity and tractive forces beckoned for an industrial gritty compositional look and feel.


All shots shown below were taken with a Sony Full Frame A7iii Camera Body utilizing an F2.8 Sony G-Master OSS II 70-200mm Lens.

UP 7484 - ES44AC Built in 07/2011 sits idling waiting for a fresh KCS crew out of Pittsburg, KS to take the train back North to Kansas City and the Powder River Basin.

UP Loaded KCLX Coal Train chugging its way to the coal dumper carrying low sulfur coal from Powder River Basin

Hot, hazy and humid made for unique landscape shots around the power plant capturing all the moisture in the air.

UP load coal train smoking it up

KCP&L now Evergy, have several coal fired plants surrounding Kansas City. Often the coal sets are intermixed with the different generating stations cars all belonging to KCP&L.

CLICK BELOW FOR MORE PHOTOGRAPHS

Thanks for stopping by.


Cheers!


Chris Catalano - The Nominal Photographer


Sources


  1. Global Energy Monitor WIKI - https://www.gem.wiki/La_Cygne_Generating_Station
  2. Kiewit Construction - https://www.kiewit.com/projects/la-cygne-generating-station-environmental-retrofit/