ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, May 31, 1990                   TAG: 9005310481
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-14   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PLANT WOULD PRODUCE MUCH EXCESS STEAM

I READ with interest the story "Plant plan generates plenty of steam" in the Roanoke Times & World-News April 29. I would like to point out one glaring omission, relative to the Buena Vista proposal, in the drawing of how a co-generation plant works.

That omission is the cooling towers needed to condense the excess steam the proposed plant will produce. It is a co-generation plant in name only; as proposed, it would produce roughly 12 times more waste steam than the steam host can utilize. Condensing that waste steam would require cooling towers capable of evaporating, on average, 800 gallons of Maury River water a minute.

A co-generation plant should be sized to meet the needs of its steam host, therefore minimizing the impact on water resources. Water would then not be needed to condense excess steam, with the concurrent energy loss, as the steam would be fully used for process heat. The Hadson Development proposal is predominantly a utility facility, with the co-generation label tacked on so a "suitable site" can be located next to an old factory with an antiquated boiler.

"Plant plan generates plenty of steam"? Yes. About 12 times too much! STEVE RICHARDS Chair, Water Committee Clean Air for Rockbridge LEXINGTON 


 by CNB