Railroad Forums 

  • ANY COAL IN NJ?

  • Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New Jersey
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New Jersey

Moderator: David

 #1263756  by ALCOGG1
 
Any coal still happening in NJ? Power plant shipments, factories, steel mills, waterfront docks? I remember years age NYSW tried to ship some coal at Edgewater old Sea Train dock and the Chock Full of Nuts plant complaining of coal dust polluting their coffee manufacturing. Both the dock and the coffee place are now gone. When I take train to Hoboken still see giant coal pile at power plant before you go through tunnels east bound, but do they use this coal or is it just backup since I am told many power plants are converting to natural gas?
 #1263822  by JPG76
 
I assume you are talking about the power plant near the M&E on the Hackensack river. That plant is coal fired. The coal is delivered on barges.
 #1263838  by Ken W2KB
 
JPG76 wrote:I assume you are talking about the power plant near the M&E on the Hackensack river. That plant is coal fired. The coal is delivered on barges.
Both of PSEG Fossil, LLC's coal-capable NJ generating stations, Hudson (Jersey City) and Mercer (Hamilton Township), have received coal by ocean-going barge for decades. Coal is shipped by rail to tidewater in Virginia and loaded on the barges for the journey north along the coast. That said, because of the low prices, I believe that both stations are mostly fired by natural gas in recent times. PSEG Fossil Connecticut, LLC's Bridgeport Harbor Station also receives its coal by water, but the unit rarely runs on coal.

Rockland Capital's B. L. England Station in Beasley Point, NJ is coal-fired but under the terms of its settlement agreement with the NJDEP, the emissions permits expire about a year from now so coal will cease being used. The Station is appealing a Pinelands Commission order denying a permit for a natural gas pipeline which would have been buried in the shoulder of existing main roads to convert the Station to gas. Absent a favorable result on appeal or legislatively the Station will likely close.
 #1263845  by chuchubob
 
JoeBas wrote:NS 506 to Deepwater?
Yes, NS 506 still delivers coal to Deepwater. Also NS 874, which arrived DEEP 7 AM today.
 #1263855  by Ken W2KB
 
chuchubob wrote:
JoeBas wrote:NS 506 to Deepwater?
Yes, NS 506 still delivers coal to Deepwater. Also NS 874, which arrived DEEP 7 AM today.
Looks like the Deepwater Station owner requested that the PJM ISO advance Units 1 and 6 deactivations from 5/1/2015 to 5/1/2014. So it appears that both Deepwater coal fired units will not run after the end of this May.

B. L. England's coal-fired Unit 1is also to be deactivated at the end of this May. That leaves coal-fired Unit 2 in service until the end of May next year when it is scheduled to be shut down for conversion to gas.

See: http://www.pjm.com/planning/generation- ... aries.aspx

I believe that will leave only Mercer and Hudson as coal-capable generating stations in NJ. Both had over a billion dollars of emissions controls constructed a couple years ago so should be around for quite some time, though mostly on natural gas.

Of course both the Susquehanna and BRRHT groups operate coal-fired steam locomotives. Does that count? ;-)
 #1265467  by bluedash2
 
Ken- are you referring to DuPont's CoGen? The former Connectiv Deepwater Plant switched to a natural gas a few years ago.
 #1265628  by Ken W2KB
 
bluedash2 wrote:Ken- are you referring to DuPont's CoGen? The former Connectiv Deepwater Plant switched to a natural gas a few years ago.
Could be I mixed up the two. When I get a chance I'll look at the in-service generation list. Thanks!