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RESERVOIRS AND POWER PLANTS
Shawnee Fossil Plant

Shawnee Fossil Plant is located about 10 miles northwest of Paducah, Kentucky, on the Ohio River.

Balancing efficient power production with environmental protection

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Electricity is produced at Shawnee’s 10 coal-fired units by the process of heating water in a boiler to produce steam. Under extremely high pressure, the steam flows into a turbine that spins a generator to make electricity.

Shawnee generates about 7.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to supply 550,000 homes. TVA has spent more than $110 million on pollution control equipment at the plant to ensure that this power supply is generated as cleanly as possible, consistent with efficiency. Unit 10 at Shawnee is the nation’s first commercial-scale atmospheric fluidized-bed combustion boiler. This technology allows the unit to burn high-sulfur coal while limiting harmful emissions. The boiler reduces SO2 and NOx in the furnace.

To further reduce SO2 emissions at Shawnee, Units 1 through 9 use a blend of low-sulfur coal. To limit NOx emissions, those units have low-NOx burners installed. View more information about emissions at Shawnee and the steps TVA is taking to control them.

Toxics Release Inventory
TVA is required to report annually to the Environmental Protection Agency on the amounts of chemicals released by its fossil-fuel plants. Check here for the latest data on Shawnee.

Emissions Data
TVA monitors other emissions at its fossil plants, including SO2, NOx, CO2, and mercury. Check here for the latest data on Shawnee.

Shawnee: Facts & Figures Shawnee has 10 coal-fired generating units. Construction at Shawnee began in 1951 and was completed in 1957. The winter net dependable generating capacity is about 1,369 megawatts. The plant consumes some 9,600 tons of coal a day.