NorthWestern Energy has fired up its new natural gas plant near Laurel and operators are getting ready for performance testing next week. The Yellowstone County Generating Station is powered by 18 reciprocating internal combustion engines that were manufactured by Caterpillar in Germany. The 181-ton engines are fueled by methane, which comes to the plant through a pipeline from Colorado.
“This is a very simple plant, it’s gas in, power out,” said Josh Follman, a project manager for NorthWestern Energy. “It’s just like a car engine.” Eighteen Caterpillar reciprocating internal combustion engines are housed at NorthWestern Energy's Yellowstone County Generating Station in Laurel.
Montana's largest public utility pushed ahead with the $310 million development , despite uncertainties with local land-use regulations and ongoing legal challenges from neighbors. The electricity it generates is now expected to help keep up when energy demands peak, typically during the hottest summer days and the coldest winter nights. Eighteen Caterpillar reciprocating internal combustion engines are housed at NorthWestern Energy's Yellowstone County Generating Station in Laurel.
“The beauty of this plant is that once we hit the start button, within eight minutes we can have 175 megawatts on the grid,” Follman said. Each engine has its own motor control center and can be fired up together or individually as needed when hydro, wind and solar power are not available or cannot keep up w.