Environmental Initiatives

• Fossil fuels – mainly oil until the 1980s – supply most of Nova Scotia’s electricity
• Generating facilities are built in proximity to domestic coal resources.
• Our largest generating station, Lingan, was constructed in Cape Breton to burn coal.
• Nova Scotia’s largest hydroelectric station, Wreck Cove, was constructed.

• Point Tupper Generating Station, also based in Cape Breton, was converted from oil to burn coal.
• Our Annapolis Tidal Power Plant, still the only facility of its kind in North America, was constructed.

• We begin using low-sulphur coal and state-of-the-art low NOx burners at Unit 6 of our Trenton Generating Station. We added equipment called an electrostatic precipitator, designed to reduce emissions, to Unit 5 at Trenton.
• Point Aconi Generating Station was constructed, opening in 1994. This plant remains our most environmentally-progressive coal burning facility with the fewest emissions.
• Conversions at the Tufts Cove Generating Station were made to allow the plant to burn either natural gas or heavy fuel oil – whatever is more cost effective for customers.
• An electrostatic precipitator is added to Tufts Cove Unit 2.
• Coal mines in Cape Breton closed down, leading to the need to import most of our coal.

• Two 50 MW combustion turbines are added to Tufts Cove to burn natural gas.
• Electrostatic precipitators are added to Tufts Cove Units 1 and 3.
• We enhanced our net metering program, raising the upper limit from 10 kilowatts to 100 kilowatts. Customers with a generation source of their own get full retail value for any excess power they produce. A growing number are taking advantage of this program.
• Our first two wind turbines were installed at Grand Etang and Little Brook in 2002, while a larger push toward wind begins a few years later.

• Digby Neck and Nuttby Mountain Wind Farms are fully operational, with a combined generating capacity of 80 MW.
• 17.5% of Nova Scotia’s electricity is generated by renewable sources, meeting the requirement of 15%.
• Tufts Cove Unit 6 is commissioned, a combined cycle combustion turbine that burns natural gas.
• A 60 MW biomass power plant in Port Hawkesbury is commissioned, which supplies as much as 3% of the province’s electricity. It provides a source of firm renewable energy that can back up intermittent wind generation.
• 20% of Nova Scotia’s electricity must be generated by renewable sources.
• 26.6% of electricity was generated by renewable sources, surpassing the required target of 25%.
• 29% of electricity was generated by renewable sources.

• 40% of Nova Scotia’s electricity must be generated by renewable sources.
• We're working towards 80% renewable and off coal by 2030.

Our fly ash can be used in concrete production, cement manufacturing, waste stabilization, geotechnical fill, flowable fill, road building, asphalt, and many other applications. Using our CCPs also reduces the amount of raw materials that need to be consumed, which once again decreases the overall environmental footprint.

• WHEN USED IN CONCRETE

Concrete containing fly ash is stronger and more durable than that produced with only cement. Our fly ash extends the life of infrastructure projects and incorporating our fly ash provides cost savings to concrete producers and lowers the overall cost of construction. We are progressing with an initiative to employ beneficiation technology to increase supply for the ready-mix concrete market.

• WHEN USED IN CEMENT MANUFACTURING

Corrective ingredients are used in cement manufacturing to adjust chemistry and achieve ASTM specification. Our CCPs are high in on-spec and low in off-spec components, providing correction capability that is low cost, single source, and increases the quality of the cement.

• WHEN USED IN SOIL STABILIZATION

Supplementing under-performing soils with fly ash has been shown to improved physical properties such as shear strength and load bearing capacity. Our fly ash provides a cost-effective means of stabilizing roadways, embankments, and construction sites.

• WHEN USED IN SOIL SOLIDIFICATION

Heavy metal and oil contaminated soils can be controlled with the introduction of our fly and CFB ash. Ash additions act to sequester toxic contaminants by forming dense soil aggregates, thereby preventing the spread of contamination and leaching to groundwater sources.

• WHEN USED IN SOIL AMENDMENT

Our ash will require no further processing or refinement once delivered. Ash removed from landfills will be beneficiated prior to export and unlike comparable industry materials their quality will be very consistent and will be ready for use once passed to the customer

Exporting and Marine Terminals

Over time we plan to export fly ash by ocean going vessels at two locations. These are the Sydney International Coal Pier and the Point Tupper Marine Terminal in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Shipments of ash will likely be sourced from our four Generating Stations and will be transported to Sydney and Point Tupper to be loaded aboard ships for delivery to customers.

Both the Sydney International Coal Pier and the Point Tupper Marine Terminal are currently active coal import facilities for us.

Trenton

Trenton Generating Station (TRE) opened in 1969. TRE-5 was commissioned in 1969 and underwent a multi-million dollar complete refurbishment in 2009, leading to improved efficiency of the unit. TRE-6 was commissioned in 1991. Total capacity of Trenton Generating Station is 307 MW.

TRE is located in the community of Trenton. TRE is situated adjacent to rail and located 65km North-East of Truro which is the rail transportation hub of Nova Scotia. 

