Just as Nova Scotians are seeking to increase energy efficiency in their homes and businesses, NS Power is working to increase the efficiency of our power plants to ensure they are producing as much electricity as they can with as little impact as possible. Without producing additional greenhouse gases, NS Power has found a way to generate an additional 25 megawatts of electricity at the Tufts Cove Generating Facility in Dartmouth through an innovative step – recycling heat.
In 2003 and 2005, NS Power installed natural gas-fired combustion turbines at the Tufts Cove site. Each combustion turbine generates 50 megawatts of electricity for a total of 100 megawatts. Natural gas is amongst the cleanest fossil fuels and produces 30 per cent less carbon dioxide than petroleum and 40 per cent less than coal.
“This is a very exciting project for us because we are always looking for ways to produce cleaner energy,” said John Hawkins, plant manager at the Tufts Cove Generation Station in Dartmouth. “This project uses a very efficient design which allows us to produce a given amount of energy with less fuel than a more traditional process.”
The new project at Tufts Cove will capture the waste heat generated by the two turbines and use it to generate steam in two boilers. The steam will then turn the turbine and generator which creates electricity.
The $66 million dollar project is now underway and is scheduled to be completed by November 2010. | 
The Tufts Cove Generating Facility
with Dartmouth in the background
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