IKE Clifty Creek Plant

IKE Clifty Creek Plant. Energy on the Ohio River. , The presence of this large power plant sparks many questions., Why is the Indiana Kentucky Electric power plant built on the Ohio River? , The production of electricity from coal requires water for a variety of reasons including transportation and cooling. The plant uses approximately 16,400 gallons of Ohio River water each second for cooling. , Ohio River barges transport the coal to the plant. Each barge can hold up to 2,000 tons of coal., How is electricity produced? , As coal burns, it heats water in a boiler and produces steam. The steam drives a turbine-powered electric generator., How tall are the smoke stacks? , The stacks are 985' high and tower 600' over the State Park. The three original stacks were replaced with the two tall tapered stacks in the late 1970s. The new straight stack with the white band around the top handles the emissions from all six generator units with an advanced pollution control system. , One of the reasons that the stacks exceed the height of the bluffs is to allow better dispersal of emissions., Why is the plant so near the park? , For national security purposes the plant was built in the early 1950s to support a uranium enrichment facility located near Portsmouth, Ohio. Uranium was used for nuclear reactors and atomic weapons. After the Cold War need for uranium ended, the plant switched to providing electricity for the region. Today, the plant generates enough electricity to power a city of one million people., How much coal does it burn? , The plant burns 8.5 tons per minute, 24 hours per day, seven days a week. The coal is ground to the fineness of baby powder before injection into the furnace.