More Information:

The Trenton Generating Station produces Class F and kiln feed fly ash from two thermal generating units at a rate of 108,000 metric tons per year, and bottom ash at a rate of 18,000 tons per year. Ash produced at Trenton has historically been dry stack stored at the Abercrombie and Trenton Ash Management Sites. The amount of stored ash totals approximately 4,000,000 tons.

Trenton Class F and kiln feed ash has applications in cement, concrete, and soil amendment industries.

Ash produced at Trenton will be loaded aboard proximally located rail facilities and shipped to points of export including Point Tupper. 

Point Tupper

Point Tupper Generating Station (POT) was commissioned as an oil-burning unit in 1973. It was converted to coal and recommissioned in 1987. Total capacity of Point Tupper Generating Station is 150 MW.

POT is located in the community of Point Tupper in the Richmond County area.  POT is situated adjacent to our Point Tupper Marine Terminal (PTMT) in the Canso Strait.

More Information:

A single Generating Unit at Point Tupper produces fresh Class F and Kiln Feed fly ash at a rate of 34,000 tons, and bottom ash at a rate of 4,000 tons annually. Historically produced ash has been dry stored at the nearby Bear Head Ash Management Site in the estimated total amount of 1,250,000 metric tons.

Two ash varieties are produced at Point Tupper. These include Class F, Kiln Feed. These ash types can be applied to cement and concrete production as well as soil stabilization and solidification industries.

Initially ash stored and produced at Point Tupper will be relocated to the nearby Port Hawkesbury Paper Marine Terminal prior to ship-loading and export to customers.

Lingan

Constructed in the 1970s, Lingan's four units were commissioned separately from 1979-1983. Lingan is Nova Scotia Power’s largest generating station. Total capacity of Lingan Generating Station is 620 MW.

LIN is located in community of Lingan, which is an old integral part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s historical coal mining community.  Lingan is proximal to marine via 15km rail loop to Nova Scotia Power’s International Coal Pier (ICP) in Sydney Harbour.

In 2012 Nova Scotia Power announced that two of Lingan's units would be operated only on a seasonal basis due to decreased industrial load, increased renewable energy use and to meet environmental requirements.

More Information:

The Lingan Generating Station produces Class F and Kiln Feed fly ash from four units at a rate of over 100,000 metric tons per year, and bottom ash at a rate of 16,000 metric tons per year. Ash produced at Lingan is dry stacked stored in landfill near the plant site in the amount of 5,500,000 metric tons.

As the ash diversion program expands the ash will be stored at Nova Scotia Power’s International Coal Pier (ICP) in Sydney Harbour , this is planned to be the primary point of export for Lingan CCP products. Ships will be loaded here with Lingan ash before delivery to our  customers.

Point Aconi

Point Aconi (POA) opened in August 1994.  The plant’s circulating fluidized bed technology means it can use petcoke in its boiler while significantly reducing emissions. Due to its design, Point Aconi is primarily fueled by petcoke, which is a solid by-product of the oil refining process.  Total capacity of Point Aconi Generating Station is 171 MW.

POA is Located in the rural community of Point Aconi.

More Information:

The Point Aconi Generating Facility is unique among our facilities in that it uses Circulating Fluidized Bed technology. This process requires the addition of limestone and results in ash residue with higher than typical calcium content. CCB ash residue holds particular value in soil amendment applications.

CCB fly ash and bottom ash residues are produced at Point Aconi at an annual rate of 90,000 and 80,000 metric tons respectively. Historically produced residue is stored at Point Aconi in dry-stack storage in the amount of 3,000,000 tons.

Biomass

We operate a 60 megawatt biomass power plant in Port Hawkesbury, which supplies as much as 3% of the province’s electricity. Biomass is a renewable energy source used around the world. The facility helps us reach renewable energy requirements and provides a source of firm renewable energy that can back up intermittent wind generation.

We offer a variety of fly and Kiln-Feed ash residues to our customers. As the ash produced at our four Generation Stations is distinct, we can provide tailored ash products for use in range of industries.

We offer a variety of fly and kiln-feed ash residues to our customers. As the ash produced at our four generation stations is distinct, we can provide tailored ash products for use in range of industries.

Though ash composition is variable and depends on plant operating conditions, fuel blend, and chemical treatment, commonalities exist for the ash produced across our Generation Stations. Our fly ash contains:

• Silicon Dioxide (SiO2)

• Calcium Oxide (CaO)

• Iron (III) Oxide (FeO2)

• Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3)

Dependent on the fuel blend used, our fly ash may also contain trace amounts of other materials.

As fuel blends and operating conditions have been carefully monitored for consistency over the operational life of each plant, the ash residue produced has also remained consistent in terms of composition. As a result, we have a large inventory of ash produced at each plant, which deviates very little with respect to chemistry and physical properties.

The following table compares ash residue compositions by generation station to the corresponding ASTM specifications for Class F, Class C, and Kiln-Feed Ash residues.