Kemper County Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Plant

In order to meet future needs of their customers, Mississippi Power knew they must plan for growth now buy energy or build a suitable electric power plant. The Kemper County energy facility uses state of the art power plant technology called Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC). IGCC converts lignite to gas by sending it through a device called a gasifier where it is subjected to high temperature and pressure causing a chemical reaction that creates synthesis gas.

The cleaned syngas then generates power for a gas turbine to produce power. The process is completed in a massive and complicated HDG steel structure where maintenance would be difficult if not impossible. HDG for corrosion control met the designers' low maintenance requirements for durability. The Southern Company, parent company for Mississippi Power, is a long time believer in the benefits and cost effectiveness of HDG, so any other form of corrosion protection such as paint or weathering steel was quickly dismissed. The construction schedule was tight and time is money, so HDG offered customized delivery as well as the ability to help marshal the steel for staging by sequence, a real cost effective plus. The life-cycle cost of the HDG steel plant has played a key role in the optimization of future electricity cost and reliability.