West Deptford Energy Station Black Start System

Named a Best Project of 2015 by Engineering News-Record, this new black start system provides immediate power regeneration in the event of an electricity outage emergency.

Touted as the cleanest fossil fuel plant in New Jersey, the West Deptford Energy Station’s black start system is LS Power’s long-anticipated upgrade to provide power to Gloucester County, New Jersey. At its construction completion in mid-2014, the plant was generating 738 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 700,000 homes.

Integrating the West Deptford Energy Station’s black start system into the existing system, the project team and the owner risked potential damage to the existing system or power outages to the entire grid. These risks are much greater than if the black start system had been built in conjunction with the energy station, which is why this project was practically unprecedented, making this a milestone project in the power world.

The team performed the design, engineering, procurement, construction, start-up, commissioning and testing of the integrated facility and system comprised of diesel-fueled internal combustion engines and installed and integrated these new systems into the gas-fired combined-cycle power generation facility. The work included installing three of the largest diesel engine driven generators Caterpillar makes in generator sound-reducing enclosures, constructing a diesel engine control system, modifying the existing facility control system and performing site improvements.

During a black start event, the power from the West Deptford Energy Station will enable other connected power plants to start.