Entergy gives Shaw OK to begin building natural gas-fired unit near N.O.

Now that it has received approval from the Louisiana Public Service Commission to move forward, Entergy says it has given the Shaw Group Inc. notice to begin construction of Ninemile Unit 6, a 550-megawatt gas-fired generating unit at its existing Ninemile Point Station in Westwego. “We generate electricity using a variety of fuels, including natural gas and nuclear. It’s a successful strategy that’s working for our customers, and the Ninemile plant will enhance this effort,” says Entergy Louisiana President and CEO Bill Mohl. Subsidiaries of the Shaw Group will serve as the engineering, procurement and construction contractors, and will also work in conjunction with an in-house Entergy management team on the project. Entergy awarded Shaw a $500 million engineering, procurement and construction services contract for the project in June 2011. The LPSC signed off on the project last week. Construction is estimated to cost $721 million; the unit is expected to begin commercial operations in early 2015. Entergy says the combined-cycle gas turbine unit will be state-of-the-art, using modern pollution controls and technology to produce highly efficient, clean and reliable power. It projects resulting fuel savings for customers ranging from $26 million to $53 million per year, and says the unit will be among the cleanest natural gas-fired generating plants in the country.