TVA to Upgrade Apalachia Hydro Plant
Dec. 31, 2003
CHEROKEE COUNTY, N.C. — TVA will begin upgrading its two generating units at the Apalachia Hydroelectric Plant in early January to extend the life of the 60-year-old plant, increase its output and improve its reliability.
Work on the first unit is scheduled to be completed by mid-May 2004. Upgrades on the second unit are scheduled to begin in January 2005 and continue through May 2005.
The $18-million project will increase the facility’s capacity by 7 megawatts — enough power to supply an additional 900 homes.
Because of safety and security concerns associated with the heavy construction, public access to the east bank of the river near the powerhouse will be prohibited during both upgrades. The project will also result in increased traffic and activity in the area with more than 50 workers on site, and equipment deliveries by both rail and truck.
In addition, because only one generating unit will be available during each upgrade, some spilling at Apalachia Dam may be required to maintain or regain flood storage space in upstream reservoirs.
To minimize impacts to the public, TVA plans to complete the work on each unit before the Memorial Day weekend, and to keep the swinging bridge leading to the powerhouse open as much as possible. However, the bridge may be closed for safety and security reasons when no workers are present, or when the national state of alert is raised to an orange or red threat level.
The improvements at Apalachia are part of an $875 million program to upgrade 92 generating units at 26 of TVA’s 29 hydroelectric dams. Begun in 1992, the program is halfway to its goal. When completed in 2015, it will increase the life of the upgraded plants by 50 to 60 years and add about 700 megawatts to the TVA system.
TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self-financed. It provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve 8.3 million consumers in seven southeastern states. TVA manages the Tennessee River and its tributaries to provide multiple benefits, including flood control, navigation, water quality and recreation.
Media Contact:
Michelle Chang, Knoxville (865-632-8108) or TVA News Bureau, Knoxville (865-632-6000)
